Mobile-first theme redesign: +15% conversion rate, before vs after
Test run byPrismflyCRO agency
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsMoving to a new mobile-first Shopify theme was followed by a 15% rise in conversion rate, a 16% rise in average order value and 44% more total sales.
Prismfly ran this redesign for kitchenware brand Zoku.
This was a before-and-after comparison, not a split test.
- Conversion rate: +15% after launch.
- Average order value: +16%.
- Total sales: +44%, partly from large B2B orders, so this number overstates the design's effect.
- All figures compare after launch to before, not two versions running at once.
The change
New theme adds device-specific nav, color swatches and a bundler.
Simplified mockup drawn by LiftArchive from the shared screenshots.
Control
Zoku's previous Shopify theme and design.
Variant
A new mobile-first theme with a built-in bundler, color-swatch links between product versions, a more minimal color palette and navigation built for each device.
Why it likely won
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- A built-in bundler makes it easy to buy related items together, which fits the rise in order value.
- Color swatches let shoppers switch versions without hunting for separate product pages.
- A mobile-first layout and simpler palette likely made the store faster and easier to use on phones.
Caveats: This was a before-and-after comparison, not a split test, so season, traffic and promotions could explain part of the change. Prismfly notes sales were partly boosted by large B2B orders.
Who ran it
Prismfly ran this test for Zoku and published the results (Prismfly case study). The numbers are theirs; the summary and commentary on this page are ours.
Read the original case study on Prismfly →
How to run this test on your store
- Hypothesis
- If we move to a mobile-first theme with bundles and color swatches, then conversion rate and AOV will rise because shoppers find and combine products more easily on any device.
- Primary metric
- Conversion rate
- Guardrails
- Average order value
- Mobile page speed
- Bounce rate
- Who should test it
- Stores on an older theme with mostly mobile traffic and products that come in colors or sets. A full redesign is hard to split test, so if you can, test key features like the bundler on their own first.
Questions
Can you A/B test a full theme redesign?
Yes, but it is harder than testing one element, so many brands compare before and after instead.
That makes results less reliable, because other things change over time too.
Do product bundles increase average order value?
They often do, because shoppers add related items in one step.
Zoku's AOV rose 16% after a theme with a built-in bundler launched, though other changes shipped at the same time.
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