The Who’s Who of online calculators, getting them right and why it is so hard on so many fronts.

Key points:

• Calculators are at the top of the funnel and search.
• Getting them right is a long process, though that is the critical key.
• Don’t waste your time otherwise.

A great calculator is just that: enter your inputs and get a result.

Better, as the business that gave your users a purely altruistic answer, you win.

👊👊👊
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Online calculators are complex for many reasons, including making them work for your business (= SEO, conversions).

Conclusion: Building a calculator is all in or all out. There isn’t just the UX complication. There isn’t just the mammoth SEO effort. It comes down to whether a calculator is a long-term part of your strategy and, therefore, the need for blue-flame thinking in your execution.
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Calculators are top-of-mind.

When I work with clients where a cost calculation will be part of the user journey (e.g. home loans), ‘home loan calculator’ will likely be among the top searches.

According to a 2018 Google report on the Australian home loan category, calculators make up most of search traffic.

Users love calculators and quiz tools because they allow users to get expert advice and insight without committing to anything. Calculators are both arms-length and empowering.

However, only when they’re done right is the hard part for several reasons.

You’ve wasted your budget and users' time/trust if you get it wrong.

Get it right, and a good calculator could become a significant source of traffic and leads.

Let’s get into the keys to a good calculator.
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Calculators… Quizzes, Converters and more.

In the world of online calculators (and quizzes), we have three types:
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1. Conversion

Conversion calculators translate one set of inputs into an answer, e.g.

• If it is 3:30 am in Sydney, what time is it in Melbourne?
• If I have a deposit of $300,000 and earn $100,000, how much can I borrow?

The purpose of a conversion calculator is not to provide a recommendation or to interpret the data. However, it can provide comparisons to help users know where their results fit with those of other users (e.g., energy costs).

Conversion calculators can also provide comparisons.

If I put down a deposit of $300,000 on one side and $400,000 on the other, what would the term and cost of the loan be?

I mentioned above that the conversion calculator’s purpose is not to provide recommendations or interpret the data; that is not to say that you cannot use it as a secondary step.

As long as users have the result they were after, providing recommendations or helping users understand what their results might mean, could be a logical next step in the journey: simply don’t make the primary objective in building your calculator.
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2. Prediction calculators

Prediction calculators help estimate a future date or event.

3. Recommendation calculators

Whereas conversion calculators and prediction calculators do not provide recommendations at their core, recommendation calculators do precisely that.

Users can see such calculators as not strictly self-serving, though they can provide enough upside and benefit that users engage and can see the benefit.

Calculator formats

There tend to be two approaches to calculators.

The first is the same-page calculator, where users enter inputs and see corresponding outputs.

The second approach is through a ‘quiz’: multiple steps of questions.

There are pros and cons to both approaches, and there is also a hybrid approach:

• The one-page calculator gives confidence that the user will get an answer as long as the results fields are not blurred or obscured. Conversely, one-page calculators can be overwhelming, especially where the user is not a domain expert.
• Multi-step forms have higher conversion rates (86%, according to Hubspot), though this is for lead generation, not calculations, so the jury is out. Multi-step calculators shield the results and can be seen as a data-capture trap: ensure users can understand their progress at the very least.
• Regarding usability and appearances, the one-page calculator should be your pick if possible, with the caveats I go into later about usability. Calculations are what users asked for.
• Consider how the calculator can do this if it helps to ask a few preliminary questions. If marriage status and age are needed (as examples), ask this confident that these inputs won’t change: then reveal the variable fields and allow the user to make their calculation.
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I am primarily focused on the one-page calculator for this article, though many of my recommendations work for both.
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1. Don’t be cynical. Get a 100% participation rate.

Calculators are too far up the funnel that users want to give you their data, either to use the calculator or to get their results.

It’s cynical.

Users are too early in their buying process to commit their data to your business.

The value exchange is not handing over data in return for using your calculator.

The value exchange is them using your calculator and remembering that your business helped them unlock the next level of their buying journey.

