When creating commercial sites for maximum utility, it is often proposed to use a calculator so that the visitor, based on their parameters, could calculate the cost of the final product on their own, and then decide whether they are ready to pay that amount of money for it. It would seem to be a very convenient feature, but in fact, such a calculation can scare away your potential customers. Want to know why, and how to make the most useful calculator? Then let’s take a closer look.

The calculator on the site most often used to calculate the cost of services or goods, depending on the selected parameters. This is a kind of alternative to the online store, where the buyer chooses a product according to the parameters, and in the cart sees the total amount already and makes an order. Only the calculator is used for more complex goods or goods which are made to order according to individual parameters.

Often the calculator is also used to calculate the shipping costs depending on the distance.

At first glance, the calculator on the website should be your helper: after using the cost calculation tool, a customer calls or writes to you, who already knows your prices and is ready to simply place an order. But there are several reasons why a calculator can do a disservice:

First, it may not be working correctly. For example, you updated your prices and forgot to make those changes to the calculator. As a result, the amount for the client was higher than he calculated through the service, and you get a dissatisfied customer who is likely to go to another company.
Secondly, the calculator can be too complicated for the customer. For example, your service or product uses specific parameters that you require entering, but the customer knows nothing about them and enters at random. As a result, we also get the wrong total amount. Here is one conclusion – make calculators as simple as possible!
Thirdly, the final amount may scare away the client. At the first stage of acquaintance with the company, the customer just interacts with the website and doesn’t know about your benefits and what you are willing to offer. And if your prices according to the calculator are higher than the average, it will make him wary or lead him to a competitor. So if you offer luxury services, branded goods or any other price you use high prices, you do not need the calculator, it is better to explain the principle of pricing to the client on the phone and explain what he pays for.

We also tried to use the calculator to calculate the cost of the site, but nothing good came out of it, because sometimes people do not know what parameters they need for the site. In our case, handling requests in person was much more effective.

How to make an effective calculator?

This does not mean that calculators are not needed on the site. Sometimes they are very handy to use. For example, on bank topic sites or insurance sites, the use of a calculator is justified. Also, the calculator is useful for calculating the cost of delivery in the desired city. But for other sites, you can also make a calculator that will not lead the customer, but on the contrary, will give you the opportunity to talk to him, knowing already his requirements and parameters of the order.

To do this, simply click “Calculate” not to give the total cost, and request an e-mail or phone number of the user, which will be sent all information about his order.

Thus, you get both a contact with the customer and the parameters of his/her order, and can directly contact him/her and describe all the nuances and the total price. As practice shows, this version of the calculator is the most effective.

The calculator functionality is implemented either as a separate module or as a widget on your website. It can be a multi-step or one-page. If you need to develop a calculator, you can order it in our web studio. We work with most control systems and are ready to make a custom calculator for you!