'Similar Products' on sold-out pages: +11.6% conversion, +21.7% RPU
Test run byDRIP AgencyCRO agency
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsShowing a 'Similar Products' section below the Notify Me button on sold-out product pages lifted conversion rate by 11.6% and revenue per user by 21.7%.
DRIP Agency ran this test for Oceansapart, an activewear brand selling direct to consumers, and published it as a case study on its own site.
The aim was to turn a dead end into a path to another purchase.
- Conversion rate: +11.6%, as reported by DRIP Agency.
- Revenue per user: +21.7%, the larger of the two gains.
- Sign-ups for back-in-stock alerts were not shared.
The change
Notify Me only vs Notify Me plus a 'Similar Products' section
Simplified mockup drawn by LiftArchive from the shared screenshots.
Control
When a product variant was sold out, the page showed only a Notify Me button. Shoppers had nowhere to go next on the page.
Variant
A 'Similar Products' section appeared below the Notify Me button, suggesting alternatives that were in stock.
Why it likely won
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- A sold-out page with only a Notify Me button is a dead end. Alternatives keep shoppers who are ready to buy moving.
- Shoppers who wanted one item often want something close to it, so relevant suggestions fit their intent.
- The Notify Me option stayed in place, so shoppers who only wanted that item lost nothing.
Caveats: DRIP Agency reported the uplift without sample size, test duration, confidence level or test date. It was one of 18 winning tests in a six-month program.
Who ran it
DRIP Agency ran this test for Oceansapart and published the results (DRIP Agency case study). The numbers are theirs; the summary and commentary on this page are ours.
Read the original case study on DRIP Agency →
How to run this test on your store
- Hypothesis
- If we show similar in-stock products below Notify Me on sold-out pages, then revenue per user will rise because shoppers get a next step instead of leaving.
- Primary metric
- Revenue per user
- Guardrails
- Back-in-stock sign-up rate
- Conversion rate
- Exit rate on sold-out pages
- Who should test it
- Stores with frequent stockouts in sizes or colours, like apparel and footwear. It matters less if items rarely sell out or the catalogue has few close alternatives.
Questions
What should a sold-out product page show?
Keep a way to get notified, and add in-stock alternatives.
Oceansapart saw revenue per user rise 21.7% after adding similar products below Notify Me.
Do product recommendations on out-of-stock pages hurt back-in-stock sign-ups?
They might, as some shoppers will buy an alternative instead.
The source did not share sign-up numbers, so track them as a guardrail.
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