Pricing tables are one of the most important conversion factors for product and service-based websites. This definitive 2500+ word guide will teach you how to maximize sales with optimized WordPress pricing tables.
The Critical Importance of Pricing Tables
Before we dive into to tactics, let‘s explore why pricing tables are so crucial for conversion optimization:
Driving Decisive Action
Pricing tables push visitors to make a purchase decision by clearly laying out packages and costs. A 2016 ConversionXL study found that pricing tables boosted sign-up rates by up to 30%.
Reducing Choice Anxiety
Too many options triggers decision paralysis. Pricing tables simplify the decision down to 3-5 clearly defined tiers.
Building Trust
Transparently displaying pricing builds credibility and trust with visitors. This 2017 survey showed 87% of customers value transparent pricing.
Highlighting Value
Effectively designed pricing tables guide visitors to your most profitable plan by highlighting the additional value compared to lower tiers.
We‘ve made the case for why pricing tables are critical. Now let‘s discuss the best practices for actually building them in WordPress…
Choosing the Best WordPress Pricing Table Plugin
There are a handful of WordPress table plugins out there, but in my experience WP Table Builder offers the best balance of simplicity and customization for pricing tables specifically.
It has numerous built-in templates, drag and drop editing, and tons of formatting options while still being lightweight and easy to use.
Here are the standout benefits:
Mobile Responsiveness – Tables auto-resize for all devices
Premade Templates – Pricing chart templates to modify
Style Customization – Fonts, colors, backgrounds, borders etc
Row and Column Resizing – Add or reduce table size
Shortcode & Block Support – For simple insertion
Review Data – See impressions and clicks
Based on its specialized pricing table features, ease of use, and glowing 5-star rating, WP Table Builder is my top recommendation.
Now let‘s explore how to leverage this plugin to create high-converting pricing tables, step-by-step:
WordPress Pricing Table Examples
Before jumping into the tutorial, let’s analyze a few real-world pricing table examples from SaaS and web hosting companies. This will provide inspiration for our own table design later on.
MailerLite’s Tables
MailerLite is an email marketing platform popular for its free plan tier. They leverage pricing tables on multiple pages to upsell visitors to premium packages.
Some best practices on display here:
- Prominent flags highlighting the “Best value” plan
- Icons indicating features
- Clean, high-contrast design
- Per month and total annual cost displayed
InMotion Hosting’s Tables
InMotion uses pricing tables as the central focus of their web hosting plans page.
Effective elements:
- Hundreds of feature comparisons across plans
- Interactive tooltips on hover
- Tiered link formatting
- Prominent support for decision making
Now let’s apply lessons from these real-world examples in our own pricing table design!
Step 1: Install and Activate WP Table Builder
Installation only takes minute. From your WP dashboard:
- Go to Plugins > Add New
- Search "WP Table Builder”
- Install the plugin
- Click “Activate”
You‘ll then see a welcome screen with help documentation.
Step 2: Plan the Pricing Table Structure
Click "Create Your First Table” to launch the builder. Take a minute to plan out the columns, rows, and elements you‘ll need:
- Columns for pricing tiers
- Rows for plan details like price & features
- Text elements for plan names, costs etc.
- Buttons for call-to-actions
- Checkmarks and icons to indicate features
Having a content outline planned first will speed up the editing process later.
Step 3: Build the Initial Table Framework
For pricing charts, take advantage of WP Table Builder‘s pre-made templates to save time.
Under "Templates", choose a 1 or 2 column pricing table. This auto-populates column widths and styles.
Next, define the number of columns and rows needed. For our example, let’s do 3 tiers and 6 rows.
Finally generate the framework. You now have a blank pricing table canvas to work from.
Step 4. Insert Pricing Plan Details
Now we can add specifics to each pricing tier:
- Plan name
- Monthly/annual pricing
- Call-to-action button
- Support response times
- Storage amounts
- Feature lists
Drag and drop elements from the left sidebar to insert text, buttons, icons etc.
Step 5. Style and Format the Table
Use the element editing options to tailor visual design:
- Color code columns
- Add vertical spacing between rows
- Increase CTA button sizes
- Highlight popular tiers
- Align common data points
Take time to refine formatting until satisfied. Subtle visual cues guide visitors to take action.
Step 6. Insert the Pricing Table via Shortcode
To embed the finished table, copy its shortcode and paste into any page or post.
You can also reuse this single table across multiple pages by inserting the same shortcode in different locations.
Pricing Table Best Practices
Now that we’ve built a pricing table in WordPress, let’s study some proven design and layout recommendations:
Limit Choice
According to an academic study, limiting options to 3-5 tiers minimizes choice anxiety. Any more tiers has diminishing returns.
Promote the Target Offer
Use visual cues like flags, badges and color contrasts to steer visitors to your most profitable plan.
Cause and Effect Copy
Include copy like “For just $X more, also get…” to provide rationale around tiered upgrades.
Highlight Incremental Value
Don’t just list features. Show exactly what’s gained by upgrading between tiers.
Use Iconography
Reinforce core differences between plans with descriptive icons and font formatting.
In summary:
- Guide visitors with design
- Reduce decision paralysis
- Justify upgrades clearly
Common Pricing Table Pitfalls
Let’s discuss 3 frequent pricing table mistakes to avoid:
Overwhelming Visitors
Afatigue-inducing walls of text and features without clear tier comparisons. Simplify!
Mismatched Audience
Plans not aligned with buyer needs. Know your customers before designing tiers.
Unclear Packages
Ambiguous plan names like “Pro” and “Ultimate”. Use descriptive names.
By sidestepping these issues, your pricing chart will convert and retain visitors more effectively.
Measuring Pricing Table Effectiveness
To conclude, it’s important to continuously measure and optimize pricing table performance over time.
A/B test different table designs and layouts across samples of site traffic.
Tools like Google Analytics can then analyze engagement and conversion rates between variants.
This will shed light on the most effective pricing table structure for your unique audience. Treat optimization as an ongoing process.
Key Takeaways
We‘ve covered a lot of ground here! To recap, the key lessons for crafting high-converting WordPress pricing tables:
- Reduce decision paralysis with 3-5 clear tiers
- Guide visitors to premium packages
- Alignment and white space are crucial
- Describe features & incremental value
- Use analytics to continuously optimize
Pricing tables have an immense impact on conversion rates. Leverage the design best practices outlined here, take advantage of tools like WP Table Builder, and let data guide your optimization process.
What key pricing table lessons resonated most with you? Let me know in the comments below!
