Instant search suggestions: +1.92% RPV, not significant
Test run byBlend CommerceCRO agency
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsShowing trending searches and product suggestions as soon as the search bar opened raised revenue per visitor by 1.92% for Fragrance Hub, but the result was not significant.
Blend Commerce ran this A/B test using Intelligems.
Conversion rate fell 1.33%, so we treat the result as inconclusive.
- Revenue per visitor: +1.92%, not significant.
- Average order value: +3.30%.
- Conversion rate: -1.33%, a small negative.
- Add-to-cart rate did not change.
- Overall: inconclusive. The brand still kept the change because the direction looked positive.
The change
The open search panel shows trending searches and products before typing.
Simplified mockup drawn by LiftArchive from the shared screenshots.
Control
When shoppers opened the search bar, the panel stayed empty until they started typing.
Variant
Trending searches and product suggestions appeared as soon as the search bar opened, before any typing.
Why it likely came out this way
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- Suggestions may have helped shoppers who were unsure what to search for, especially those new to Middle Eastern fragrance brands.
- Fewer people bought, but buyers spent more. Suggestions may have shifted shoppers toward pricier products.
- Searchers were already high intent, with add-to-cart rates 47% above the site average, so there was limited room to change their behaviour.
Caveats: The test ran for about two weeks and did not reach statistical significance. Sample size was not shared.
Who ran it
Blend Commerce ran this test for Fragrance Hub 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 show trending searches and product suggestions as soon as the search bar opens, then revenue per visitor will rise because shoppers find relevant products with less effort.
- Primary metric
- Revenue per visitor
- Guardrails
- Conversion rate
- Search exit rate
- Clicks on suggestions
- Who should test it
- Stores where many visitors use search but may not know brand or product names. If your shoppers usually search for exact items, empty-state suggestions are likely to matter less.
Questions
Should my search bar show suggestions before typing?
It is worth testing. Fragrance Hub saw revenue per visitor rise 1.92% but conversion fall 1.33%, and neither result was significant.
What should appear in an empty search panel?
Common choices are trending searches, popular products or recent searches.
Track which suggestions get clicked so you can refine them.
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