Reworked mobile product layout: +3.4% conversion, but ATC fell 6.7%
Test run byClean CommitCRO agency
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsA reworked mobile layout raised conversion rate by 3.4%, but bounce rate rose 6.8% and add-to-cart rate fell 6.7%, so the result is inconclusive.
Clean Commit ran this test for an anonymized Shopify store.
The agency treated the mixed engagement numbers as a reason for caution.
- Conversion rate: +3.4%. Within the inconclusive range.
- Click-through rate: -3.3%. This was listed as the test's goal metric, and it moved the wrong way.
- Bounce rate: +6.8%. More visitors left without interacting.
- Add-to-cart rate: -6.7%. A negative signal earlier in the funnel.
The change
The variant resizes images, enlarges tap targets and moves navigation to put products first.
Simplified mockup drawn by LiftArchive from the shared screenshots.
Control
The store used its original mobile layout.
Variant
Grid spacing, image sizes and navigation placement were adjusted, and content was reordered to put products first. Touch targets and other tap areas were made larger.
Why it likely came out this way
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- Several layout changes shipped together, so some may have helped while others added friction.
- Reordering content can push familiar elements out of view, which may explain more bounces and fewer clicks.
- A small conversion gain alongside weaker engagement can be noise, and could fade or turn negative over time.
Caveats: Several layout changes were tested as one variant, so no single change can be credited. Sample size, duration and confidence level 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 improve mobile spacing, image sizes and tap targets and move products higher, then conversion rate will rise because the path from browsing to buying is smoother on small screens.
- Primary metric
- Mobile conversion rate
- Guardrails
- Bounce rate
- Add-to-cart rate
- Click-through rate
- Who should test it
- Stores where most traffic is mobile and analytics show tap or scroll problems. Change one or two things at a time, or a bundle like this one will be hard to read.
Questions
Does optimizing a mobile layout always raise conversions?
No. Here conversion rose 3.4% but bounce and add-to-cart rates got worse, and the result was inconclusive.
Why watch bounce and add-to-cart rate if conversion went up?
They show what happens earlier in the funnel.
If they drop, a small conversion gain may not last as traffic grows.
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