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50 A/B Testing Examples & Case Studies To Draw Inspiration From

If you’ve visited the Wishpond blog before you’ll know we’re big fans of A/B testing. In fact, we probably have one or two A/B tests running on our website right now.

While most marketers know A/B testing should be a regular practice, many don’t know what to test. I’ll bet you’ve seen case studies that say changing one word on your CTA can increase conversions by 76%. But as you may know, A/B tests aren’t one size fits all and what works for some may not work for others.

In this article I’ll show you 50 A/B testing examples and case studies to help you with your tests. I’ve shown the main points and how these individuals or companies got great results.

Let’s get started.

Related reading: 6 Landing Page A/B Test Examples to Improve Your Conversion Rate

1. Adding FAQ, social proof and statistics increases conversions by 11.5%

Kiva, an innovative non-profit organization, wanted to increase the number of donations of first time visitors to their landing page.

Hypothesis: Kiva believed that if they provided more information for visitors on their landing page that they’d increase the number of donors.

Result: Adding an information box to the bottom of the page resulted in an 11.5% increase in donations.

Version A – original:

Version B – Addition of information box (FAQ, social proof & statistics) – Winner:

What these split test results mean:

You always need to make sure you answer any objections a visitor to your landing page will have. The additional information at the bottom helped clarify objections and increase credibility as an organization.

Source: Conversion Case Study: Kiva.org

2. Changing the subject line of an email increased Click Through Rate (CTR) by 2.57%

A large retailer sent out an email blast to its list just days before Christmas to encourage people to browse their collection.

Hypothesis: They wanted to see which subject line would get the most click throughs. They were testing between “Merry Christmas,” “Happy Holidays” or a combination of the two in the subject line.

Result: “Merry Christmas” had 2.57% higher CTR than the next closest competitor.

What These Split Test Results Mean:

If your emails aren’t being opened it doesn’t matter what your offer is, no one will see it.

Source: “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays”? Choose wisely!

3. A personalized banner ad increases CTR by 6%

Sony wasn’t achieving the conversion rates they wanted from their banner ads. Originally, the ad featured two calls-to-action, “Make it personal” and “Customize your VAIO.”

Hypothesis: Sony wanted to test if either the personalized or promotional ad would convert better.

Result: The personalized call-to-action increased click through rate by 6% and shopping cart adds by 21.3% over the original.

Control/Original (Dual CTA):

Version A – Personalization – Winner:

Version 2 – Promotion:

What these split test results mean:

Version A worked so well because it personalized their message. Sony used the word “your,” but “my” would also work. You just need to see which one works best for your customers.

Source: [Case Study] Song A/B Tests Banner Ads

Adspresso wanted to increase the number of likes on their Facebook page. They ran two Facebook ads to see which one would result in a higher number of likes.

Hypothesis: Keeping everything else the same they just changed the copy on their ads (see below.)

Result: Version A “LIKE us for pro tips on how to improve your Facebook ad campaigns today!” resulted in 70 Facebook likes. Version B didn’t even get 1 like.

What these split test results mean:

From the first line you can see why Version B did so poorly (not even getting 1 like.) People don’t like being spammed. Telling them that they’ll be getting a daily tip is basically warning them that they’ll have to sift through emails to find useful information.

Source: Case study: Facebook AB testing results

5. A more clear and direct call-to-action increases clicks by 49%

Fab is an online retail community whose members can buy and sell apparel, home goods, accessories, collectibles etc. The majority of people who add items to their cart do it directly from the catalog pages.

Hypothesis: Fab wanted to see if they could increase cart adds by making the “Add To Cart” button clearer.

Result: Spelling out “Add To Cart” increased cart adds by 49% over the original.

The original design (on the far left) features a small shopping cart with a “+” sign and no text. The two versions (middle and right) added text based designs. Version A “Add To Cart” was the winner and helped increase cart adds by 49% over the original.

What these split test results mean:

Having a clear and direct call-to-action will help customers know why they should click. If you have an unclear CTA your visitors won’t know what the button does.

