You'll find "schedule a consultation." You'll find "request a quote." You'll find "contact us to learn more." What you usually won't find is 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, you might decide the service isn't right for your budget.
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 keep checking the agencies local service businesses compare us against. As of August 2026, here's where the market stands:
- Most Charlotte agencies still don't publish pricing. "Book a call" is the norm
- Scorpion doesn't publish prices. Its FAQ says costs depend on business goals and describes contract terms, but does not state an applicable law-firm price.
- Some agencies publish starting prices. Their scope and pricing vary, so compare like with like rather than assuming a starting price reflects the full cost.
The norm is still secrecy, and even published starting prices usually cover one channel. Our numbers cover the connected system: getting found, answering fast, moving the inquiry toward the calendar, and showing you which source produced it.
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 outside your budget, both sides spend time on a poor fit.
Time comparing apples to oranges.
Without published pricing, you can't compare services side by side. Agency plans can differ in price and scope.
Time waiting for proposals.
Custom proposals can take time to prepare. You could have been comparing options or moving forward instead.
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?"
Ask how the term and monthly cost affect your total commitment, and get the amount in writing.
"Who owns the assets if we leave?"
Some agencies build your site on a proprietary platform. Scorpion's FAQ says it transfers key accounts and content back after the contract, and the site itself has to be rebuilt somewhere else.
"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. It's a guarantee most agencies can't make because they depend on contract revenue, not performance.