Moving the address step out of checkout: +15% conversions
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsAsking users without a saved address to add it before checkout, instead of inside the funnel, lifted conversions by 15%.
AB Tasty ran this test for Ashley Furniture, the US furniture and bedding retailer, and it was published as a VWO case study. Bounce rate also fell by 4%.
- Conversions: +15%.
- Bounce rate: down 4%.
- No sample size, duration or confidence level was shared.
The change
The variant collects the address before checkout, removing it from the funnel.
Simplified mockup drawn by LiftArchive from the shared screenshots.
Control
Account holders who had not saved a delivery and billing address had to type both inside the checkout funnel, alongside login, delivery options and payment.
Variant
Those users were prompted to log in and then filled in their delivery address in a form before checkout. That took the address step out of the purchase funnel.
Why it likely won
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- A shorter checkout means fewer steps where a buyer can give up.
- Typing addresses is one of the most tiring parts of checkout. Moving it earlier separates that effort from the payment decision.
- Once the address is saved, the funnel feels quick and goes straight to delivery and payment.
Caveats: No sample size, test length or significance was given. The test targeted new visitors and account holders without a saved address, not every shopper.
Who ran it
AB Tasty ran this test for Ashley Furniture and published the results (VWO case study). The numbers are theirs; the summary and commentary on this page are ours.
Read the original case study on AB Tasty →
How to run this test on your store
- Hypothesis
- If we collect missing address details before checkout starts, then more users will complete the purchase because the checkout funnel is shorter.
- Primary metric
- Checkout conversion rate
- Guardrails
- Drop-off on the pre-checkout address form
- Bounce rate
- Order completion time
- Who should test it
- Stores where many buyers have accounts without saved addresses and checkout has several steps. If most buyers check out as guests, this change won't reach many people.
Questions
Does shortening checkout increase conversions?
Often, yes. Ashley Furniture saw conversions rise 15% after taking address entry out of the checkout funnel.
When should a store ask for a shipping address?
It depends on the flow. Asking signed-in users to save it before checkout worked here, but test whether the extra form causes drop-off earlier on.
What else can make checkout shorter?
Address autocomplete, express payment buttons and guest checkout all cut typing and steps.
Similar tests
@DaveDiederen
Convertibles
Surefoot