Source: Fab Uses A/B Test to Improve Customer Shopping Experience

6. Replacing a guarantee with a trust symbol increased conversions by 107%

ExpressWatches is an online dealer of Seiko watches. They were looking to increase the amount of customers who buy their watches online. They found that a major problem consumers have when purchasing online is whether a product is authentic or not.

Hypothesis: They wanted to try replacing the price guarantee with a trust symbol to see if more people would purchase.

Result: The replacement of the price guarantee with a trust symbol increased sales by 107%.

Version A (Guarantee):

Version B (Trust Symbol) – Winner:

What these split test results mean:

You need to figure out what’s most important to your customers not just what you think is. ExpressWatch customers cared more about the authenticity of the watch than the price.

Source: 107% increase in sales shows that customers care more for authenticity than low prices

7. Replacing an image with a video increases conversions by 12.62%

Growyourowngroceries.com teaches people how to “grow healthy food in your own backyard” through a set of DVDs. The owner, Marjory Wildcraft was looking to increase the amount of sales on their DVDs. The original landing page featured an “About me” section that had a description of the owner and a friendly picture.

Hypothesis: Marjory hypothesized that if she replaced a photo of herself with a video that sales would increase.

Results: The video helped increased conversions by 12.62%.

What these split test results mean:

A video on a sales landing page instead of a photo can drastically improve conversions. Video’s can be more engaging than a photo and give you an extended period of time with a visitor. This gives you the chance to provide more details, clear up any questions and make a personal connection.

Source: Replacing image with video on landing page increases conversions by 12.62%

8. Using an image instead of a blank background resulted in a 7.46% higher conversion rate

A company wanted to know whether they should leave their background blank or use a photo.

Hypothesis: They split tested a photo background page against a blank background page.

Result: The photo background page had a 25.14% conversion rate compared to 17.68% for the one with no photo.

Version A – Image – Winner:

Version B – Blank Background:

What these split test results mean:

Having an image of the product helps drive visitors towards conversion. This is so they have a way to visualize what they’ll be getting.

Source: Split Test: Should You Use A Photo For Your Background?

9. Showing an image with a desired outcome increases signups by 89%

Prospective home sellers can register to post their home listings with Makelaarsand. Registering is a three-step process and if help is needed there’s a “help” option to the right of the form.

Hypothesis: Makelaarsand wanted to see if more people would sign up if a different image was used in the help section.

Results: Changing the picture from a smiling female to a male placing a “sold” sticker on a “for sale” sign increased signups by 89%.

Version A – Smiling female:

Version B – Man with “sold” sticker – Winner:

What these split test results mean:

The second picture worked well because it showed prospective clients the desired outcome. It conveys the message, “if you sign up with us, you will sell your home.”
Persuasion tactics when used in the right place will help sell your product. You just need to find the one that works best for you.

Source: A/B Testing Image on Lead Generation Page Increased Conversions by 89%

10. Adding the incentive of free shipping increases orders by 90%

NuFACE is an anti-aging skin company that was looking to boost their online presence and ultimately sales. They found that their potential customers were holding back on purchasing even though they were interested.

Hypothesis: They wanted to test if offering an incentive (free shipping) to all orders over $75 would increase conversions.

Result: Adding free shipping increased orders by 90% and the average order value (AOV) by 7.32%.

Version A – No free shipping:

Version B – “Free Shipping Over $75!” – Winner:

What these split test results mean:

Offering potential customers an incentive to buy increases the likelihood of them buying now.
Lack of free shipping is one of the top reasons for shopping cart abandonment. If you provide this incentive then you not only increase the likelihood of someone purchasing but also the Average Order Value.

Source: Adding Free Shipping Threshold Increases eCommerce AOV by 7.32%

11. Sales increased by 17.1% when best practices for product pages was used

SmartWool wanted to increase the average revenue per visitor on their product page.

Hypothesis: They wanted to see whether changing the design on their products page would increase the average revenue per visitor.

