Social proof messages for new visitors: over +8% conversion rate
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsShowing a range of social proof messages to new visitors raised user conversion rate by more than 8%.
Endless Gain ran this work for Fragrance Direct, a UK beauty retailer, and it was published as a VWO case study.
Research had shown that few shoppers knew the brand, so the messages aimed to build trust.
- User conversion rate: over +8% for new visitors who saw the messages.
- The result covers several messages across more than one experience, so no single message gets the credit.
- No sample size, duration or confidence level was shared.
Control
New visitors saw the site without any social proof messaging.
Variant
New visitors saw several social proof messages. The case study does not give their wording or where they appeared.
Why it likely won
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- Shoppers who don't know a retailer worry whether it is genuine. Proof that others buy there answers that worry.
- Targeting only new visitors put the messages in front of the people with the least trust.
- Fragrance Direct stocks big-name brands, so the doubt was about the store, not the products.
Caveats: Several messages ran across different experiences, and their exact wording and placement were not shared. No sample size, duration or significance was published.
Who ran it
Endless Gain ran this test for Fragrance Direct 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 Endless Gain →
How to run this test on your store
- Hypothesis
- If we show social proof messages to first-time visitors, then more of them will buy because proof that others shop with us eases doubt about an unfamiliar store.
- Primary metric
- Conversion rate for new visitors
- Guardrails
- Bounce rate
- Average order value
- Returning visitor conversion rate
- Who should test it
- Retailers with low brand awareness, especially resellers of well-known brands competing with bigger stores. Well-known brands probably gain less, since new visitors already trust them.
Questions
What kind of social proof works for a lesser-known store?
Messages that show real customers buying from you, such as review counts or customer numbers.
Fragrance Direct used several, but the exact wording was not published.
Should social proof target only new visitors?
It's a sensible place to start. New visitors have the least trust, and returning customers already know the store.
How much can social proof lift conversion?
Fragrance Direct saw over 8% for new visitors.
Results vary a lot by brand awareness and message.
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