Open search bar on mobile: +9.93% revenue per visitor
Test run byBlend CommerceCRO agency
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsShowing an open search bar on every mobile page, instead of hiding it behind an icon, lifted revenue per visitor by 9.93% for Oak Tree Memorial.
Blend Commerce ran this one-week A/B test. Conversion rate rose 3.34% and average order value 6.37%.
- Revenue per visitor: +9.93%.
- Conversion rate: +3.34%. This was the primary metric.
- Average order value: +6.37%, add-to-cart rate: +3.35% and checkout-begin rate: +4.4%.
- No significance level was stated, and the test ran only one week.
The change
The hidden mobile search icon becomes an open search bar on every page.
Simplified mockup drawn by LiftArchive from the shared screenshots.
Control
On mobile, search was hidden behind an icon in the header.
Variant
An open search bar was visible on every page on mobile.
Why it likely won
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- Visitors who searched converted 54% above the site average, so making search easier to reach was likely to pay off.
- Memorial products are specific purchases. Shoppers often know what they need and want to find it quickly.
- On mobile, an icon adds a tap and is easy to miss. An open bar removes that step.
Caveats: The test ran for one week and no significance level was shared. The agency also leaned on similar past wins with other clients when deciding to ship it.
Who ran it
Blend Commerce ran this test for Oak Tree Memorial and published the results (Blend Commerce A/B test). The numbers are theirs; the summary and commentary on this page are ours.
Read the original case study on Blend Commerce →
How to run this test on your store
- Hypothesis
- If we show an open search bar on every mobile page, then conversion rate will rise because shoppers who know what they want can find it faster.
- Primary metric
- Conversion rate
- Guardrails
- Revenue per visitor
- Search exits with no results
- Who should test it
- Stores where searchers convert well above average and mobile search is hidden. If site search returns weak results, fix that first.
Questions
Does an open search bar raise order value?
It can. Here average order value rose 6.37%, perhaps because shoppers found extra items more easily.
Is a one-week test long enough?
It is short. Two weeks or more captures both weekday and weekend shoppers, so treat one-week results with some caution.
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