Result: Using best practices of product pages (Version B) increased average revenue per visitor by 17.1%.

Version A : Uneven and mismatched, this product pages features its products in different sizes and on different levels.

Version B – Winner: This page used best practices of product pages with each product being the same size and on the same level.

What these split test results mean:

It’s important to be creative on your website. However, creativity shouldn’t necessarily be focused on your products page. A messy product page makes it harder for visitors to view your product and therefore harder to purchase.
There’s a reason why certain layouts are used, they convert better! Stick with best practices instead of trying to be too fancy.

Source: [Case Study] SmartWool Sells More Socks With A/B Testing

12. Changing the copy in one bullet point lifts conversions by 18.59%

Michael Aagaard wanted to get more to people to download his ebook by saying how long it would take to read.

Hypothesis: He thought that time was a major barrier for visitors to download his ebook. Keeping everything else constant he simply changed the copy of a single bullet point.

Result: Changing the copy of a single bullet point increased conversions by 18.59%.

Version A

“Insights and experience from 4 years of research and over 350 A/B tests distilled into one 26-page free ebook”

Version B

“Read the book in just 25 minutes and get insights from 4 years of research and over 350 A/B tests”

What these split test results mean:

You need to determine barriers of conversion for your prospective customer. In this case, letting visitors know the exact time the ebook would take to read increased conversions.

Source: Case Study – 18.59% Increase in Downloads by Tweaking one Bullet Point

13. Changing placement of testimonials increased downloads by 64.53%

Michael Aagaard knew the importance of having customer testimonials on his downloads page.

Hypothesis: He wanted to see if conversions would increase by changing the placement of the testimonials.

Result: Breaking up the testimonials into sections (two above and two below the CTA) increased conversions by 64.53%.

What these split test results mean:

Moving two of the testimonials above the call-to-action increased conversions because more visitors were seeing them. If the visitor didn’t scroll down the original page visitor wouldn’t have seen them.

Source: Case Study – 64.53% More Downloads by Moving the Testimonials on an Ebook Landing Page

14. Mobile-friendly landing page increases leads by 256%

Rasmussen College was looking to increase leads from Pay-Per-Click traffic on their mobile site.

Hypothesis: Creating a newly designed for mobile site featuring a click-through menu would get more conversions than a responsive site.

Result: The new mobile-only site increased conversions by 256%.

What these split test results mean:

Mobile responsive sites are better than unresponsive sites. However, if you want the highest conversion on mobile it needs to be redesigned for optimal mobile use. You can do this by simplifying the page and taking away unnecessary items which will reduce load time. Adding a drop down menu will also help with navigation.

Source: Which Type Of Mobile Site Increased Leads From PPC Traffic? Responsive Design vs. Stand-Alone Mobile Site

15. Change in headline increases sales by 6.49%

Monthly 1K wanted to increase the amount visitors purchasing their online courses.

Hypothesis: They wanted to see if changing the headline on their landing page would increase conversions.

Result: “How to Make a $1000 a Month Business” increased sales of their $300 course by 6.49%.

Version A – Winner:

Version B:

What these split test results mean:

Providing an actual dollar amount resulted in a higher conversion rate. Visitors were able to visualize themselves making a dollar amount rather than just their first dollar. Whenever possible showcase the value of your products.

16. Removing reference to pricing increased signups by 31%

Unveil was trying to generate as many leads as possible for beta testing their new application.

Hypothesis: They wanted to test whether eliminating reference to pricing and clearly stating it’s free would increase signups.

Result: By removing any mention of pricing from their website they were able to increase their signups by 31%.

On the top part of the page they changed two things. They removed the “pricing” option in the menu and changed “from just $1 per month” to “free”.

Version A:

Version B:

Version A (right) Version B (left) – bottom of page:

What these split test results mean:

Determining the right price point for your target audience is important. Try testing different price points to see which one works best for your business.

Source: Case Study: Removing Pricing Improves Beta Sign Ups by 31%

17. Conveying a clear message increased sales by 40.81%

Underwater Audio wanted to redesign their website to increase sales.

