'Easy Returns' link on product pages: no clear change (-1.4%)
Test run byClean CommitCRO agency
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsAdding a small 'Easy Returns' link near the add-to-cart area made no clear difference: conversion rate moved -1.4%, and revenue per visitor fell 6.8%.
Clean Commit ran this test on product pages for an anonymized Shopify store and published it in its A/B test library.
The test was short and the variant had only a 39.5% chance of beating the original, so the result is inconclusive.
- Conversion rate: -1.4%, with a 39.5% probability that the variant is better. Flat: no clear difference.
- Revenue per visitor: -6.8%, with orders down 3.8% and average order value down 4.8%.
- Add-to-cart rate: +1.0%, also too small to call.
- Devices split: mobile conversion rose 2.2% while desktop fell 8.7%.
The change
The variant adds an 'Easy Returns' link near the add-to-cart button.
Simplified mockup drawn by LiftArchive from the shared screenshots.
Control
The product page had no returns link near the add-to-cart area.
Variant
A small 'Easy Returns' link sat near the add-to-cart section or in the product details. It led to the return policy page and matched the page's styling.
Why it likely came out this way
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- Shoppers who care about returns may already know where to find the policy, so the link told them little new.
- A plain text link is easy to miss, so many shoppers may not have noticed it.
- Mentioning returns right before purchase could remind some shoppers of the risk of a bad fit or wrong choice.
- Eight days is too short to pick up a small effect either way.
Caveats: The test ran only 8 days on 19,974 visitors and showed no clear difference. Desktop and mobile moved in opposite directions.
Who ran it
Clean Commit ran this test for a Shopify store (anonymized) and published the results (Clean Commit A/B test library). The numbers are theirs; the summary and commentary on this page are ours.
Read the original case study on Clean Commit →
How to run this test on your store
- Hypothesis
- If we show a clear returns link next to add-to-cart, then more shoppers will buy because knowing they can return the item lowers the risk.
- Primary metric
- Conversion rate
- Guardrails
- Revenue per visitor
- Return rate
- Desktop conversion rate
- Who should test it
- Stores where returns are a real worry, such as apparel or footwear, and whose policy is generous. If your policy is standard or strict, highlighting it is less likely to help. Run it for at least two full weeks.
Questions
Does showing a return policy on product pages increase conversions?
Not in this test. Conversion rate moved -1.4% with no clear difference, though the test ran only 8 days.
How should I show my return policy?
This test used a small text link. A more visible message stating the actual terms, such as the number of days, may be worth testing instead.
How long should a test like this run?
At least two full weeks, so every day of the week is covered twice.
Small effects need longer runs to show up.
Similar tests
@oliverkenyon@oliverkenyon@oliverkenyon@oliverkenyon@oliverkenyon
@DaveDiederen