Rotating two social proof metrics: a further +2% conversion
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsRotating two different social proof metrics on Hunter Boots product pages, instead of showing one message, added a further 2% to conversion in the UK and 1% in the US.
Conversio ran this follow-up test using AB Tasty's social proof tools, and it was published as a VWO case study.
It built on an earlier test where one message lifted conversion by 9% in the UK.
- UK conversion: a further +2% on top of the earlier lift.
- US conversion: a further +1% on top of the earlier lift.
- These are small gains, and no significance was shared, so they may be within normal noise.
The change
One social proof message becomes two metrics that rotate.
Simplified mockup drawn by LiftArchive from the shared screenshots.
Control
Product pages showed a single social proof message, the version that had already won an earlier test.
Variant
Product pages rotated between two different social proof metrics, served through the vendor's social proof API.
Why it likely won
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- A single message can fade into the background for repeat visitors. Rotating keeps it fresh.
- Different shoppers respond to different signals, so two metrics reach more of them.
- The gains were small, which is typical for a refinement of a change that already worked.
Caveats: This was an iteration on the first social proof test. No sample size, duration or significance was shared, and lifts of 1-2% need large samples to confirm.
Who ran it
Conversio ran this test for Hunter Boots 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 Conversio →
How to run this test on your store
- Hypothesis
- If we rotate two social proof metrics on product pages instead of one, then conversion will rise slightly, because varied messages stay noticeable and reach shoppers who care about different signals.
- Primary metric
- Conversion rate
- Guardrails
- Add-to-cart rate
- Revenue per visitor
- Bounce rate
- Who should test it
- Stores that already show one social proof message and have the traffic to detect small lifts. Without a winning first message, start with a single one.
Questions
Should I show more than one social proof message?
Rotating two can help a little. Hunter Boots gained a further 2% in the UK and 1% in the US over a single message.
How much traffic do I need to detect a 1-2% lift?
A lot, often hundreds of thousands of visitors per variant.
Use a sample size calculator before you start.
What social proof metrics can I rotate?
Common ones are recent views, recent purchases and items added to carts.
Pick ones that are true and large enough to matter.
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