Hypothesis: They wanted to test whether improving the copy and design of their information section would increase sales.

Result: The updated information section increased sales by 40.81%.

Version A:

Version B – Winner:

What these split test results mean:

The biggest improvement I saw in this section was the copy. In Version A they state you can wear the headphones for “Most Activities.” I like that in Version B they list the types of activities you can do. By giving me some clear options I can imagine myself swimming with these headphones in.

Source: Compelling Copy + Clean Design + Fewer Distractions = 40.81% Increase in Sales

18. How placing ads on content pages helped increase engagement by 104.99%

Bakker-hillegom is an online store specializing in products and information related to gardening. Because of their niche and relevant content they were able to attract a large number of unique visitors to their website. The problem they were finding was that the visits weren’t turning into sales.

Hypothesis: They decided to test if adding promotional banners to each content page would increase engagement on the site.

Result: Adding banners to the top of each page increased traffic to the sales page by 105%.

What these split test results mean:

If visitors don’t know what you sell they won’t be able to buy it.

Source: Banner Displaying Top Deals Increases eCommerce Engagement by 105%

19. Additional information near CTA increases action by 24%

Overtoom, a large mail order company, wanted to increase conversions.

Hypothesis: They thought that adding a trust symbol, incentive to buy and offering different payment options would increase basket adds.

Result : Adding these three elements below the CTA increased sales by 24%.

They took the original order form and added three elements close to the CTA:

Trust – Added a star rating from customers
Incentive – Free delivery on orders over 200 Euros
Options to pay – Invoice, Visa or Mastercard

What these split test results mean:

Each element worked together to push the customer to add something to the cart.

They assured the customer – through high star ratings – that it’s a good product to buy.
Increased Average Order Value (AOV) with free shipping.
Gave a final push with multiple payment options.

Source: Three Things You Can Do In 20 Minutes To Increase Ecommerce Conversions

20. Change in subject line increases open rate on emails

Spicerhaart knew that their email marketing was only effective if people were opening their emails.

Hypothesis : They felt that if they changed the way the subject line was presented that more people would open.

Result: Splitting the subject line into three easily readable sections increased open rates by 74%.

Version A : Mill View | Join us for our pre-launch weekend to find out more about these exciting new homes

Variation B (Winner) : Mill View | Pre-launch weekend | Quality homes affordably priced

What these split test results mean:

Your subject line is the most important element in email marketing. If no one opens your email it doesn’t matter what the content inside is.

21. Cleaned up registration page lead to more newsletter sign-ups

The World Wildlife Fund wanted to increase the number of registrants for their newsletter.

Hypothesis: Redesigning and adding a photo would increase the number of registrants.

Result: Changing the layout and adding a photo increased registrants by 83%.

Version A:

Version B – Winner:

They changed these 4 elements:

Gave information about what to expect.
Moved the text right to make it easier to read.
Moved CTA to the left to align with the form.
Added a picture showing the layout of the newsletter.

What these split test results mean:

Cleaning up the page made it easier for visitors to register. The example was a great addition as visitors knew what they’d be receiving for their efforts.

22. Increase your email clicks by 325% with a sleek design

Microsoft was looking to increase the amount of people clicking through on their emails.

Hypothesis: Changing the color scheme would increase click throughs.

Result: Version A increased click-throughs by 325%.

Version A (White Background, Full Product Image, Purple CTA) – Winner:

Version B (Orange Background, Cropped Product Image, Pink CTA):

What these split test results mean:

Despite Version B following the color scheme of Microsoft’s online marketing, Version A won. Version A made it easier to find where you were supposed to click. The contrast of the purple CTA against the white background draws your eye immediately.

23. Personalized abandonment subject line for email increases opens by 31%

Raileasy, an online travel booking company, wanted to increase the amount of people returning to purchase a product.

Hypothesis: They felt that if they changed the subject line they could increase re-engagement.

Result: A personalized subject line increased open rates by 31% and overall sales by 38%.

