Savings shown as a percentage, not dollars: +7.55% conversion
Test run byDave DiederenSyntra Labs
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsShowing the saving as a percentage instead of a dollar amount lifted conversion rate by 7.55% in Dave Diederen's test. Revenue per visitor rose 6.42% and profit per visitor rose 6.01%. Average order value dipped slightly, by 1.04%.
- Conversion rate: +7.55% (3.43% to 3.69%). More visitors bought.
- Revenue per visitor: +6.42% ($3.83 to $4.07). The tool estimated about $40,666 more revenue per month.
- Profit per visitor: +6.01% ($2.59 to $2.75).
- Average order value: -1.04% ($111.72 to $110.56). Slightly down, but within a -9% to +8% range, so roughly flat.
The change
Only the savings badge changed, from a dollar amount to a percentage.
Simplified mockup drawn by LiftArchive from the shared screenshots.
Control
The product page showed the sale price, the crossed-out price and a badge with the dollar saving, such as "Save $15.05".
Variant
The same layout, with the badge showing the saving as a percentage, such as "Save 40%".
Why it likely won
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- a percentage tells shoppers at once how good the deal is. A dollar figure makes them compare it to the price first.
- on lower-priced items, the dollar saving can look small even when the discount is generous.
- Diederen suggests leading with percentages under $100 and dollars above it. The post doesn't share this store's product prices, so we can't check that rule here.
Caveats: Sample size and test length were not shared. The ranges cross zero (-1% to +17% on conversion), and the before/after image is a mockup, not the live store.
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 show discounts as a percentage instead of a dollar amount, then more visitors will buy because they can judge the deal instantly.
- Primary metric
- Revenue per visitor
- Guardrails
- Average order value
- Profit per visitor
- Add-to-cart rate
- Who should test it
- Stores with discounted products, especially under about $100. On high-ticket items a dollar amount may look bigger and win instead.
Questions
Is it better to show discounts as a percentage or a dollar amount?
In this test, a percentage beat a dollar amount, raising conversion rate by 7.55%. Dave Diederen suggests percentages under $100 and dollars above.
Does a percentage badge lower order value?
Slightly, here: average order value fell 1.04%. That was within the noise, and revenue per visitor still rose 6.42%.
When should I show the dollar saving instead?
Diederen's rule of thumb is to lead with dollars on items over $100, where the number is larger. This test didn't measure that case.
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