Wider desktop collection page: +4.0% clicks, -5.9% conversion
Test run byClean CommitCRO agency
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsWidening the desktop collection page lifted product click-through rate 4.0% but cut conversion rate 5.9% and revenue per visitor 6.1%.
Clean Commit ran this test for an anonymized Shopify store and published it in its A/B test library.
The test was set up to measure clicks, and judging it on clicks alone would have shipped a change that lost sales.
- Click-through rate: +4.0%, a statistically significant gain on the test's main metric.
- Conversion rate: -5.9%. Negative.
- Orders: -8.0% and revenue per visitor -6.1%. Negative.
- Bounce rate fell 11.8% and add-to-cart rate fell 2.1%, so more engagement didn't turn into purchases.
The change
The variant widens the desktop container and respaces the product grid.
Simplified mockup drawn by LiftArchive from the shared screenshots.
Control
Desktop collection pages used the original, narrower container width.
Variant
The main desktop container was made wider and the product grid spacing adjusted to fit. Sidebar filters stayed visible, and tablet and mobile were unchanged.
Why it likely lost
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- Bigger, more spread-out product cards may have invited more browsing clicks without making shoppers more sure of what to buy.
- A wider grid can make it harder to compare products at a glance.
- The source didn't report significance for the sales drop, so part of it may be noise.
Caveats: The source shared no sample size or duration, and only the click-through gain was reported as significant. The change applied to desktop only.
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 widen the desktop collection page, then more shoppers will click and buy because product images are easier to see with less clutter.
- Primary metric
- Desktop revenue per visitor
- Guardrails
- Product card click-through rate
- Desktop conversion rate
- Add-to-cart rate
- Who should test it
- Stores whose desktop collection pages feel cramped on large screens. Choose sales as the main metric, since this test shows clicks can rise while revenue falls.
Questions
Should collection pages be full width on desktop?
Not by default. In this test, a wider layout drew more clicks but fewer sales.
Why can more clicks mean fewer sales?
Clicks show browsing, not buying intent. Shoppers may open more products because they're less sure which one fits.
What should be the main metric for a layout test?
Pick something tied to money, like conversion rate or revenue per visitor. Track clicks as a secondary signal.
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