Scent swatches instead of a dropdown: +4% revenue per visitor
Test run byBlend CommerceCRO agency
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsReplacing the scent dropdown on Azuna's product page with colour swatches in a horizontal scroll lifted desktop revenue per visitor by 4%.
Blend Commerce ran this two-week A/B/C test for the home fragrance and odour eliminator brand.
Desktop conversion rose 3% and subscription orders 6%.
- Desktop revenue per visitor: +4% for the swatch variant.
- Desktop conversion rate: +3%.
- Desktop subscription orders: +6%. Profit per visitor also rose 4%.
- Mobile: also positive but smaller, and the source does not give mobile numbers.
- Overall subscriptions dipped at first, which is why the change was shipped on desktop only.
The change
The scent dropdown becomes a sideways-scrolling row of colour swatches.
Simplified mockup drawn by LiftArchive from the shared screenshots.
Control
Shoppers chose a scent from a dropdown menu on the product page.
Variant
Scents appeared as colour swatches in a row that scrolls sideways. A second variant used a hybrid dropdown that showed both text and colour.
Why it likely won
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- Swatches show every option at once, so shoppers do not need to open a menu to see the range.
- A tap on a visible swatch is quicker than opening and scrolling a dropdown.
- A sideways scroll may suit a wide desktop screen better than a small phone, which could explain the weaker mobile result.
Caveats: The test ran for two weeks and the source does not share sample size or confidence. Overall subscriptions dipped at first, and the change was rolled out on desktop only.
Who ran it
Blend Commerce ran this test for Azuna and published the results (Blend Commerce A/B test). The numbers are theirs; the summary and commentary on this page are ours.
Read the original case study on Blend Commerce →
How to run this test on your store
- Hypothesis
- If we show scent options as visible swatches instead of a dropdown, then more shoppers will buy, because they can see and pick an option in one tap.
- Primary metric
- Revenue per visitor
- Guardrails
- Subscription orders
- Conversion rate by device
- Add-to-cart rate
- Who should test it
- Stores with a handful of variants per product, such as scents, flavours or colours, that sit in a dropdown today. If you have dozens of options, a long swatch row may get harder to use, especially on mobile.
Questions
Are swatches better than dropdowns for product variants?
Often, when there are only a few options.
In Azuna's test, swatches beat the dropdown on desktop revenue per visitor by 4%.
Should I run variant picker changes on mobile and desktop separately?
Check results by device. Azuna saw a clearer win on desktop and shipped the swatches there only.
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