Ecommerce Add-to-Cart Test
| VERSION A |
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How site visitors voted:
VERSION A (28%)
VERSION B (72%)
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Actual Test Results:
Flip-flopping the add-to-cart and the product image from ‘normal’ layout increased actual purchases by 16.7%. That’s money directly in the pockets of this online retailer. Conversion optimization firm, WiderFunnel, conducted this A/B test using Google Website Optimizer on BabyAge.com’s product page. This test proves that sometimes it’s worth testing ideas that seem crazy, not to mention counter-intuitive. Will this unusual layout work for other ecommerce sites? We don’t know. You have to test it for yourself. After all, Amazon.com, the Kings of Testing, have stuck with their right-hand, add-to-cart for more than a decade. Worth noting: we like the fact that the winning layout here was chosen based on actual paid sales — people who made it all the way through the check-out process — instead of just “add to cart” clickers. WhichTestWon.com is sponsored by: WiderFunnel Conversion Optimization, the A/B and multivariate testing firm that guarantees Conversion Rate Lift. Click here for info on improving your site’s results – risk free – today! |
Possibly there is a novelty element here. Perhaps the fact that the ‘add to cart’ was moved was enough. The fact that it was on the left may be irrelevant. We get used to something and cease to notice it. If it appears in an unexpected place then we register it more. Unless that was somehow accounted for in the test.
Very cool! Thanks for this example!
Version A layout is similar to Facebook. Maybe the frequent use of social media sites has changed the way people shop as well?
For me the add to cart button is too remote from the product image. I check out the image, decide to buy and then have to go hunting for the button. I reckon this page could be improved further.
Could it simply be that the new area for the add to cart is that traditional “hot spot” area where the eyes naturally go to? Top left.
Counterintuitive. Unless you factor in visual Hot Spot on top left … that’s where info search begins, and if buyers are ready to buy (no longer need product info, just price), then it would make sense. Worth noting!
I like the fact it went against my instincts. It’s a good reminder to not allow yourself to get comfortable and always test.
Anne: Is it possible to start including sample sizes in these comparisons? I’m starting to wonder about the statistical validity of tests like this one. If the sample size isn’t big enough all of the discussion/conclusions are moot.
Geordie – Thanks for your note about statistical validity. I actually won’t allow any tests to be posted on this site unless the results were proven valid. Like the rest, this test was *definitely* statistically valid. However, I can’t always reveal actual numbers (that I’ve seen) because some marketers prefer to keep that data private. I’m sure you understand.
hmm… I felt better with the cart on the left, but thought about Amazon and choose the right. I agree with Suzanne that it may be Facebook’s influence. And I have to say that this is whole testing series is a great learning tool: thanks for doing it!
Over thousands of experiments, we have repeatedly seen that the left column tends to be much more important than the right when it comes to eliciting an action.
However, in this case, I would attribute the lift to the sales promotion copy that appears above the add to cart button. When the add to cart is moved to the left, a lot more people see the promotion- resulting in a lift in sales. Look at any eyetracking study and you will see that the upper left corner is the most viewed real estate on most sites.
I would love to see this test repeated, but with ONLY an add to cart button, no promotional copy included. I am guessing that add to cart actions might go up a little, but overall sales performance would remain similar.
Sounds great Anne, nice to hear you’re on that. Thanks for answering the question so quickly.
Interesting results, and agreed, this is a great way to highlight the fact that testing is always best. However, I agree with the fact that it was likely noticed due to the novelty factor. Web standards are “standards” for a reason, yes, users found the ‘Add to Cart’, but why make them search for it??
I’d be curious to know if Asian-language websites are laid out with copy to run from right to left, thus placing Add to Cart as per version B…
I agree with Hayley Chalmers.
Stil I don’t relate the “Add-to-cart-column” to the centered content column. Furthermore I would put all pricing info together (including the flat-rate-shipping). It’s a messy page and very difficult to grasp for a simple user.
I think it’s really interesting that even though the results said that B was the winner, the image shown above is “A” as the winner. All the comments seem to miss the point that B was the winning version (add to cart button on the right hand side of the page).
Sorry but you’re wrong. The winning creative is pictured here correctly, with the add-to-cart on the left hand side of the page.
> and then have to go hunting for the button
Maybe you don’t. In a left-to-right reading maybe you already subconsciously saw where the button was. You’d only have to hunt for it if it was on the right and you hadn’t already seen it.
Sample “A” just seemed to flow better for me, and the top right spot on a webpage is an area that I hardly look at, unless there’s a scantilly clad pretty girl.
If you divide the page up in 3 sections, the right most section here contains only a picture and a big empty spot on the bottom. It feels like reading a book, where everything is indented left and the right side of the page is filled with empty space due to uneven sentence lengths. Throwing that wasted space on the right is something we’re probably used to, possibly.
it’s just more aesthetically pleasing. That’s the first thought that crossed my mind when I saw these ads.
Anne, have you guys thought of doing surveys about these results? Might give you insight as to why buyers would pick one page over the other. It would make an interesting whitepaper, and very good education for the marketing community.
Interesting to see how psychologies differ in different audiences. We ran an A/B test recently using the same concept.
In my company’s case,flipping the action buttons to the right side of the page lowered conversions.
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