I’ve got a friend who is into open source software. Her laptops use Linux-based operating systems, and all her software is free. Avoid admitting to using Microsoft Office. Should to say so, you’ll be asked why you pay so much for a product which is all but duplicated in its effectiveness by free Libre Office. To an extent she’s right; it’s perfectly adequate for most people.

Email marketing is not all about cutting prices to the bone. It can be used to convince your subscribers to pay that little bit extra for a product.  It can’t be all that difficult. After all, I’ve got MS Office on all my computers. Fair enough, I am a professional writer, but I’d be the first to admit, in about 500 words, that free office suites provide all I need.

With all the data you have, you should know the trigger points for the subscribers to your email marketing lists. You will also know that you’ll struggle to convince some to go beyond price alone. The remainder are the ones to target. All you have to do is work out what will appeal to them. There’s quite a menu.

One classic is reducing the price to a monthly, weekly or even daily cost. Who hasn’t read about a premium product costing ‘less than a cup of coffee a day’? It’s probably been done hundreds of times, to the extent that most people are aware that such an analogy really means £800 or more annually. We need to try something more likely to convince.

You could hide prices, only revealing them at the completion point, or, perhaps, in a small font under the image. It’s a dangerous tactic as the former causes irritation, and the latter might make customers wonder what else you’ve hidden.

You’ve got to be open and truthful when charging premium prices. Trying to confuse those on your email marketing list will lead to unsubscribes. Instead, tell them why your product costs more. It’s more reliable than the competition, your after-sales service is superb, it looks better, lasts longer, is the leader in its field. If it’s all true, they’ll pay.