@CROguy_Why reviews matter on the homepage
New visitors land on the homepage without knowing the brand. A rating or a few reviews tells them other people bought and were happy. But the homepage also has to get them to products quickly, and those two jobs compete for the same space.
Measured results
Reviews as part of the hero
Three hero redesigns added reviews alongside other changes, and all won:
- Dave Diederen's hero with a goal headline, how-to subheader, USPs, CTA and reviews: +23.79% conversion rate, +30.09% revenue per visitor.
- Dave Diederen's banner with a problem headline, two CTAs, reviews and a guarantee: +17.12% conversion rate, +22.12% revenue per visitor, +$28,163 monthly profit.
- Oliver Kenyon's hero with better imagery, a 4.9/5 rating, press logos and a clearer headline: +$78,454/month, +$1.54 revenue per session.
None of these isolates the reviews. They show that a rating works well as one part of a clear hero, not what it adds alone.
The one test that added only reviews was Dave Diederen's Trustpilot review section above the fold. It won, but modestly: +1.06% conversion rate, +2.29% revenue per visitor and +A$17,800/month.
Moving reviews down for products
Two of Dave Diederen's tests moved the review section lower. Best sellers above the fold with reviews pushed below won +21.75% conversion rate, +39.03% revenue per visitor and +14.20% AOV. A smaller version, moving best sellers above the reviews section, won +1.36% conversion rate and +2.41% revenue per visitor.
@oliverkenyon
@DaveDiederen@DaveDiederen@DaveDiederen@DaveDiederen@DaveDiederenLosing or flat tests
No losing tests are listed. The closest thing to a warning is that the two reorder tests won by giving reviews less space. A large review block above the fold can cost you, if it sits where products would sell more.
Untested ideas
8 ideas have no measured result. The main ones:
- Test trust stacking in the hero: offer only, then offer plus a rating badge and guarantee, then adding free delivery as well (Dave Diederen).
- Add a slider of customer reviews to the homepage (Dave Diederen).
- Put a star rating and member count above the fold with a problem-first headline (Dave Diederen).
- Add a review count under a single Shop Now CTA (Dave Diederen).
- Add a 4.9/5 rating and rating bar next to the CTA and a guarantee (Milos, two hero redesign breakdowns).
Placement and design patterns that won
- Keep reviews in the hero short: a rating, a count or a few lines near the CTA.
- Pair the rating with a clear headline and a guarantee or USPs.
- Put best sellers above a full review section.
- A standalone review block above the fold helped only a little.
Related tests elsewhere on the store
See the full review collection, homepage social proof tests, product page review tests and checkout review tests.