Product recs slider for returning visitors: +8.9% conversion rate
Test run byVisuallyTesting and CRO tool
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsAdding a five-product recommendation slider to the homepage for returning visitors lifted conversion rate by 8.9% and revenue per session by 21.2%.
Visually ran this test for Branch Furniture, an office furniture brand, and published it as a Visually case study.
Only visitors who had been on the site in the last 60 days saw the slider.
- Conversion rate: +8.9% for returning visitors.
- Revenue per session: +21.2%. Revenue grew faster than conversion, which suggests bigger orders too.
- The test was called within a few days, so treat the size of the lift with care.
The change
Returning visitors get a five-product recommendation slider on the homepage.
Simplified mockup drawn by LiftArchive from the shared screenshots.
Control
Returning visitors saw the standard homepage, the same one every visitor gets.
Variant
Visitors from the last 60 days saw a slider with five recommended products on the homepage.
Why it likely won
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- Returning visitors often come back for something they already looked at. A slider puts it one click away.
- Furniture is a considered purchase. People return several times before buying, so a shortcut back to products helps.
- Showing products on the homepage skips the browse step for people who already know the range.
Caveats: The test was called within a few days, and sample size and significance were not shared. This is vendor marketing.
Who ran it
Visually ran this test for Branch Furniture and published the results (Visually case study). The numbers are theirs; the summary and commentary on this page are ours.
Read the original case study on Visually →
How to run this test on your store
- Hypothesis
- If we show returning visitors a homepage slider of recommended products, then more of them will buy because they can get back to products they care about faster.
- Primary metric
- Conversion rate for returning visitors
- Guardrails
- Revenue per session
- Homepage bounce rate
- Clicks on main navigation
- Who should test it
- Stores with long consideration cycles and many repeat visits before purchase. It probably won't matter much for low-price impulse stores, or where few visitors return.
Questions
Should returning visitors see a different homepage?
It can pay off. Here, a recommendation slider for visitors from the last 60 days lifted conversion rate by 8.9%.
How many products should a homepage recommendation slider show?
This test used five. Fewer keeps the choice simple, but test the number on your own store.
Is a few days long enough for a homepage test?
Usually not. Run for at least one or two full weeks to cover weekday and weekend behavior.
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