Add a configurator to your website: what do you need to get started?

Adding a configurator to your website does not have to become a whole new website project. Before you add anything, though, you need to be clear about which product you offer, which choices determine the price, and what you deliberately discuss only after a site visit.

Start small. Choose one product that currently generates lots of similar price requests, and build a clear form for that first. You will create something useful much faster than if you try to put your entire range online straight away.

Which product should you start with?

Choose a product whose price usually depends on fixed choices. Think of a veranda, awning, window frame, glass sliding wall or floor. Do you currently use a price list or spreadsheet to create quotes? That is often a good sign that creating an online configurator is a good fit.

Do not start with the product that has the most exceptions. Instead, choose a version you sell often and whose base price, dimensions and options you already know well. You do not have to offer every variation right away.

A practical first selection includes:

• one main product, such as an aluminium veranda;
• the dimensions you can actually supply;
• five to eight choices that determine the price, such as colour, roof material, side wall, awning and installation;
• a clear next step after the request, such as checking the quote or arranging a measuring appointment.

Anything that does not affect the price or the finished product does not need to be in the first form. A long list of extra questions makes things unnecessarily difficult for visitors.

Which choices belong in a product configurator?

Creating a product configurator is not about asking as many questions as possible. It is about asking the questions needed to show a useful price and receive a complete request.

Take a veranda company as an example. The visitor first chooses the width and depth. Next, they choose the frame colour, roof material and any side walls. They can then add awnings, lighting and installation. The price updates at every step.

That means the business owner does not receive a request that only says: “How much does a patio cover cost?” They immediately see the dimensions, colour, roof choice and extras. This saves back-and-forth by email and makes the first conversation more specific. The article about the right choices in a quote form helps you define that first selection.

Keep choices that depend on each other in mind. For example, if someone does not choose lighting, they do not need to choose a light colour either. Showing only relevant options makes the form feel shorter and clearer.

How do you set up price calculations on your website?

A price calculation on your website only works when your own prices are set up properly. You can do this with price rules in a matrix, for example by size range and material, or with a formula for products priced per square metre, metre or quantity.

For a veranda, for example, you can create price rules for a certain width and depth combined with a roof type. Extra options, such as lighting or a side wall, get their own price rule. The configurator finds the relevant rules as soon as the visitor makes their choices.

Do you already have a price list in Excel? You do not necessarily have to enter it manually. You can import prices and see in advance what will change. Always check that all important combinations have a price, though. You do not want a visitor who selects a combination without a price to hit a dead end.

The price a customer sees should match what later appears in the request and quote. Also read how to build a price indication on your website that matches your quote. It prevents awkward discussions about a price that suddenly changes along the way.

What should you deliberately leave out of the configurator?

A configurator is intended for standard situations. Not everything has to be included, and that is often the sensible choice. With custom work, a measurement, assessment or conversation may still be needed.

Think of difficult site access, a sloping wall, unusual foundations or permits. You can include these as a separate item, show them as a range or clearly state that you assess them after measuring up. That way, the visitor still gets a substantiated price based on their choices, without pretending every situation is the same.

For the veranda example, that means the customer can choose dimensions, colour, roof and options. If the site visit reveals that the wall construction or ground requires extra work, you discuss that as a special situation. The online price is then not a number pulled from thin air, but a clear starting point for the conversation.

How do you add a configurator to your website?

Once your form and prices are ready, you can add the configurator to your website as a dedicated page or as a widget on an existing page. You do not need to rebuild your entire site.

A dedicated page works well when you want to direct people to one product from an ad or menu item. A widget is a better fit on an existing product page, for example below the explanation of your verandas or awnings. The configurator only loads when the visitor opens it.

With Klantly, you do not start with a blank screen. There are templates for each product type, with steps, options, images and, where appropriate, a 3D view. You adapt the template to your own range and replace the example prices with your own. See what a configurator for your website can do for requests and quotes.

Always test the route your customer takes before you go live. Try a few common combinations, one with extra options and a situation you do not offer. Also check how the form works on your phone. After all, many visitors configure their product on mobile.

Adding a configurator to your website becomes manageable once you stop trying to solve everything at once. Choose one product, make the price-defining choices clear, and give exceptions a logical place in the next conversation. Want to explore this calmly for your business? Get started for free with Klantly and discover what fits your way of working.