# Lifestyle photos instead of model shots: -7.2% conversion rate

- Outcome: Lost
- Page type: Product page (Ecommerce)
- Elements: 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/lifestyle-images-replaced-model-shots/
- Page: https://liftarchive.com/test/cc-lifestyle-images-replaced-model-shots/

Replacing model photos with lifestyle images on three product pages cut conversion rate by 7.2% and add-to-cart rate by 9.0%. Clean Commit ran this test for an anonymized Shopify apparel store and published it in its A/B test library. The drop did not reach significance, but the original had an 84.9% probability of doing better.

## Result

**-7.2% conversion rate**

- Conversion rate: -7.2%, a negative result. The original had an 84.9% probability of being better.
- Add-to-cart rate: -9.0%, so fewer shoppers took the first step toward buying.
- Revenue per visitor: -6.1%, and orders fell 4.9%.
- Desktop was hit hardest, with conversion rate down 13.3% and add-to-cart down 14.6%.

## Control

Product galleries showed photos of the clothes worn by models, plus flat-lay shots of each color.

## Variant

On three products, the model photos were swapped for lifestyle images. The flat-lay color shots and the gallery layout stayed the same.

## Why it likely lost (our reading)

- Model shots show fit and drape on a body, which is what apparel shoppers need to judge before buying.
- Lifestyle images set a mood but can make the product itself harder to see.
- Larger desktop screens may make the loss of detail more obvious, which could explain the bigger desktop drop.

## Caveats

Only three products and 8,808 visitors over 35 days, and the result did not reach significance. Treat it as a warning sign, not proof.

## How to run this test

- Hypothesis: If we replace model photos with lifestyle images in the product gallery, then conversion rate will change because shoppers judge fit differently from each type of photo.
- Primary metric: Conversion rate on the tested product pages
- Guardrail: Add-to-cart rate
- Guardrail: Revenue per visitor
- Who should test it: Apparel and accessory stores where fit matters and shoppers rely on photos. Stores selling home goods or gear used in a setting may see lifestyle images help instead.

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Credit: Clean Commit ran this test and owns the result. Summary and commentary by LiftArchive (https://liftarchive.com/test/cc-lifestyle-images-replaced-model-shots/).
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.