Image story widgets for key categories on homepage: +44% conversion
Test run byBlend CommerceCRO agency
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsAdding image-based story widgets that link to key product categories near the top of the homepage lifted conversion rate by 44% for Doctor Pooper, a maker of septic and drain cleaning products.
Blend Commerce ran this A/B/C test over two weeks.
A second variant using text category pills also beat the original, but by less.
- Conversion rate: +44% for the story widget variant.
- Revenue per visitor: +41%.
- Checkout begin rate: +37%.
- Product page views rose while collection page views fell, so shoppers went more directly to products.
- The result held on both desktop and mobile, but the test only approached significance.
The change
Image-based category widgets are added near the top of the homepage.
Simplified mockup drawn by LiftArchive from the shared screenshots.
Control
The original homepage did not show key categories such as drain fly killer, septic cleaners and bundles above the fold.
Variant
Variant 2 added a row of story-style widgets near the top, each with an image linking to one key category. Variant 1, not shown here, used text subcategory pills instead.
Why it likely won
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- The most important product paths were hidden below the fold. The widgets put them in view straight away.
- Images help shoppers recognise a category faster than text alone, which may explain why Variant 2 beat the text pills.
- Septic and drain problems are specific. Letting shoppers pick their problem first gets them to the right product sooner.
Caveats: The test ran for two weeks and approached, but did not reach, statistical significance. Sample size was not shared.
Who ran it
Blend Commerce ran this test for Doctor Pooper and published the results (Blend Commerce A/B test). The numbers are theirs; the summary and commentary on this page are ours.
Read the original case study on Blend Commerce →
How to run this test on your store
- Hypothesis
- If we add image-based category shortcuts near the top of the homepage, then conversion will rise because shoppers can jump straight to the product type they need.
- Primary metric
- Conversion rate
- Guardrails
- Revenue per visitor
- Checkout begin rate
- Homepage bounce rate
- Who should test it
- Stores with a few distinct product categories that solve different problems, where the homepage does not show them up front. A single-product store, or one whose hero already routes shoppers well, has less to gain.
Questions
What are story widgets on an ecommerce homepage?
They are a row of small, tappable images, styled like social media stories.
Each one links to a category or collection.
Are image links better than text links for categories?
In this test, both beat the original, but the image version did better.
Images help shoppers spot the right option faster.
Where should category links go on the homepage?
Near the top, where shoppers see them without scrolling.
Doctor Pooper's key categories were hidden below the fold before this test.
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