Prominent returns policy on product pages: -3.6% add-to-cart
Test run byClean CommitCRO agency
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsGiving the returns and exchange policy more prominence on product pages lowered add-to-cart rate by 3.6%.
Clean Commit ran this test for an anonymized Shopify apparel store and published it in its A/B test library.
After 12 days and 23,060 visitors, the original had a 90.5% probability of performing better.
- Add-to-cart rate: -3.6%, a negative result. The original had a 90.5% probability of being better.
- Mobile add-to-cart fell 5.8%, compared with 0.8% on desktop.
- Click-through rate: +0.6%, and bounce rate: -0.6%, both close to flat.
The change
The returns and exchange policy gets a more prominent spot near the buy button.
Simplified mockup drawn by LiftArchive from the shared screenshots.
Control
A product page where the returns information was present but low-key.
Variant
The returns and exchange policy was given more prominence, stressing how easy it is to swap items that don't fit.
Why it likely lost
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- Talking about fit problems may have made shoppers think about the chance of a bad fit.
- On a small mobile screen, extra policy content may have pushed the buy button or key details further down.
- Shoppers who already trusted the store may not have needed the reassurance.
Caveats: The test ran 12 days with 23,060 visitors, and the loss was not certain at a 90.5% probability. The exact wording and placement were not shared.
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 make our returns and exchange policy more visible on product pages, then add-to-cart rate will rise because shoppers worry less about getting the wrong size.
- Primary metric
- Add-to-cart rate
- Guardrails
- Conversion rate
- Mobile add-to-cart rate
- Return rate
- Who should test it
- Apparel and footwear stores where fit worries come up in reviews or support. Keep the message short on mobile, and skip it if your returns policy isn't actually generous.
Questions
Does showing a returns policy increase sales?
Not always. In this test, making the policy more prominent lowered add-to-cart rate by 3.6%.
Where should a returns policy go on a product page?
Many stores use a short line near the buy button with a link to details.
Test it, since a heavy message can backfire, especially on mobile.
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