'Smells Like' recap by the scent picker: +53% mobile orders
Test run byConversion FanaticsCRO agency
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsAdding a short "Smells Like:" recap next to the scent dropdown on a bundle product page lifted completed orders on mobile by 53% and revenue per visitor by 37%.
Conversion Fanatics ran this test for an online grooming store, and it was published as a Convert.com case study.
On desktop, a different version with a "help me choose" lightbox won instead.
- Completed orders on mobile: +53% against the control.
- Revenue per visitor on mobile: +37%.
- On desktop, the lightbox version won instead, with +11% completed orders and +24% revenue per visitor.
- Both challengers beat the control overall, so the core idea (help people choose a scent) held on both devices.
The change
Variant adds a short 'Smells Like' recap right beside the scent dropdown.
Simplified mockup drawn by LiftArchive from the shared screenshots.
Control
The bundle product page asked shoppers to pick scents from a dropdown. Descriptions of each scent were on the page, but not next to the picker.
Variant
A brief "Smells Like:" summary of each scent sat right beside the dropdown. There was no link or lightbox with extra detail.
Why it likely won
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- An exit poll on the page found that choosing a scent was the most common reason people held back, so the test went straight at the main objection.
- On a small screen, a recap in place is quicker to read than opening and closing a lightbox.
- Putting the answer where the decision happens means shoppers don't have to scroll to find scent details.
- Desktop users have more room and may be happier to click for fuller detail, which could explain why the lightbox won there.
Caveats: About 2,000 visitors per variant over 15 days is a small sample, so the size of the lift is uncertain. Traffic came from paid and social campaigns, and the mobile winner lost to the lightbox on desktop.
Who ran it
Conversion Fanatics ran this test for an online store selling a multi-scent product bundle and published the results (Convert.com case study). The numbers are theirs; the summary and commentary on this page are ours.
Read the original case study on Conversion Fanatics →
How to run this test on your store
- Hypothesis
- If we show a short summary of what each scent smells like next to the scent picker, then more mobile shoppers will complete an order because they can choose without hunting for details.
- Primary metric
- Completed orders per visitor (mobile)
- Guardrails
- Revenue per visitor
- Desktop conversion rate
- Return or exchange rate for wrong-scent orders
- Who should test it
- Stores where shoppers must pick a variant they can't sense online, such as scent, flavour or texture. It probably won't matter much if most buyers already know the range or the options are simple, like sizes.
Questions
How do you help shoppers choose a scent online?
Describe each scent in a few familiar words right next to the picker.
Shoppers can then decide without scrolling or opening another window.
Should mobile and desktop get the same product page help?
Not always. In this test a short inline recap won on mobile, while a click-to-open lightbox with more detail won on desktop, so it is worth reading results by device.
How did they know scent choice was the problem?
An exit poll on the product page asked visitors what held them back.
Picking a scent was by far the most common answer.
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