Numbers don't lie. Companies using our custom calculators have boosted conversion rates by over 100%.

I don't know about you, but more than doubling sales sounds damn good to me.

While many businesses still use generic marketing and static content, those that launch custom calculators have a massive advantage. They offer prospects precise, personalized information - instantly!

• Exact costs

• Potential savings

• Return on investment

Companies like Goodhart Coffee have doubled bookings with custom calculators. Because potential customers can see the exact costs tailored to their situation - any uncertainty disappears.

I can feel the wheels spinning in your brain from here:

• Implementing a custom calculator must be complicated - not anymore!

• It must require technical expertise - nope!

Let me show you how to boost sales with custom calculators, some basics for designing effective calculators, and how you can get started quickly.

1. Place Strategically

Placing calculators strategically within your sales funnel maximizes their impact on conversion rates. Different types of calculators serve various purposes at each stage of the funnel.

• Awareness stage - simple calculators that address broad industry problems attract potential customers without requiring detailed inputs. 

• Consideration stage - more detailed calculators that compare solutions become valuable, helping prospects evaluate different options based on their specific needs.

• Decision stage - custom calculators can focus on validating the purchase decision, creating urgency, or overcoming final purchase hesitations.

The location of your custom calculator on your website can also affect sales outcomes. Placing calculators in high-traffic areas ensures more customers interact with them, leading to higher engagement and conversion rates.

Generally, above the fold (the first area people see when they land on a webpage) is the best place to embed your custom calculator. This makes it easily accessible for users - they don’t need to scroll to find it.

You can also examine your website analytics to discover your most visited pages.

Using tools like Hotjar is also a good option. This lets you know where visitors are spending the most time on the page - perfect real estate for embedding a calculator.

2. Focus on User Experience

A calculator that's difficult to use defeats its purpose. Creating a seamless user experience ensures customers can easily engage with your calculator, leading to higher completion rates and better results.

User-Friendly Design

Start with a clean, intuitive design that aligns with your brand identity.

Use familiar input methods (sliders, dropdowns, and toggle switches) to make the interaction feel natural. Clear labels and instructions help users understand what information they need to provide and why it matters.

Instant Results

You won't be surprised that calculator speed plays a significant role in user experience. People want the tool to load quickly and want instant results at the end.

For instance, a price quote calculator that takes too long to load or respond to input will frustrate users and increase bounce. Bye, see you later - but probably not.

Luckily, you don't need to worry about optimizing code for speed with tools like Convert_. Our software does all the heavy lifting, and our calculation engine (FormulaScript) is 100x more efficient, ensuring even the most complex calculations are lightning-fast.

What does that mean? Instant results for the end user.

This carpet cleaning calculator gives instant quotes based on the business's pricing:

LBkGt4HRfSXZFzRcS

Visual Representations

Using charts and graphs is a fantastic way to engage users. These visual representations make results much easier to understand, especially for visual people.

Personally, I prefer looking at a nice graph than getting assaulted by a heap of numbers. Making results easy to digest significantly improves the user experience and increases the chances of conversions.

Mobile Optimization

The mobile experience is particularly crucial, with more than 50% of online shoppers using mobile devices for shopping. Ensure your calculator functions perfectly across all device types and screen sizes.

This means testing on various devices and optimizing your calculator accordingly. Convert_ makes this easy within the builder, where you can toggle between devices as you go.

3. Integrate into Your Workflow

Connecting calculator data directly to your CRM system creates a seamless flow of information for sales team efficiency. When calculator interactions are captured in CRM records, sales reps gain valuable context before initial conversations.

Integration transforms calculator inputs from isolated website interactions into actionable sales intelligence. You can use this to inform personalized outreach strategies.

Convert_ integrates with HubSpot and 1000+ apps through Zapier. You can also set up API connections between your calculator and CRM.

With integrations, calculators can automatically create or update contact records, trigger follow-up sequences, and alert sales reps of high-value opportunities.

Your automated follow-up sequences can be highly personalized to users, based on their calculator inputs. This personalization helps you increase sales.

