Redesigned 'Shop by Category' homepage block: +2.2% add-to-cart
Test run byClean CommitCRO agency
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsRedesigning the homepage "Shop by Category" block lifted add-to-cart rate by 2.2%, but click-through to categories, the metric it targeted, moved -0.4%, and the result was not significant.
Clean Commit ran this test for a Shopify store and published it in its A/B test library, where it was labeled a positive signal.
We count it as inconclusive: the lift came mostly from a small desktop sample.
- Add-to-cart rate: +2.2%. Not significant.
- Click-through rate: -0.4%. Flat, so the lift did not come from more category clicks.
- Bounce rate: +0.8%. Slightly worse.
- Desktop add-to-cart rose 11.3% against 0.1% on mobile, but desktop had only 6,366 of the 38,490 visitors.
The change
The Shop by Category block gets new layout, spacing and card styling
Simplified mockup drawn by LiftArchive from the shared screenshots.
Control
The homepage had the store's original "Shop by Category" block.
Variant
The block got a new layout, spacing and card styling, adjusted separately for desktop and mobile.
Why it likely came out this way
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- The block was redesigned to drive category clicks, and those did not move, so the add-to-cart gain may be noise.
- Cleaner card styling may have helped desktop shoppers scan categories, but the small desktop sample makes this hard to confirm.
- Shoppers who already know what they want tend to use the menu or search, which a homepage block does not affect.
Caveats: The test ran 24 days on 38,490 visitors without reaching significance. Layout, spacing and card styling changed together, and the lift rests mainly on 6,366 desktop visitors.
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 redesign the homepage category block with a clearer layout for each device, then click-through to category pages will rise because categories are easier to scan and tap.
- Primary metric
- Click-through rate to category pages
- Guardrails
- Add-to-cart rate
- Bounce rate
- Revenue per visitor
- Who should test it
- Stores with several distinct categories where many visitors land on the homepage and browse from there. It probably won't matter if most traffic lands on product or collection pages.
Questions
Does redesigning a homepage category section increase sales?
In this test, add-to-cart rose 2.2% but category clicks did not change, and the result was not significant.
Visual polish alone may not change where shoppers go.
What should I measure when testing a homepage category block?
Measure clicks into categories as the main metric, and watch add-to-cart and revenue as guardrails.
When the main metric stays flat, treat gains elsewhere with caution.
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