Checkout that explains why it asks for each detail: +19% conversion
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsAn online college textbook seller lifted conversion by 19% by explaining why each checkout step and piece of information was needed.
MECLABS ran the test and shared it in a shopping cart web clinic, published on MarketingExperiments.
- Conversion: +19% against the original checkout.
- Only the headline figure is shared. Sample size, duration and confidence are not stated.
The change
The variant adds a short reason for each step and request.
Simplified mockup drawn by LiftArchive from the shared screenshots.
Control
The checkout asked shoppers for information without saying why it was needed.
Variant
The checkout added short explanations of why each step and each piece of information was being asked for.
Why it likely won
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- Shoppers tend to see each request for data as a cost. A reason can make the cost feel fair.
- Explanations may have eased worries about how personal details would be used.
- Students buying textbooks are often price-sensitive and cautious, so reassurance may matter more for this audience.
Caveats: Old data: MECLABS presented this test in a December 2012 web clinic, and the written recap gives only the headline number. Sample size, duration and confidence are not shared.
Who ran it
MECLABS ran this test for an online college textbook seller and published the results (MarketingExperiments). The numbers are theirs; the summary and commentary on this page are ours.
Read the original case study on MECLABS →
How to run this test on your store
- Hypothesis
- If we add a short reason next to each checkout step and sensitive field, then more shoppers will finish checkout because the requests feel justified.
- Primary metric
- Checkout completion rate
- Guardrails
- Time to complete checkout
- Field error rate
- Average order value
- Who should test it
- Stores that ask for details shoppers may question, such as phone number, date of birth or account creation. If you only ask for the basics, the gain is likely smaller.
Questions
Should I explain why I ask for a phone number at checkout?
It is worth testing. A short note such as using it only for delivery updates can reduce hesitation at that field.
Does extra copy in checkout slow people down?
It can if it's long. Keep explanations to one short line next to the field they relate to.
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