Static star rating instead of scroll-to-reviews link: +1.36% RPV
Test run byDave DiederenSyntra Labs
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsMaking the star rating under the product title static, instead of a link that scrolls down to the reviews, lifted revenue per visitor by 1.36% in Dave Diederen's test. Conversion rate did not change, and average order value rose 1.91%. The gain is small and the range around it was wide.
- Revenue per visitor: +1.36% ($5.56 to $5.63). A small gain, with a range of -7% to +10%, so it could be flat.
- Conversion rate: no change (9.46% vs 9.41%). The same share of visitors bought.
- Average order value: +1.91% ($58.74 to $59.86). The revenue gain came from slightly bigger orders.
- Profit per visitor: not shown, because cost of goods was not entered in the testing tool.
The change
Same stars under the title, but they no longer scroll to the reviews.
Simplified mockup drawn by LiftArchive from the shared screenshots.
Control
The star rating and review count under the product title were clickable. A click jumped the shopper down to the review section at the bottom of the page.
Variant
The same star rating was shown as plain, non-clickable text. Clicking it did nothing, so the shopper stayed near the price and add-to-cart button.
Why it likely won
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- a shopper who taps the stars usually wants a quick trust check, not a full review session.
- jumping to the bottom of the page moves people away from the price, options and add-to-cart button.
- a static rating still delivers the trust signal while keeping the shopper at the point of purchase.
Caveats: The lift is small and its range includes a loss, and sample size and test length were not shared. Dave Diederen says the anchor link lost in tests on more than one brand, but only one result was shown.
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 make the star rating under the product title static instead of linking to reviews, then more shoppers will stay in the buy box and purchase because they are not pulled away from the add-to-cart button.
- Primary metric
- Revenue per visitor
- Guardrails
- Conversion rate
- Average order value
- Review section engagement
- Who should test it
- Stores using a review app that links the title stars to a reviews section far down the page. It may matter less if reviews already sit close to the buy box, or if the click opens reviews in a drawer.
Questions
Should the star rating on a product page link to reviews?
In Dave Diederen's test, a static rating did slightly better. Revenue per visitor rose 1.36% when the link to the reviews was removed.
Does removing the review anchor link lower conversion rate?
No. Conversion rate was flat (9.46% vs 9.41%), and order value rose a little.
How do I make Judge.me or Loox stars non-clickable?
The post does not explain the setup. Most review apps or theme code let you remove the link from the title rating, which is what this test changed.
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