Hiding the homepage buy box: +4.36% revenue per visitor
Test run byDave DiederenSyntra Labs
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsHiding the buy box on the homepage, and using the page to educate and send visitors to the product page, lifted revenue per visitor by 4.36%. Dave Diederen ran this test. Conversion rose 2.26% and average order value 2.06%.
- Revenue per visitor: +4.36% ($4.00 to $4.18), estimated at about $24,797 extra per month.
- Conversion rate: +2.26% (3.60% to 3.68%). The range ran from -8% to +13%, so this is a small and uncertain lift.
- Profit per visitor: +4.69% ($3.28 to $3.44).
- Average order value: +2.06% ($111.22 to $113.51).
The change
The homepage buy box is replaced by education and a link to the product page.
Simplified mockup drawn by LiftArchive from the shared screenshots.
Control
The homepage included a buy box, so visitors could purchase directly from it.
Variant
The buy box was hidden. The homepage focused on explaining the product and building desire, then linked visitors to the product page.
Why it likely won
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- asking for the sale too early can feel pushy before visitors understand the product.
- the product page usually gives fuller information and options, so sending people there may lead to better-informed orders.
- if few people bought from the homepage box, it was mostly a distraction.
Caveats: Sample size and test length were not shared, and the ranges cross zero. Dave Diederen warns this could backfire for single-product brands whose homepage acts as the product page.
Who ran it
Dave Diederen (@DaveDiederen) shared this test on X. The numbers and screenshots are theirs.
View the original post on X
How to run this test on your store
- Hypothesis
- If we hide the homepage buy box and point visitors to the product page, then revenue per visitor will rise because shoppers arrive at checkout better informed and less pressured.
- Primary metric
- Revenue per visitor
- Guardrails
- Click-through from homepage to product page
- Average order value
- Conversion rate
- Who should test it
- Multi-product stores where few orders start from the homepage buy box. Single-product brands whose homepage works as the main product page should be cautious.
Questions
Should my homepage have an add to cart button?
Not necessarily. In this test, hiding the homepage buy box lifted revenue per visitor by 4.36%.
When is a homepage buy box worth keeping?
Dave Diederen suggests keeping it for single-product brands where the homepage works as the product page, and checking how many orders really start there.
Did removing the buy box hurt order value?
No. Average order value rose 2.06%, from $111.22 to $113.51.
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