Search bar visible by default on mobile: +22% conversion rate
Test run byBlend CommerceCRO agency
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsShowing the search bar by default on mobile, instead of a search icon, lifted conversion rate by 22% for Titan Casket.
Blend Commerce ran this mobile-only A/B test and checked the results in both Convert and Google Analytics 4. Average purchase revenue per user rose 76%.
- Conversion rate: +22%. This is the headline win.
- Average purchase revenue per user: +76%.
- Clicks on search suggestions or products: +38%, and cart icon clicks: +33%.
- New visitors: +44% conversion rate, +70% revenue per user and +14% average order value.
The change
The mobile header's search icon is replaced by an always-visible search bar.
Simplified mockup drawn by LiftArchive from the shared screenshots.
Control
On mobile, the site header showed only a search icon.
Variant
On mobile, the search bar was visible by default across the site.
Why it likely won
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- Titan Casket's searchers converted 81% above the site average, so more searching likely meant more sales.
- Shoppers for caskets often know what they need, and search gets them there faster than browsing.
- New visitors, who don't know the site layout yet, gained the most from an obvious search box.
Caveats: Mobile only. Duration, sample size and confidence level were not shared.
Who ran it
Blend Commerce ran this test for Titan Casket 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 the search bar by default on mobile, then conversion rate will rise because visitors find the right product faster.
- Primary metric
- Mobile conversion rate
- Guardrails
- Average order value
- Searches with no results
- Bounce rate
- Who should test it
- Stores where searchers convert well above average and many visitors arrive on mobile. If few people use your search, start by checking why before exposing it.
Questions
How do I know if search is worth exposing?
Compare the conversion rate of visitors who search against your site average.
At Titan Casket, searchers converted 81% above average, which made search a strong lever.
Should I test this on desktop too?
Desktop headers usually have room for a visible search bar already.
This test was mobile only, where the icon was the default.
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