4. Collect User Data

When customers interact with custom calculators, they provide significant data points. You get insights on their:

• Needs

• Preferences

• Buying intentions

This information is far more valuable than standard website analytics because it reflects specific customer problems and priorities.

For example, when a potential customer uses an online pricing calculator, they reveal their budget constraints, feature preferences, and urgency level through their inputs and interactions.

The primary benefit of calculator-based data collection is the ability to create highly targeted marketing campaigns. When a solar company implements a solar calculator on its website, it can track what prospects value most based on the inputs they provide.

• Sales teams can send personalized follow-ups.

• These include specific pain points rather than generic sales pitches.

So, this personalization extends beyond just using their name - it involves addressing the exact business challenges they've revealed through their calculator inputs. Following up with an email that references their specific scenario shows you understand their needs.

Allocating Resources

What if you're a B2B company with a longer sales cycle? Calculator data helps your sales team prioritize leads based on qualification criteria.

Let's say a prospect enters a high number for company size and explores enterprise-level features in your calculator. This likely represents a higher-value opportunity than someone exploring only basic features.

Such insights allow your sales team to allocate resources effectively, focusing on the most promising opportunities first while nurturing others through automated sequences.

5. Apply Customer Insights

Regular analysis of how users interact with calculators reveals valuable insights that can drive improvements in both the calculator itself and the broader sales process.

• You might establish baseline metrics for calculator usage.

• These can include completion rates and average time spent using the tool.

• Track conversion rates of users who engage with the calculator versus those who don't.

User interaction patterns often reveal unexpected insights about customer decision-making processes.

Say analysis shows that many users abandon a financial calculator at a specific input field. This might indicate confusion, sensitivity about providing certain information, or a disconnect between the calculator's focus and actual customer needs.

Acting on such insights ensures your sales funnel continually adapts to evolving market conditions. You make your sales approach more responsive to real customer behavior.

Tracking Key Performance Indicators

Effective calculator optimization requires tracking specific KPIs that align with sales objectives. Beyond basic usage metrics, track how calculator interactions influence the sales pipeline.

Important performance metrics include:

1. Calculator completion rate - The percentage of users who start and finish using the calculator

2. Lead-to-MQL conversion rate - How many calculator users become marketing-qualified leads

3. MQL-to-SQL conversion rate - How many marketing-qualified leads become sales-qualified leads

4. Average deal size from calculator-generated leads - The revenue value of customers who used calculators

5. Sales cycle length for calculator users vs. non-users - How calculators affect closing speed

These metrics provide a comprehensive view of calculator performance throughout the sales funnel. Regular review of these KPIs helps teams make data-driven decisions about calculator improvements.

Enabling Sales Teams

Sales enablement teams can create conversation guides based on common calculator interaction patterns. These guides help sales reps interpret calculator data and formulate appropriate responses to different scenarios.

For instance:

• A prospect's calculator inputs reveal concern about implementation costs.

• The conversation guide might suggest discussing phased implementation approaches.

• It may highlight included support services that reduce internal resource requirements.

6. Consider A/B Testing

Get concrete data on which calculator variations perform better with A/B testing. You might test different calculator designs, input fields, result formats, and call-to-action buttons to identify the most effective combinations.

Effective A/B testing can transform basic calculators into high-performing sales tools. The process involves creating different calculator versions with specific variables changed to determine which performs better.

• The control - Your standard calculator you want to test against.

• The variation - The calculator with the change you want to test.

Some of your visitors randomly see the control, while others see the variation. Then, you see which one performs best.

This data-driven approach eliminates guesswork from your optimization process.

Discover more in our detailed resource on A/B testing.

A/B Testing for Calculators

For calculators specifically, focus your tests on key elements that impact user engagement. Some variables worth testing include:

• Input field types (sliders vs. dropdown menus)

• The number of input fields

• Button text

• Color schemes

• Results display formats

An effective testing strategy requires clear success metrics. Track completion rates, lead generation numbers, and actual sales conversions from each calculator version. 

Behavioral data matters too - time spent on the calculator, drop-off points, and which fields generate the most hesitation all provide valuable insights for your business.

Designing Effective Sales Calculators

If you haven’t already created a calculator, here are some basics for designing an effective one. Because getting the most out of your custom calculators takes a little strategic planning.

