You'll find "schedule a consultation." You'll find "request a quote." You'll find "contact us to learn more." But you won't find a dollar amount.
We put our prices on our website. Here's why — and what it should tell you when an agency doesn't.
The Reason Most Agencies Hide Pricing
It's not complicated. They want to get you on a sales call first.
Once you're on a call, a salesperson can read your reactions, handle your objections, and anchor the price against your perceived pain. If you saw the price first — $5,000/month, $8,000/month, $15,000/month — you might never make that call.
This isn't inherently dishonest. Complex services sometimes require a conversation to scope properly. But for most small business marketing — Google Ads, SEO, social media, review management — the services are well-defined enough to price transparently.
The agencies that don't publish pricing usually have one of these reasons:
Their prices vary wildly — because they charge whatever each client will bear, not what the service costs
They don't want you to comparison shop — because their prices are higher than the competition
Their sales process depends on emotional commitment before price reveal — a tactic, not a service model
What Transparent Pricing Actually Looks Like
Here's what Boxi Marketing costs:
| Plan | Monthly Cost | What's Included |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $497 | Google Business Profile, review generation, basic SEO |
| Growth | $1,497 | SEO + Google Ads + AI lead follow-up |
| Scale | $2,997 | Full marketing: SEO, ads, social, AI voice + text, reputation |
That's it. No hidden fees. No "platform access" charges. No setup fees that surprise you after the sales call. The range within each tier depends on your industry, market size, and number of locations. But you know the ballpark before you ever talk to us.
The Charlotte Pricing Landscape
We looked at every marketing agency in Charlotte that targets small businesses. Here's what we found:
- Zero agencies publish full pricing on their website
- The Social Rook, Boostability, Full Blast Creative — none show prices
- National agencies like Scorpion and Hook Agency publish starting prices ($3,500+) but require calls for actual quotes
- Page Craft Design is the closest — they show $297/month but it's a single-tier offering
The industry norm is secrecy. We think that's wrong.
What Price Hiding Costs You
When an agency won't tell you the price, it costs you time. Specifically:
Time on sales calls you didn't need to take.
If their minimum is $5,000 and your budget is $1,000, everyone just wasted 30 minutes.
Time comparing apples to oranges.
Without published pricing, you can't compare services side by side. One agency's $3,000 plan might include less than another's $1,500 plan.
Time waiting for proposals.
Many agencies take 3–7 days to "put together a custom proposal." That's 3–7 days you could have been running marketing.
The Questions to Ask When Pricing Isn't Published
If you're evaluating an agency that doesn't show pricing, ask these questions:
"What is your minimum monthly spend?"
If they can't give you a number without a "discovery call," that's a flag.
"What's included vs. what costs extra?"
Setup fees, platform fees, ad management fees, reporting fees — these add up.
"What's the contract term?"
A 12-month contract at $5,000/month is a $60,000 commitment. That number should be on the website.
"Who owns the assets if we leave?"
Some agencies (notably Scorpion) build your website on their proprietary platform. If you leave, your website doesn't come with you.
"Can I see a sample invoice?"
The real price is on the invoice, not the proposal.
Why We Think This Matters
We're an agency that serves contractors, attorneys, and chiropractors. Our clients are busy people who don't have time for drawn-out sales processes.
An HVAC tech checking his phone between jobs doesn't want to "schedule a discovery call." He wants to know if he can afford it. A solo attorney comparing marketing options at 9pm doesn't want to wait for a proposal. She wants to see the number.
Publishing our prices is a respect-for-your-time decision. If our pricing doesn't work for your budget, you know immediately. If it does, you can move faster.
The guarantee
Every Boxi plan is month to month. No annual contracts. No early termination fees. If we're not producing results, you stop paying. That's our incentive to deliver — and it's a guarantee most agencies can't make because they depend on contract revenue, not performance.