Sticky Sort and Filter bar on mobile category pages: +53% filter use
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsFixing a Sort and Filter bar under the top navigation on mobile category pages raised filter interaction by 53%.
Wingify Services ran this test for Panduro, a hobby and craft retailer, and it was published as a VWO case study.
The test ran for 12 days and was reported at 100% confidence.
- Filter interaction: +53%, at a reported 100% confidence level.
- The variant was rolled out to all mobile traffic.
- No sales, add-to-cart or conversion figures were shared, so the effect on revenue is unknown.
The change
Filters split into Sort and Filter and fixed under the top navigation.
Simplified mockup drawn by LiftArchive from the shared screenshots.
Control
Mobile category pages had filters that scrolled away with the page instead of staying at the top. Few shoppers used them.
Variant
Filters were split into two parts, Sort and category filters, and fixed just below the top navigation. They were also restyled to look cleaner and easier to tap.
Why it likely won
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- A fixed bar keeps filters in reach no matter how far a shopper scrolls, which matters on long mobile grids.
- Splitting Sort from Filter gives two clear, separate actions instead of one crowded control.
- Craft supplies come in many colors, sizes and types, so narrowing a big range is useful to shoppers.
Caveats: Filter use is an engagement metric; the case study gives no figure for purchases or revenue. The test ran 12 days, no sample size was shared, and the result is vendor-reported.
Who ran it
VWO ran this test for Panduro 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 VWO →
How to run this test on your store
- Hypothesis
- If we fix separate Sort and Filter buttons under the mobile header on category pages, then more shoppers will narrow the range and reach the right product because the controls are always in view.
- Primary metric
- Ecommerce conversion rate from mobile category pages
- Guardrails
- Filter interaction rate
- Product page click-through from listings
- Bounce rate on category pages
- Who should test it
- Mobile-heavy stores with large categories where shoppers need to narrow by size, color or type. Stores with small catalogs or short category pages probably won't see much.
Questions
Should mobile filters be sticky?
In Panduro's test, keeping filters fixed under the header raised filter use by 53%.
Track sales too, since more filter use does not always mean more orders.
Should Sort and Filter be separate buttons?
Panduro split them in the winning variant. Separate buttons make each action clear, though this test changed position and styling at the same time.
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