The 3 pricing models, when each works, and how to display them.
The 3 pricing models
1. Hourly (e.g., 300–800 EGP/hour)
- Best for: discovery, audits, one-off consulting
- Worst for: ongoing retainers (clients micro-manage hours)
2. Project-based (e.g., 12,000 EGP for a website)
- Best for: scoped deliverables with clear outputs
- Worst for: agile/iterative work
3. Monthly retainer (e.g., 25,000 EGP/month for paid ads management)
- Best for: ongoing services where the value compounds
- Worst for: clients who can't commit beyond 30 days
Most MENA agencies pick wrong
The default is "hourly because that's safe." That's the LOWEST-revenue model. Productized retainers are 2–3x more profitable per hour worked.
Display tactics that don't scare clients
- Anchor with a higher tier first. Show "Premium 50k" before "Standard 20k." The 20k feels reasonable in context.
- Bundle results, not deliverables. "Add 100 qualified leads/month for 25k" beats "Run 4 Meta campaigns for 25k."
- Show what's NOT included. Limits build trust. "Add-ons: video editing (+8k/mo), influencer outreach (+12k/mo)."
- Always offer 3 tiers. Goldilocks effect. Most clients pick the middle one.
What to never do
- ❌ Negotiate down on the first call. Either you're worth the price or you're not.
- ❌ Discount without trading. If you cut price 20%, cut scope 25%.
- ❌ Mention what others charge. Confidence loses on the price war.