Large mobile search bar in the header: 30% headline, +0.1% revenue
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsA large search bar in the center of the mobile header raised revenue by a reported 0.1% in one week, though the case study's headline claims a 30% lift.
Best Choice Products' own UX team ran the test, and it was published as a VWO case study.
Treat the 30% figure with care, as the body text only supports the 0.1% revenue gain.
- Revenue: +0.1% after one week, as stated in the case study text.
- The case study headline claims a 30% increase, but the text does not explain this number.
- The team reported more clicks and searches on the variant, based on heatmaps.
- No significance level or sample size was shared.
The change
The header search icon became a large search bar in the center.
Simplified mockup drawn by LiftArchive from the shared screenshots.
Control
The mobile header showed only a search icon. Mobile was over half of traffic, and shoppers who used search converted 60% better than others.
Variant
A large search bar was placed in the center of the mobile header, in the style Amazon uses.
Why it likely won
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- Searchers already converted far better, so making search easier to find was a sensible bet.
- An open bar is easier to spot and tap than a small icon.
- The products are familiar household items, so many shoppers arrive knowing what to type.
Caveats: The test ran for one week on mobile traffic, with no significance or sample size given. The headline 30% and the in-text 0.1% revenue lift don't match, so the real effect is unclear.
Who ran it
Best Choice Products ran this test for Best Choice Products 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 Best Choice Products →
How to run this test on your store
- Hypothesis
- If we replace the mobile search icon with a large, central search bar, then more shoppers will search and buy because searchers convert better and the bar is easy to find.
- Primary metric
- Mobile conversion rate
- Guardrails
- Revenue per visitor
- Search usage rate
- Searches with zero results
- Who should test it
- Stores with mostly mobile traffic and products people search for by name. Run it for at least two full weeks; one week is too short to trust a small lift.
Questions
Does a bigger search bar increase mobile sales?
It can, if searchers already convert well. Best Choice Products saw a 0.1% revenue lift in one week; Panduro saw 2.67% more purchases from a similar change.
Why do searchers convert better?
People who search usually know what they want.
Making search easy to find helps them get to the product faster.
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