The eCommerce industry is one of the most competitive industries in the world. Unsurprisingly, many companies are reluctant to try new strategies and need a little extra motivation.
This blog post provides 10 successful eCommerce A/B testing examples, which you can use to inspire your next experimentation campaign or storefront update.
A/B testing is a great way to test new ideas and determine what works best for your eCommerce store.
What is Ecommerce A/B Testing?
Ecommerce A/B testing is a method online retailers use to compare two or more versions of a webpage to see which one performs better in conversions, such as sales or user engagement.
By splitting traffic between page variations, businesses can determine which version resonates more with users and leads to higher conversion rates.
The objective of A/B testing is to find out which webpage version gets better conversions. For example, it can involve:
For example, it can involve:
- A/B testing will test two layouts for a single product to see which layout produces more sales.
- Discover how various product taxonomies can encourage your customers to make purchases.
- Changing navigation options to improve user engagement and conversion rates.
The focus of A/B testing should be on discovering which website version improves content engagement, reduces bounce rate, increases conversions, increases sales, and reduces cart abandonment. However, at one time, A/B testing can be done only for one defined goal.
You might have a million ideas that you think will help you improve conversion rates. However, only testing can prove which ideas are feasible and would give desired results. A/B testing validates whether your ideas will give improved results over your current website or campaign on implementation.
Some simple ecommerce a/b tests you can run include testing:
- Headlines and subheadings
- Text
- Call to action button and text
- Social proof
- Images
- Testimonials
- Links
- Header and footer
However, even though A/B testing allows you to tackle smaller, less complex elements, it still requires due diligence to determine whether a test is viable. Therefore, it is important to do some research and construct a hypothesis.
Some more challenging or advanced elements that you can A/B tests include:
- pricing structures
- free trial lengths
- navigation
- free shipping
- free or paid delivery
Once you get comfortable with the process you can start A/B testing more complex and the main pages on your website. According to Michael Reddy:
“Powerful A/B testing provides more information about your customers than you may realize. It enables your ability to segment your customers on multiple levels in order to gain a deeper understanding of their behaviors.”
Michael Reddy
Benefits of Ecommerce A/B Testing
Ecommerce A/B testing offers tangible benefits that directly impact your ecommerce store’s success:
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Tailored Product Pages: When you test variations of product pages, you can identify the elements that most influence buying decisions.
Whether it’s the placement of the “Add to Cart” button, the size of product images, or the type of product descriptions. This leads to pages that convert visitors into buyers more effectively. -
Optimized Checkout Process: Simplifying and streamlining the checkout process through A/B testing can reduce cart abandonment rates.
For example, testing one-click checkout options against multi-step processes can reveal which method minimizes friction and increases completed purchases. -
Personalized Shopping Experience: A/B testing can help you personalize the shopping experience by identifying what resonates with different customer segments.
For instance, testing targeted offers or personalized product recommendations can lead to higher engagement and repeat purchases. -
Effective Promotion Strategies: Test different promotional strategies, such as discount banners, limited-time offers, or free shipping thresholds.
This can show you which promotions drive the most conversions without eroding profit margins. -
Mobile Optimization: With more shoppers buying via mobile, A/B testing mobile-specific elements, like button sizes, loading speeds, or mobile-friendly navigation, can ensure your site provides a seamless experience across devices, leading to higher mobile conversions.
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Understanding Customer Behavior: Through A/B testing, you can discover how customer segments interact with your site. For example, testing different landing pages for new versus returning customers can help you tailor the experience to each group’s preferences, leading to more conversions.
When To Use A/B Test for Ecommerce?
A/B testing is a powerful tool, but it’s most effective when applied at the right time.
Knowing when to conduct these tests can help you optimize your ecommerce site for better performance.
Here are some key scenarios where A/B testing can make a significant difference.
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When You’re Launching a New Product Page
Before rolling out a new product page to all your customers, use A/B testing to compare different page versions. This helps you identify which layout, images, or descriptions resonate best with your audience, ensuring the new page drives maximum conversions from the start.
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When You Notice High Cart Abandonment Rates
If your analytics reveal a high cart abandonment rate, it’s a good time to use A/B testing. Experiment with different checkout processes, such as simplifying steps or adding trust signals like security badges, to see which changes reduce abandonment and lead to more completed purchases.
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When Traffic Increases but Conversions Don’t
An increase in traffic without a corresponding rise in conversions indicates potential issues with your site’s user experience. A/B testing can help you identify and resolve these issues by testing different elements on key pages, like headlines, product images, or call-to-action buttons.
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When Implementing Major Website Changes
Before implementing major changes, such as a site redesign or new navigation structure, use A/B testing to ensure the new design improves user experience and conversion rates. Testing allows you to make informed decisions and avoid potential drops in sales due to unanticipated user reactions.
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When Seasonal Campaigns Are in Play
During seasonal sales or promotional campaigns, use A/B testing to determine the most effective messaging, banners, or discount offers. Testing in real-time allows you to maximize the impact of these campaigns, ensuring that you capitalize on increased traffic during peak shopping periods.