Version A (Winner) – Personalized Subject Line: “Still looking for tickets to [destination]?”

This helped the visitor remember why they were searching the destination in the first place.

Version B – Generic Subject Line: “Haven’t found what you are looking for?”

This was far more generic and could have been related to anything.

What these split test results mean:

Abandonment issues are one of the main concerns of ecommerce stores. Having an effective cart abandonment follow-up plan (like Raileasy) is key to increasing sales.

24. Change in design of social proof generates leads 69% better than original

comScore was looking to generate more leads from their website.

Hypothesis : They already had social proof on their website. They felt that by changing the design of their proof they’d generate more leads.

Result: Social proof in a vertical layout with logo (Version 1 below) generated leads 69% better than the original.

Original version (Social proof in a grey box with no logo)

Multivariate testing was conducted.

Version 1 (Logo on top/Vertical design) Winner!
Variation 2 (No Logo/Horizontal design)
Variation 3 (Logo on right/Horizontal)

What these split test results mean:

Social proof is extremely important to online marketing. It’s not going to mean much if people think its fake or it’s hard to find.

Source: comScore Increases New Leads 69% by Adding a Customer Logo

25. Redesign increases interactions by 606%

Spreadshirt wanted to increase the amount of visitors who became sellers on their website.

Hypothesis: Changing the “how to” section of their website to make it easier to understand would increase conversions.

Result: Reducing the amount of text, graphics and calls-to-action made the “how to” section clearer. This increased conversions by 606%.

Version A (Original):

Version B (Winner):

What these split test results mean:

Version B is way easier to follow. It shows very clearly the process (with arrows) of how to use their website.

Source: How A Data-Driven Site Redesign Lifted Clicks 606% and Purchases 11%

26. Redesign of mobile homepage increases user activity by 235%

Runkeeper is a mobile application that allows users to log their exercise activities. They wanted to expand the types of activities people logged.

Hypothesis: They felt that if they clearly showed each activity available then people would be more likely to log them.

Result: Showing each activity available on the home screen increased logged non-running activities by 235%.

What These Split Test Results Mean:

You need to design with the user in mind. It’s much easier to just choose a clearly-available option than search for it.

Source: Case study: Runkeeper Drives User Engagement with A/B Testing

27. Increased conversion by 7.3% by offering free returns

The French Connection ecommerce store wanted to increase their online sales. They found that price was a major concern for visitors to their website. They already offered free shipping on orders over £75.

Hypothesis: They felt that if they added free returns (the statement “Love this style? We offer FREE RETURNS on all orders”) would make people more comfortable purchasing.

Result: Adding a guarantee on products increased conversions by 7.3%.

What These Split Test Results Mean:

Determine what’s most important to your customers. Providing a guarantee can make your customers feel more relaxed about purchasing. It also makes the price feel lower because they know they can get their money back if they don’t like it.

Source: _ 7.3% increase in conversion across paid and natural search traffic for FCUK_

28. Weather targeting increases conversions by 11.6%

Burton wanted to increase their online sales. They wanted to do this by personalizing the shopping experience for each visitor.

Hypothesis: Showing personalized results based on weather targeting would increase conversions.

Result : Weather targeting shoppers increased conversions by 11.6%.

This is how the page would look if it was snowing and cold:

If its sunny they’d show shades and shorts.

If it’s rainy they’d show jackets and rain boots.

What These Split Test Results Mean: You want to try and personalize your results for each customer as best as you can. Although weather targeting is complex you could do something simple like gender to give your customers a more unique experience.

Source: 11.6% uplift in conversions with weather targeting

29. A responsive search bar increases transactions by 12%

alittlemarket.com sells handmade french creations. They wanted to increase the amount of purchasing customers.

Hypothesis: They wanted to optimize the search bar. Now, instead of having to select options and hit “filter”, the bar would automatically filter.

Result: Responsive search results increased conversions by 12%.

Version A:

Version B – Winner:

What These Split Test Results Mean:

Spending less time to achieve a desired result will almost always increase conversions. The less time it takes to navigate your website, the more time visitors will have to check out your products.

