Clinical product copy on dog DNA kit: +4% conversion, +1% revenue
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsClinical-style product copy on Embark's premium dog DNA kit page raised conversion rate by 4%, though average order value fell 3.5%, leaving revenue per session up 1%.
Embark ran this test and it was published as a VWO case study, originally an AB Tasty customer story.
Clinical copy beat emotional copy and a blend of the two.
- Conversion rate rose 4% with the clinical copy.
- Average order value fell 3.5%, a negative result worth watching.
- Revenue per session rose 1%, as the conversion gain outweighed the lower order value.
- Only the winning version's numbers were shared. The emotional and blended results weren't given.
The change
Only the health benefit copy changes, rewritten in a clinical style
Simplified mockup drawn by LiftArchive from the shared screenshots.
Control
The existing product copy describing the genetic-health benefits of Embark's premium dog DNA test kit.
Variant
Three copy versions were tested: emotional, clinical, and a balance of both. The clinical version, focused on factual health detail, won.
Why it likely won
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- People buying a health DNA test want to know what it will tell them. Clear, factual copy answers that.
- Embark is a science-led brand, so clinical language fits what buyers expect from it.
- The drop in order value may mean the copy pulled in buyers who chose fewer add-ons. The source doesn't say.
Caveats: A test with three variations, where only the winner's figures were shared, and no sample size, duration or confidence was given. The net revenue gain is small at 1%.
Who ran it
Embark ran this test for Embark and published the results (VWO case study). The numbers are theirs; the summary and commentary on this page are ours.
Read the original case study on Embark →
How to run this test on your store
- Hypothesis
- If we rewrite our product copy in a clear, clinical style instead of an emotional one, then conversion rate will rise because buyers of health products want facts they can trust.
- Primary metric
- Revenue per session
- Guardrails
- Average order value
- Conversion rate
- Upgrade or add-on take rate
- Who should test it
- Brands selling health, science or diagnostic products, where trust comes from facts. For gifts or lifestyle products, emotional copy may do better.
Questions
Is emotional or clinical product copy better?
It depends on the product. For Embark's dog DNA kit, clinical copy beat both emotional copy and a blend.
Why track revenue per session, not just conversion?
A copy change can raise conversion but lower order value.
Embark's clinical copy did both, so revenue per session showed the true net gain of 1%.
What did Embark test next?
A follow-up test added health examples to the copy.
The least severe example did best, with a 7% conversion lift and 10% more revenue per session.
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