Ecommerce A/B Testing Examples
Here are 10 examples highlighting the types of A/B tests you might want to try on your store.
Navigation A/B Test examples
here’s a real-life example of a test meant to smooth the navigation across different categories;
By providing a sticky menu showing all the subcategories, we can help visitors find the category they’d like to visit immediately without much scrolling.
By providing visual categories, users can determine which product meets their needs. This is a good example of simplifying the visitor’s journey through your website.
Your visitor is bound to get frustrated looking at your website’s complex navigation menu, which is supposed to show him the way.
Simplify the options, fewer options will reduce confusion and frustration among users.
With over 150 subcategories, users are bound to be frustrated and confused on this furniture eCommerce website. By extending the width of the menu, all items are visible at a glance, reducing confusion.
This test resulted in a 3.85% increase in conversion rate, which directly affected revenue.
Free Shipping A/B Testing ideas
Do a test to compare conversions by testing your product with free shipping and without it.
You may want to include the shipping price in your product base price for the free shipping variant, whereas keeping the control without free shipping.
In this test, the price of products was increased by $10, but in return, users were guaranteed free shipping. This test caused a 4.39% uplift in conversions.
You can conduct another test by setting a threshold for free shipping or offering other benefits to gauge what works best for your conversion goals.
Providing a free gift and free shipping for purchases over $200 will help convince your users to purchase more products. Besides the huge increase in conversion rate, an increase of %20 in AOV was achieved.
Product Page Call to Action
The CTA button should be prominent, bold, easy to find, and placed in a strategic location on the website.
There are many aspects of design to consider, but many of them can be figured out by experimenting with different sizes.
In other words, there is no universal size that can drive desired conversions reliably.
This test works best on mobile devices.
By placing the Add to Cart button within reach of the user’s thumb, the process of purchasing products is simplified.
Don’t forget to test the color of your CTA
Your CTA needs to catch the eye. Period.
By running an A/B test, find out which color would work best for your call-to-action button.
Ensure that the color you pick doesn’t clash with your website’s background.
Images on Product Pages
You may want to conduct various tests with different types of pictures, such as lifestyle or detail shots, to see what works best.
Customers can relate better to these visuals that show how they’ll use the item when it arrives at their homes.
You can test out different types of imagery or even post-process your pictures with filters that help them stand out more against other product pages.
Product Descriptions
The content you put into the description fields of your products is important for conversion rates.
An A/B test might prove worthwhile if you want to know what description copy should be used to improve conversions.
For example, maybe some people prefer concise descriptions, while others like descriptive text.
Visual elements indicating the texture of your product or how to care for it will increase interactions with its description, which means users will read more of it.
Product Reviews
Many e-commerce sites offer product reviews as a feature, but it might be worth conducting an A/B test to see how that works for you.
If your goal is conversion rates, it’s important to have enough reviews and good quality ones.
It might seem counterintuitive but sometimes removing the reviews completely from your website will increase your conversion rate.
Separate reviews from questions! Questions from users who already purchased the product might confuse your visitors.
Make sure to separate them into two different sections.
Tags on Product Images
Emphasize “New” or “Best Seller” for added guidance. Add callouts on items that may be on sale as well, and include the percentage.
Callouts add additional value to your products and increase visitors’ motivation to purchase.
Customers are more likely to buy an item when they see it’s on sale.
Experiment with using different call-outs, adding “new” or “back in stock” to the text, or changing your font size.
Conclusion
A/B testing is a powerful way to optimize your e-commerce site for higher conversions. You can identify what works best by testing different elements, such as colors, images, and descriptions.
Start your first A/B test with clear objectives. Base your tests on research using tools like heat maps and session recordings.
Monitor user activity and analyze data to understand why customers aren’t converting. Run tests in a controlled environment to avoid interference from other factors.
Set up conversion tracking to measure results accurately. Always create tests with a clear hypothesis and goal.
Start A/B testing today with a strategic focus on long-term improvement.
FAQs for Ecommerce A/B Testing
What is A/B testing in e-commerce?
A/B testing in e-commerce involves comparing two versions of a webpage or app to determine which one performs better in terms of conversions. This could include testing different headlines, product images, descriptions, or checkout processes to see what drives more sales or user engagement.
Does Shopify do A/B testing?
Yes, Shopify allows A/B testing through various apps and integrations. You can test different elements of your online store to see which changes lead to higher conversion rates and better user experience.
What is eCommerce testing?
eCommerce testing involves evaluating various elements of an online store to ensure they function correctly and provide the best user experience. This can include A/B, usability, and performance testing to optimize the site for conversions and user satisfaction.
What are the most important metrics for ecommerce A/B testing?
Key metrics for ecommerce A/B testing include conversion rate, average order value (AOV), bounce rate, cart abandonment rate, and click-through rate (CTR). Tracking these metrics helps determine which variations lead to better performance and higher revenue.