30. Changing the headline increased conversions by 5%

Meddelandelån Sverige AB offers quick loans online. They have a three step process that all applicants need to follow to be approved. They had an image slider that detailed what the process was but it wasn’t getting used.

Hypothesis: Having a more impactful headline for the image slider would get more visitors to use it.

Result: Conversion rate and average value per visitor increased by 5%.

Version A: Borrow 500Kr for free as a new customer

Version B (Winner): Small Internet Loans: Borrow money 7 days a week with clear pricing and honest terms

What These Split Test Results Mean: Your headline can make or break your product. Whether it’s on a landing page, article or in this case an image slider, make sure that people have a reason to keep reading.

Source: Image Slider A/B Test: Headline Records an Estimated Win of $90,000 Per Year Read

31. Email focused on products rather than a story doubled purchases

Marine Mammal Center is a hospital dedicated to helping injured seals. On their website they get funding through purchases and donations made in the gift shop. On Valentine’s Day they sent out two forms of email to see which would get a higher conversion.

Hypothesis: They wanted to see whether a story focused on the cause or on the products converted better.

Result : They found that the email focused on products (rather than a story) doubled the amount of purchases.

Version A (Story about seals):

Version B (Focused on products) – Winner:

What These Split Test Results Mean:

When the goal of your campaign is to sell products you need to feature them. Although the story of the seal is heartfelt it doesn’t give any indication that they have products to sell.

Source: A Valentine’s Day A/B Test Case Study in Action

32. Changing one form field increased completed forms by 8.66%

Newcastle School of Trades wanted to investigate why so many visitors abandoned their form at the field, “I am interested in…” Originally their drop-down menu featured 11 options with “undecided” at the end.

Hypothesis : If they move the “undecided” option to the top of the list they would increase the amount of people who complete the form.

Result : Changing the order of the one field increased conversions by 9%.

What These Split Test Results Mean:

Most of the people who filled out this form were undecided. Making the “undecided” field more prominent made it easier for visitors to fit into a category.

Source: Trade school dramatically improves website conversions with a few simple split tests

33. Donations increased by 114% by incorporating a video on email

David C. Cook is a non-profit organization that wanted to increase donations.

Hypothesis: Changing their marketing message from text to video would increase engagement and donations.

Result: Changing the messaging from text to video increased click throughs by 43% and donations by 114%.

Version A (Text):

Version B (Video) – Winner:

What These Split Test Results Mean:

A video is generally more engaging and can help you appear more credible. It also helps people put a face on a company. It makes it more personalized and ultimately will help your “Ask” be stronger.

Source: Does Video Email Work? [Case Study]

34. 52% increase in bookings by changing form layout

Arenaturist.com is a website where visitors can book travel in Croatia.

Hypothesis: They wanted to see whether a horizontal or vertical form layout would get higher conversions.

Result: The vertical form layout increased conversions by 52%.

Version A (Horizontal version):

Version B (Vertical version) – Winner:

What These Split Test Results Mean:

If you have a long form (longer than 3 fields) use a vertical form. Vertically aligned forms are easier to follow and appear both less complicated and shorter.

Source: A/B test case study – Arenaturist booking engine layout

35. Changing one word increased conversions by 139%!

GoCardless is one of the UKs leading online direct debit suppliers.

Hypothesis: They wanted to test whether changing “request” to “watch” would increase conversions.

Result: Changing one word in the CTA increased conversions by 139%.

Version A: The highlighted portion on the left says “Request a demo” and on the right “submit.”

Version B – Winner: The variation now says “Watch a demo” on the left and “Watch” on the right:

What These Split Test Results Mean:

You need to constantly be looking for ways to reduce friction for visitors. If a visitor knows explicitly what will happen when they click your CTA they’ll be more likely to convert. Be as clear as possible about what your button is going to do. GoCardless increased conversions because more people watched their demo when they changed the text. This led to more people being interested in their product.

