Larger product images, text on hover: +9.46% revenue
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsMaking product images larger on category pages and showing the description only on mouseover lifted revenue by 9.46% for Mall.cz.
The agency Optimics ran the test, and it was published as a VWO case study.
The tool gave this variant a 96% chance to beat the original.
- Revenue: +9.46% for the larger-image, text-on-hover variant.
- Confidence: a 96% chance to beat the original, as reported by the testing tool.
- The result for the larger-image variant that kept the visible text was not shared.
The change
Bigger product images, with the description hidden until hover
Simplified mockup drawn by LiftArchive from the shared screenshots.
Control
The category listing showed product images at their original size, with a text description next to each one.
Variant
Two variants ran. One used larger images with the text still shown; the other used larger images and revealed the description only when a shopper hovered over the product.
Why it likely won
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- Bigger images let shoppers judge the product at a glance, which is often how people scan a category page.
- Hiding the text until hover cleans up the grid, so the images stand out more.
- Shoppers who want details can still get them by hovering, so little information is lost.
Caveats: This was a three-way test, and the plain larger-image result was not published. Mouseover only works on desktop, and sample size and duration were not shared.
Who ran it
Optimics ran this test for Mall.cz 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 Optimics →
How to run this test on your store
- Hypothesis
- If we enlarge product images on category pages and show descriptions only on hover, then revenue will rise, because shoppers can judge products visually and the grid is less cluttered.
- Primary metric
- Revenue per visitor
- Guardrails
- Click-through from category to product page
- Conversion rate
- Products viewed per session
- Who should test it
- Stores selling visual products where looks drive the choice, with a lot of desktop traffic. It fits less well for spec-driven products, and hover text needs a different approach on mobile.
Questions
Do bigger product images increase sales?
In this test, larger images on category pages, with text on hover, raised revenue by 9.46%.
The effect is likely strongest for visual products.
Should product descriptions show on category pages?
Not always. Hiding them until hover made the grid cleaner here, but on mobile you need another way to reveal key details.
What does 96% chance to beat original mean?
It is a Bayesian estimate from the testing tool that the variant is better.
It is not a guarantee of the exact lift.
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