How Should I Fix a Starter Package That AI Assistants Describe as Custom Work Instead of a Fixed Offer?
To fix a starter package that AI assistants describe as custom work, give the package its own page that makes clear it is a fixed offer. The page needs a name, a price or starting price, and exactly what is included and excluded. It should also give the timeline, who the package suits and how to buy it. Then scope any "every project is custom" wording so it applies only to work beyond the package. Link the package from your homepage and services pages, update your profiles and directory listings, and answer "Do you have fixed-price packages?" directly. Assistants describe productised services as custom when most of your site says "contact us for a quote". The package must be easier to find than that message.
Why do assistants describe the package as custom work?
- The site's main message is bespoke. Headlines such as "Every project is unique" and "Tailored to you" dominate, and the package sits on one page.
- Prices are hidden or unclear. "Contact us" buttons, prices shown only in images, or packages described without figures.
- The package page is hard to find: not linked from the homepage or navigation, or buried in a tab.
- Older pages predate the package, describing how you used to work.
- Profiles and directories say "custom pricing" or "quote on request".
- Reviews describe bespoke projects, because those were the projects clients reviewed.
How "contact us for pricing" affects AI answers generally is covered in why "contact us for pricing" is a dead end for AI agents.
What should the package page contain?
| Element | Example |
|---|---|
| A clear name | "Starter Website Package" |
| Price | "£2,400 fixed price" or "From £2,400" with what changes the price |
| What is included | "Five pages, mobile layout, contact form, basic search setup, two rounds of revisions" |
| What is not included | "Copywriting, e-commerce, custom integrations" |
| Timeline | "Live in three weeks from receiving your content" |
| Who it suits | "New businesses and sole traders who need a professional site quickly" |
| How to buy | "Book a 20-minute call and start the same week", or a checkout |
| How it differs from custom work | "Need more? Our custom projects start at £6,000 and are quoted individually." |
Write all of this in plain text on the page, not only in a pricing graphic. Use the same package name everywhere you mention it.
Which other pages need changing?
- Homepage: mention the package near the top, such as "Fixed-price Starter package from £2,400, or fully custom projects."
- Services pages: link to the package where relevant, and say which services it includes.
- Any "how we work" or "pricing" page: show the package alongside custom work, not after a long explanation of bespoke projects.
- Questions section: answer "Do you offer fixed-price packages?" and "What is the cheapest way to work with you?" directly.
- Old pages: update or retire pages that say "we only take custom projects".
Keep "every project is unique" if it is true of custom work, but scope it: "Beyond the Starter package, every project is quoted individually."
What about profiles, directories and reviews?
- Add the package to your Business Profile services list with its price, and mention in the business description that you offer a fixed-price Starter package alongside custom projects, without the price or promotional wording, since Google's guidelines say descriptions must not focus on prices or offers.
- Update directory and marketplace listings that show "custom pricing only".
- Ask every client for an honest review in their own words. Package clients who describe what they bought give assistants independent confirmation, but do not tell anyone what to write.
- Update partner and referral pages that describe your services.
Should you add pricing markup?
It can help systems that read it, but it is not a substitute for text. You can describe the package as a service with an offer and a price in structured data, matching the visible page. Several AI assistants read only visible text when they fetch a page, so the text on the package page and homepage does most of the work. How to mark prices clearly is covered in how subscription, discount and coupon prices should be marked so AI reports the right price.
How do you test the result?
Ask ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google's AI features:
- "How much does [business] charge for [service]?"
- "Does [business] offer fixed-price packages?"
- "What is the cheapest way to work with [business]?"
- "Fixed-price [service] package in [area]"
- "[Business] Starter package"
Record whether answers describe the package, its price and what is included, and which sources they cite. If answers still say "custom quotes only", find the cited page that says so and change it.
What might an illustrative case look like?
Consider an illustrative web design studio that launched a £2,400 Starter package for small businesses. Months later, assistants still said it "provides custom quotes for each project, typically from £5,000". Its homepage headline read "Bespoke websites, tailored to your business". The package lived on a page reachable only from a blog post, and its price appeared in an image. Two directory listings said "pricing on request". The studio added a package line to its homepage and navigation, and rebuilt the package page in text with inclusions, exclusions and timeline. It scoped its bespoke wording to custom projects and updated both directories. Within a month, answers named the Starter package and its price, and small-business enquiries rose.
What do people ask about fixed packages and AI answers?
Should we remove "custom" from our site?
No. Scope it. Make clear which offer is fixed and when work becomes custom.
Should we show a price if it varies?
Show a starting price and what changes it. A range is more useful to buyers and assistants than "contact us".
How many packages should we offer?
As many as you can describe clearly. Two or three named packages with distinct inclusions are easier for assistants to describe than one vague offer.
Published by The Kovmere Team · updated Sep 29, 2026 · More resources