Source: _How a one word change increased product demo conversions by 139%: _ How a one word change increased product demo conversions by 139%

36. Writing out the word “MENU” increases unique clicks by 20%

Caffeine informer wanted to make it easier for users to navigate through their mobile site.

Hypothesis : They thought that if they got rid of the “ hamburger icon” and replaced it with the word “MENU” that more people would click.

Result : Spelling out “MENU” resulted in a 20% increase in unique visitors to other parts of their site.

Version A “hamburger icon”:

Version B “MENU” – Winner:

What These Split Test Results Mean:

Clarity is everything in site optimization. You want to really spell out what you’re offering your visitors.

Source: Mobile Menu AB Tested: Hamburger Not the Best Choice?

37. Emotional copy increases conversions by 17.9%

JCD Repair offers a while-you-wait iPhone repair service. To increase the number of people that would schedule a repair for their phone they decided to test out new copy in their ads.

Hypothesis: Making the copy more engaging will increase the number of people who repair their phone.

Result: Variation 3 won and converted 17.9% better than the original with the following copy:

“Did Your iPhone Screen Have a Rough Night Out? We can’t cure a hangover, but we can make your iPhone look brand new in less than 1 hour. For half of what the other guys charge.”

Original (Clear Copy):

Version 1:

Version 2:

Version 3 – Winner:

What These Split Test Results Mean:

While clarity is always important, you still need to be unique in how you present an offer. A dry offer is just that. Eliciting an emotional response can help increase your conversions. Version 3 was great because it probably made people laugh (I know I did.)

Source: The Great Copy Debate: Clear Vs. Clever

38. Minimal landing page design increases conversions

TheHOTH, a white label SEO company wanted to increase the number of businesses using their service. They had a good amount of traffic but their conversions were low.

Hypothesis : They wanted to see if by minimizing the amount of information on their homepage that they could generate more leads.

Result: Eliminating everything but the sign-up form took signups from 1.39% to 13.13%.

Version A

Version B (Winner) – Form only

What These Split Test Results Mean:

This minimal design worked well for this website for a few reasons:

Most visitors were referred – so they already knew about the company
Focus was solely on signing up for an account
Only one call-to-action (original page had two above the fold + a video)
The original form blended into the background

Source: Crazy Minimal Homepage Increased Leads for an SEO Service Company from 1.39% to 13.13%

39. Increased conversions by 96% by keeping the message on the form consistent

Pink Pest Services wanted to increase the amount of people requesting a quote for a bug terminator.

Hypothesis: They felt that by changing the copy and picture on the form that conversions would increase.

Result: The form that solely offered a free quote increased conversions by 96% over the original.

Version A – Free Quote AND A special report (picture of book):

Version B – Free Quote only (picture of smiling man) – Winner:

What These Split Test Results Mean:

Matching your body copy to your headline is extremely important. Version B worked so well because it kept talking about the free quote they would offer.

Source: Double Your Online Enquiries Using This Drop-Dead Simple Conversion Tweak We Swiped From Old-School Yellow Pages Ads

40. Changing copy of abandonment email increased conversion by 112%

Stride wanted to improve its abandonment email so more people would come back to their website.

Hypothesis: They thought that by changing the focus from “why Stride is so great” to “how Stride can help it’s customers” would increase the amount of people returning to the website.

Result: Focusing on the customer and what Stride could do for them improved conversions by 112%.

Version A:

Version B:

Version C – Winner:

What These Split Test Results Mean:

In your abandonment email you always want to appear as helpful and informative as possible (without sounding too braggy.) Think of the abandonment email as a way to show what you can do for your customers. Give them a real reason why they would want to come back.

Source: _The Hero Trap (How a Simple Sales Guide Lifted Conversions 112%) _

41. Providing more toolbar options increases donations by 181%

The Union Mission wanted to increase donations and recruit more volunteers.

Hypothesis: Splitting the one tab “Give” into two, “Donate” and “Ways to Give” would help increase donations and volunteers.

