Header and footer redesign: -16.3% conversion despite more clicks
Test run byClean CommitCRO agency
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsRedesigning the header and footer cut conversion rate 16.3% and revenue per visitor 16.5%, even though click-through rate rose 12.0%.
Clean Commit ran this test for an anonymized Shopify store selling sports equipment and published it in its A/B test library.
Both header and footer changed at once, so the result can't be pinned on either one.
- Conversion rate: -16.3%. Negative: the original had a 91.0% probability of performing better, short of significance.
- Revenue per visitor: -16.5%, and orders fell 16.0%.
- Add-to-cart rate: -5.2%.
- Click-through rate: +12.0% and bounce rate -6.7%. Shoppers used the new links, but fewer bought.
The change
The variant declutters the header and adds sports landing page links to the footer.
Simplified mockup drawn by LiftArchive from the shared screenshots.
Control
The site's original header and footer.
Variant
The footer was expanded with a section linking to every major sports landing page. The header was decluttered by moving or grouping less essential links, such as Military and Team Sales.
Why it likely lost
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- More footer links gave visitors more places to go, which may have spread attention away from products.
- Grouping links like Team Sales may have hidden paths that some high-intent buyers relied on.
- Clicks show movement, not intent, so a rise in clicks can sit alongside a fall in sales.
Caveats: The test ran for 35 days on 36,149 visitors and did not reach significance, though both devices moved down. Header and footer changed together, so the effect of each is unknown.
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 add clear footer links to all sports landing pages and declutter the header, then more visitors will buy because the site is easier to move through.
- Primary metric
- Conversion rate
- Guardrails
- Revenue per visitor
- Add-to-cart rate
- Conversion rate on grouped links such as Team Sales
- Who should test it
- Stores with large catalogs and messy navigation. Test the header and footer separately, and don't call a win on clicks alone.
Questions
Does a bigger footer help conversion?
Not in this test. More footer links went with a 12% rise in clicks but a 16% fall in conversion rate.
Is click-through rate a good metric for navigation tests?
Only as a secondary one. Here clicks rose while sales fell, so judge navigation tests on conversion rate or revenue per visitor.
Should I hide less popular header links?
Check who uses them first. A link used by a few high-value buyers, like team or bulk sales, may be worth keeping visible.
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