• Well-designed calculators directly address customer pain points and maximize sales

• Effective custom calculators balance simplicity with powerful functionality

• Data-driven design decisions generate higher conversion rates

How do we get there?

Understand Customer Needs

Before building any calculator, you want to know what problems your customers are trying to solve. Customer pain points vary widely across industries, but they often involve:

• Understanding costs

• Estimating savings

• Discovering return on investment

These concerns directly affect purchasing decisions. When customers can't easily quantify the value they'll receive, they're less likely to commit to purchases.

The most effective way to identify these needs is through direct customer engagement. For structured feedback, consider:

• Short surveys to send to existing customers asking what calculations they find difficult

• Interviews with 5-10 ideal customers about their decision-making process

• Analysis of support tickets to identify common questions that could be answered with calculations

• Monitoring industry forums and social media for discussions about pricing calculation challenges

Here are a few action steps you can take now:

• Create a list of the top 5 questions your sales team hears that involve numbers or calculations

• Identify which stage of the buying process these questions typically appear

• Rank these questions by how directly they impact purchase decisions

Set Clear Goals

Every calculator needs a defined purpose that aligns with specific business objectives. Without clear goals, you risk building a tool that generates interest but fails to move customers through your sales funnel.

Identify exactly what business outcome you want the calculator to achieve. Common goals include:

• Generating qualified leads by capturing contact information

• Shortening the sales cycle by answering common questions automatically

• Increasing average order value by showing the value of premium options

• Building trust by demonstrating expertise in your field

• Converting comparison shoppers by highlighting your competitive advantages

Once you've identified your goal, define specific metrics to measure success. These metrics should be directly connected to your sales process:

• Number of calculator completions

• Percentage of users who provide contact information

• Conversion rate from calculator user to sales conversation

• Changes in average sales cycle length

• Impact on deal close rates

Here are a few action steps you can take now:

• Define one primary and one secondary business goal for your calculator

• Establish baseline metrics for these goals before implementing the calculator

• Set up tracking to measure the impact of the calculator on your defined goals

Choose the Right Features

Making tools overly complicated for users is a common mistake in calculator design. Every additional input field reduces the likelihood that people will complete the calculation.

There's a balance between simplicity and accuracy. Include only the essential variables necessary for valuable results.

Of course, sometimes your calculator needs to perform more complex uses.

For instance, Convert_ has a dynamic pricing feature where prices automatically update based on external variables (like the value of a currency).

But no matter how complex the back end is, the front end should offer simplicity and an excellent user experience.

Consider these design principles when selecting features:

• Progressive disclosure: Start with basic inputs and reveal advanced options only when needed

• Smart defaults: Provide reasonable starting values based on typical customers

• Visual results: Present outcomes as charts or graphs when appropriate

• Actionable insights: Don't just show numbers - explain what they mean

• Mobile optimization: Ensure usability on all devices

Here are a few action steps you can take now:

• List all possible variables for your calculation, then eliminate any that aren't essential

• Create a simple wireframe showing the minimum inputs needed

• Test your prototype with 3-5 customers to ensure it meets their needs

Creating Custom Convert_Calculators

1. Create your free Convert_ account

2. Pick a template or start creating the calculator from scratch

3. Drag and drop the elements you prefer to use

4. Adjust the information according to your pricing

5. Style the calculator to fit your website design

6. Publish your pricing calculator

7. Embed the calculator into your website

Want a detailed guide on building a custom calculator? Check out Create a Website Price Calculator (Step-by-Step Guide).

How Convert_ Helps

Convert_ is a powerful no-code platform that helps you build and customize calculators, product configurators, surveys, quizzes, and more.

Benefit from advanced features like:

• Dynamic pricing

• Google Places API

• Conditional logic

• Layered images

• Charts and graphs

• And much more

Our tools are highly customizable, embed into any website, and offer seamless integration. 

The software does all the heavy lifting, so you benefit from a user-friendly, drag-and-drop builder for creating powerful calculators - without coding skills.

Getting started is easy.

Sign up for a free forever plan, choose a template, and customize it to suit your needs.