Go all in, or don’t go at all.
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2. Give them the answer with an incentive to go further.

Calculators give honest answers by definition.

They’re not about lead generation, at least regarding the core function the calculator should provide users.

In ties into point 1, though, if users don’t get a result even after giving you their data, that is scumbag territory.

By all means, if you think you can get them a better price with more data and a phone call, advertise that, though you’re just wasting your users’ time if they cannot quickly get the calculation they were after.
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3. Facilitate easy calculation adjustments.

I often use Airbnb when we take the kids to interstate for a holiday.

The ability to toggle dates or be flexible with the dates is a great way to explore options and pricing.

Allowing users to change their input adjustments quickly is an essential part of good calculator UX. The same goes for being able to restart the whole process.

Good user research and user testing will help you learn what adjustments are important to your users, and I strongly suggest starting here.

Calculator UX can be complicated and time-consuming, and it could be costly to go too far before engaging users.
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4. Explain why you need data.

Some calculators need no explanation.

Asking a user if their previous vehicle lease has been paid out probably does need an explanation.

This can all be done in line.

If you are asking for what might seem like too much information or the information could be perceived as sensitive, explain why it is needed for your calculation.

And if you don’t need ALL the data, explain that.

Users want the most accurate answer possible, though if you can give them a better answer than not, let them know that.
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5. Clarify complicated data requirements and give examples.

If you ask for data, a layperson might not understand. Explain what data you require and give examples without being explicit.

The user looking for a vehicle lease doesn’t understand lease balloons.
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6. Align language and show cause and effect.

A user is using your calculator because they are unfamiliar with the domain.

Input language doesn’t need to match output language, though framing the output will help instruct how and why the calculation (output) was made.

Cause and effect are also great ways to illustrate this: I change one input, and the output changes.

This might be more difficult than said, and you might need to challenge your language and align your questions.
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7. Defaults can confuse.

A defaulted calculator can show inputs and outputs, possibly instructing how the calculator works and letting the user get to work.

The - obvious - downside is that you’re likely showing a calculation that is incorrect or, worse, misleading.

And that is a UX no.

Find a balance. Some inputs might make sense to your audience, though others will be too variable and should be at the user’s discretion.

Avoid making calculations without user input, as this creates anxiety.
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8. Explain the algorithm of your calculator if you can.

My brain falls into the category of if that’s the number, that’s the number.

My wife is quite different. She wants the details.

If you are able, explain the algorithm. For some users, this will lead to much greater appreciation and trust.
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9. Calculators are to be held in the hand.

I return to my preference for one-screen calculators and the historical idea that calculators can be held in the hand.

Therein is the bloody UX challenge we face with calculators. We want them to be simple. We want gratification and confidence, a material struggle as your domain’s calculations become more complex.

Always have the cognitive load in mind here. Use it as your yardstick.

If your results are card-like and intuitive, you’ve nailed it. (Please call me!)
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10. Make SEO part of the calculation.

The reason you’re building a calculator is to get users to it. And to convert them.

Calculators are often built in a way that is counterintuitive to SEO.

• Build out relevant, supporting content.
• Don’t embed your calculator if possible; if you do, make it fly.

Don’t underestimate the needed SEO effort, and consider looking at paid media first to gather data and learn.

You have an email database. Start there!
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11. And slide sliders are off the table in almost all instances.

I almost forgot this one.

Calculators and UX are often a complicated marriage.

Ranges, yes! Exact inputs: no.

They particularly suck on mobile.

If a slider seems the best way to enter logical ranges of data - and it helps guide users - then by all means.

Though otherwise, hold fire.
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Conclusion

Calculators - quizzes, estimators - are not easy.

They’re hard to design, implement, and market, but if you get it right and persevere, the payoff will be tremendous.

The more complex the calculation, the harder it is, though the more significant the payoff.

Load up on user testing early, launch, and learn. You will never get it right on day one, though users and SEO will pay in spades if you make it a key strategy, which for many businesses, it should be.

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