Start with Your Costs: The Foundation of 3D Tour Pricing

Before you can determine how to price 3D Matterport virtual tours, you must have a clear understanding of your business costs. This isn’t just about the Matterport camera.

Break down your costs into:

• Direct Costs:
  • Matterport subscription fees (Pro, Business, etc.)
  • Hosting fees for models
  • Travel time and expenses (mileage, parking, tolls)
  • Equipment wear and tear (camera, tripod, iPad, scanning accessories)
  • Post-processing time (editing, adding tags, setting start points)
  • Third-party add-ons (floor plans, guided tours, specific integrations)
• Indirect Costs (Overhead):
  • Office space/home office expenses
  • Software subscriptions (CRM, accounting, scheduling)
  • Marketing and advertising costs
  • Insurance (liability, equipment)
  • Professional development/training
  • Your salary (or owner’s draw)
  • Employee wages (if applicable)

Knowing your total operating costs allows you to calculate a baseline hourly or daily cost of doing business. While we’ll discuss moving beyond hourly rates, this cost calculation is essential for ensuring profitability regardless of your pricing model.

Beyond the Hour: Why Value-Based Pricing Matters for Virtual Tours

Many service businesses default to hourly pricing because it seems simple. However, charging by the hour for 3D virtual tours can severely limit your earning potential. Your value isn’t just the time spent on-site scanning; it’s the outcome for the client.

A Matterport tour delivers significant value, such as:

• Increased engagement on property listings (real estate)
• Higher conversion rates for venues (event spaces, restaurants)
• Reduced wasted viewing time by pre-qualifying visitors
• Enhanced online presence and marketing materials
• Improved accessibility and remote viewing capabilities
• Archival documentation for insurance or construction

Value-based pricing means setting your price based on the perceived or actual value your service provides to the client, not just your cost plus a standard markup. This requires understanding the client’s goals and how your tour helps them achieve those goals. A tour that helps sell a multi-million dollar property faster provides significantly more value than one for a small apartment rental, even if the scanning time is similar.

Structuring Your Offerings: Packaging and Tiering Your Services

Instead of offering a single price per square foot or per hour, consider packaging your services into distinct tiers or bundles. This makes it easier for clients to choose and allows you to offer different levels of service and value.

Examples of packaging elements:

• Scan Size: Small (<2000 sq ft), Medium (2000-4000 sq ft), Large (>4000 sq ft).
• Included Features: Number of Mattertags, inclusion of floor plans, specific views (dollhouse, floor plan view).
• Add-Ons: Guided tours, basic video walkthroughs, photography packages, drone footage, dedicated hosting period (beyond standard).
• Service Level: Standard turnaround time vs. Expedited delivery.

Tiered Pricing Example (Illustrative USD):

• Bronze Package: Up to 2000 sq ft, standard Matterport scan, 5 Mattertags, 1-week hosting included. $350 - $550
• Silver Package: Up to 4000 sq ft, standard scan, 10 Mattertags, basic floor plan, 3-month hosting included. $500 - $800
• Gold Package: Up to 7000 sq ft, enhanced scan features, 20 Mattertags, detailed floor plan, dedicated hosting dashboard, 6-month hosting included, expedited delivery. $750 - $1200+

Using tiered pricing helps anchor client perception (the middle tier often looks most appealing) and makes it easy to upsell based on their specific needs.

Presenting these different tiers and optional add-ons clearly is crucial. Trying to do this with static PDFs or spreadsheets can be confusing for clients. A tool like PricingLink (https://pricinglink.com) is specifically designed to make presenting complex pricing options, tiers, and configurable add-ons interactively very easy for your clients. They can select options and see the total price update live, providing transparency and simplifying their decision.

Incorporating Add-Ons and Extra Value

Add-ons are a fantastic way to increase the average value of each project. Think about services that complement the core Matterport scan and offer additional utility to your client. Pricing these separately allows clients to customize their package and highlights the value of each additional service.

Common Matterport Add-Ons:

• Floor Plans: 2D Schematic Floor Plans generated from the scan data.
• Mattertags: Interactive tags within the tour linking to text, images, videos, or websites.
• Guided Tours: Pre-programmed paths that guide viewers through the space.
• Hosting Extensions: Charging an annual fee after the initial hosting period ends.
• Photography/Videography: Bundling traditional visual assets.
• Virtual Staging: Partnering with a staging company or offering this as a managed service.
• Specific Exports: (.OBJ, .PLY for architects/designers).

Make sure the pricing for these add-ons reflects their value and your cost/time investment. Presenting add-ons clearly alongside your core packages (like you can with PricingLink at https://pricinglink.com) empowers clients to build the solution that best fits their needs and budget.

Presenting Your Pricing for Maximum Impact

How you present your pricing is almost as important as the price itself. A professional, clear, and interactive pricing presentation builds trust and helps clients understand the value they’re receiving.

Avoid:

• Vague quotes without itemization.
• Confusing spreadsheets or lengthy text documents.
• Asking the client “What’s your budget?” without providing options first.

Focus on:

• Clarity: Clearly list what’s included in each package and what add-ons are available.
• Professionalism: Use branded documents or, even better, a modern digital experience.
• Interactivity: Allow clients to explore options and see how their choices affect the price.
• Value Framing: Briefly reiterate the benefits of the chosen package or add-on.

While full-featured proposal software like PandaDoc (https://www.pandadoc.com) or Proposify (https://www.proposify.com) can handle proposals, contracts, and e-signatures, they can sometimes be overkill or complex if your primary goal is just presenting pricing options clearly. If you need a dedicated, streamlined tool specifically for creating interactive, configurable pricing links that make it easy for clients to build their own package and see the total, PricingLink (https://pricinglink.com) offers a powerful and affordable alternative focused purely on that crucial pricing presentation step.

Knowing When (and How) to Increase Your Prices

The cost of doing business changes, and your experience and expertise grow. Regularly review your pricing (at least annually) to ensure it still aligns with your costs, the value you provide, and market rates. Don’t be afraid to increase your prices.

Tips for Price Increases:

1. Communicate Value: Frame the increase around enhanced services, improved quality, or increased demand, not just rising costs.
2. Give Notice: Inform existing clients in advance (e.g., 30-60 days) for upcoming renewals or new projects.
3. Offer New Options: Introduce new packages or add-ons at the new rates, perhaps allowing long-term clients to stay on an older package for a limited time or project.
4. Be Confident: Believe in the value you deliver. Your best clients understand that quality comes at a fair price.