Image thumbnails instead of color swatches: +22% ATC, sales fell
Test run byClean CommitCRO agency
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsReplacing color circle swatches with thumbnail images of each sleeve and color variant came with a 22.4% rise in add-to-cart rate, but conversion rate fell 30.5% and revenue fell 68.3%.
Clean Commit ran this test for an anonymized Shopify store and published it in its A/B test library.
With engagement up, sales down and no sample size shared, we treat the result as inconclusive.
- Add-to-cart rate: +22.4%, and click-through rate: +16.3%.
- Bounce rate: -12.9%, an improvement.
- Conversion rate: -30.5%, a negative result.
- Revenue: -68.3%, a large negative result that the source does not explain.
The change
Color circles are replaced by image thumbnails of each variant.
Simplified mockup drawn by LiftArchive from the shared screenshots.
Control
The product page used small color circles to pick a variant.
Variant
Thumbnail images of each sleeve and color variant replaced the circles. Clicking one selected that variant and updated the main image.
Why it likely came out this way
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- Real images make it easier to see what each variant looks like, which may explain the extra add-to-carts.
- More add-to-carts did not turn into orders, so something later in the journey may have put people off.
- The agency suggests the wider experience or pricing may be to blame, but that is a guess, not a finding.
Caveats: No sample size, duration or significance level was shared. The agency labeled the test a positive signal despite the drops in conversion and revenue.
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 replace color swatches with images of each variant, then add-to-cart rate will rise because shoppers can see exactly what they are choosing.
- Primary metric
- Revenue per visitor
- Guardrails
- Conversion rate
- Checkout completion rate
- Who should test it
- Stores where variants differ in more than color, such as sleeve style or pattern, so a swatch doesn't tell the full story. Track orders and revenue, not just add-to-cart, because this test shows they can move in opposite directions.
Questions
Are image swatches better than color swatches?
For engagement, maybe. In this test, image thumbnails lifted add-to-cart rate by 22.4%, but conversion rate fell 30.5%.
How can add-to-cart rise while sales fall?
Shoppers can add items and then leave at the cart or checkout.
That is why revenue per visitor is a safer main metric than add-to-cart rate.
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