Featsocks clearer mobile search bar: +18.73% orders
Test run byConversion FanaticsCRO agency
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsA more accessible mobile search field with placeholder text lifted Featsocks' order conversion by 18.73%, to 4.81%.
Conversion Fanatics ran this test for the sock brand over 14 days. Cart views also rose by 13.75%.
- Order conversion reached 4.81%, an 18.73% lift, at 98.5% significance.
- Cart views rose 13.75%.
- The more accessible version beat the more compact one, which also used placeholder text.
The change
Mobile search field made easier to spot and use
Simplified mockup drawn by LiftArchive from the shared screenshots.
Control
The original mobile search had right-aligned text and no clear submit button. Heatmaps showed few visitors used it.
Variant
A redesigned, more accessible search field with placeholder text. It was one of two new versions; the other was a more compact, focused design.
Why it likely won
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- A search box people can see and understand gets used more. Shoppers who search usually know what they want.
- Placeholder text works as a hint that the field is for search and what to type.
- Most of the brand's traffic came from phones, so small mobile fixes reach most visitors.
Caveats: The test ran for 14 days and no sample size was shared. Results come from the agency's own case study.
Who ran it
Conversion Fanatics ran this test for Featsocks and published the results (Conversion Fanatics blog case study). The numbers are theirs; the summary and commentary on this page are ours.
Read the original case study on Conversion Fanatics →
How to run this test on your store
- Hypothesis
- If we make the mobile search field more visible and add placeholder text, then more visitors will search and buy because they can find products faster.
- Primary metric
- Order conversion rate on mobile
- Guardrails
- Search usage rate
- Searches with zero results
- Revenue per visitor
- Who should test it
- Stores with a wide range or many styles, and mostly mobile traffic. It matters less for a store with a handful of products, where search is rarely needed.
Questions
Does placeholder text in a search bar help?
Featsocks tested two search designs that both had placeholder text, and the more accessible one lifted orders by 18.73%.
Placeholder text makes it clear what the field is for.
Should a mobile search bar have a submit button?
The original Featsocks search had no clear submit button and was rarely used.
A clear way to run the search removes guesswork.
Why test search on mobile?
Phone screens hide navigation behind menus, so search is often the fastest route to a product.
Featsocks got most of its traffic from phones.
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