Long descriptions above product images lost: old page won by 31.38%
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsAdding detailed product descriptions to the top of product pages backfired for FreestyleXtreme: the old page without them converted 31.38% better.
The action sports clothing retailer ran this split URL test itself, and it was published as a VWO case study.
The likely cause is layout, as the text pushed product images and the buy button below the fold.
- Conversions: the page without descriptions converted 31.38% better, at 96% confidence. This is a loss for the descriptions version.
- Over 7,000 visitors saw each version.
- The descriptions were already live, so the old page was run as the challenger. The roles were swapped, but the comparison is the same.
The change
Long descriptions added above the product images and buy button
Simplified mockup drawn by LiftArchive from the shared screenshots.
Control
The original product page had no detailed descriptions, so product images and the call to action sat near the top.
Variant
Detailed descriptions and plain-English feature benefits were added at the top of the page. This pushed images and the call to action below the fold.
Why it likely lost
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- Shoppers want to see the product first; moving images down hid the thing they came to look at.
- Pushing the buy button below the fold added a scroll before anyone could act.
- The content itself may have been fine; its position on the page was the likely problem.
Caveats: The test doesn't show that descriptions hurt sales, only that this layout did. Customers had asked for more product information, so a version with descriptions placed below the images was never tested.
Who ran it
FreestyleXtreme ran this test for FreestyleXtreme 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 FreestyleXtreme →
How to run this test on your store
- Hypothesis
- If we add detailed descriptions below the product images and buy button, then more visitors will convert because they get the detail without losing sight of the product.
- Primary metric
- Product page conversion rate
- Guardrails
- Add-to-cart rate
- Scroll depth
- Return rate
- Who should test it
- Stores adding richer product information, especially when customers have asked for it. Keep images and the buy button above the fold; don't test a layout that pushes them down.
Questions
Do product descriptions increase conversions?
Good descriptions usually help, but placement matters. Here they lost because they pushed images and the buy button out of view.
Where should product descriptions go on the page?
Below or beside the images, price and add-to-cart button.
Shoppers tend to look at the product first and read details second.
What if customers ask for more product information?
Add it, then test where it sits. A survey tells you what people want, but not how to lay it out.
Similar tests
@oliverkenyon@oliverkenyon@oliverkenyon@oliverkenyon@oliverkenyon@oliverkenyon