Result: Changing the one tab into two not only increased online giving by 181% but it increased their click through rate by 300%.

Version A – “Give”:

Version B “donate” and “ways to give” – Winner:

What These Split Test Results Mean:

Breaking “give” into two separate tabs makes it easier for visitors to know exactly what is wanted. They can now give by donating. Or, if they can’t donate money they can figure out other ways they can give.

42. A dedicated landing page increases conversions by 73%

TechInsurance.com specializes in re-selling insurance policies to the technical industry. Their main source of customers comes from Pay-Per-Click (PPC) ads. They originally had all of the traffic from their PPC ads directed towards their website and not a dedicated landing page.

Hypothesis: Sending PPC traffic to a designated landing page instead of their website would increase conversions.

Result: Sending PPC traffic to a landing page instead of their website increased conversions by 73%

Version A – Website

Version B – Landing Page – Winner:

What These Split Test Results Mean:

You have less than 5-seconds to convert a visitor. Making them sift around your website to figure out what you’re selling is just going to make them bounce. Simplify the process for them with an optimized landing page.

Source: 73% Increase in New Customers

43. 76% more people sign-up for free trial with newly designed pricing page

BigContacts.com wanted to increase the amount of people signing up for a free trial.

Hypothesis: Clarifying pricing options and emphasizing the free trial would increase signups.

Result: Changing the pricing portion of the page increased signups by 76%.

Version A:

Version B – Clarified pricing options/emphasized free trial – Winner:

What These Split Test Results Mean:

If you’re offering a free trial make it obvious. No one can sign-up if they don’t know how to (or if they don’t know you offer it.)

Source: Pricing Page Optimization Increases Click Thrus 76%

44. Adding urgency increases conversions by 5%

Best of the Best runs competitions bi-weekly to give visitors a chance to win their dream car.

Originally they featured a countdown timer would reset each contest so visitors would always know when the competition was over/ the next one was.

Hypothesis: Adding in the countdown timer only three days before the competition would increase conversions.

Result: Putting the timer on the website with only 3 days left increased conversions by 5%.

What These Split Test Results Mean:

Adding a countdown timer is a great way to increase urgency as this encourages visitors to act on impulse. But if the end date is too far away then it’s not going to get anyone to act now because they’ll see they have a ton of time left. Make it as close to the end date as possible.

Source: 5% uplift in conversion rates with urgency messaging

45. Lead generation increased by 200% by optimizing page layout

Equity Trust found that their current website design wasn’t converting visitors as well as they wanted.

Hypothesis: Making their website easier to follow through a redesign would increase leads.

Result: A redesigned and easy to follow page increased leads by 200%.

Version A – Original page:

Version B – redesign – Winner:

What These Split Test Results Mean:

The second page works better for a couple of reasons:

It’s clear where the visitor needs to click with their bright orange CTA buttons (all of which lead to the same conversion goal.
The image features their target demographic making it easier for visitors to relate.

Source: Equity Trust’s Conversion Optimization Strategy

46. Removing all distractions reduces cart abandonment by 11.40%

nameOn is a leading supplier in personalizing gifts with embroidery. They were looking to see if they could reduce the amount of cart abandonment. They felt that a major cause of the abandonment was because of the large number of distractions on the check-out page.

Hypothesis: Reducing the number of distractions on the check-out page would increase the number of successful checkouts.

Result: Reducing the amount of calls-to-action increased the amount of completed checkouts by 11.40%

Version A – 9 calls-to-action:

Version B – Reduced to two – “Welcome bonus” and “Continue to checkout” (Winner):

What These Split Test Results Mean:

The ultimate goal on your shopping cart is to get customers to complete the purchase. Don’t give your visitor an opportunity to leave their cart. There should ideally only be one call-to-action “Check out now.”

Source: Remove Distractions to Reduce eCommerce Cart Abandonments (CRO case study)

47. Optimizing their website for tablet increased revenue by 72

Shirtinator is an online store that sells customized textiles and gifts. They had two versions of their website. One for desktop and one for mobile. