# Image thumbnails instead of color swatches: +22% ATC, sales fell

- Outcome: Flat / inconclusive
- Page type: Product page (Ecommerce)
- Elements: Variant, size & option selectors, Product images & gallery
- Test run by: [Clean Commit](https://liftarchive.com/practitioners/clean-commit/)
- Commentary by: LiftArchive (our analysis, not theirs)
- Original source: https://cleancommit.io/ab-tests/enhanced-product-visualization-with-sleeve-thumbnail-images-boosts-user-confidence-and-engagement/
- Page: https://liftarchive.com/test/cc-enhanced-product-visualization-with-sleeve-thumbnail-images-boosts/

Replacing 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.

## Result

**+22% ATC, sales fell**

- 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.

## 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)

- 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.

## How to run this test

- 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
- Guardrail: Conversion rate
- Guardrail: 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.

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Credit: Clean Commit ran this test and owns the result. Summary and commentary by LiftArchive (https://liftarchive.com/test/cc-enhanced-product-visualization-with-sleeve-thumbnail-images-boosts/).
Usage: Free to use, quote and build on, with credit and a link: name the practitioner or organization that ran the test and link to its LiftArchive page. The results belong to the practitioners who ran and shared them; the summaries and commentary are LiftArchive's.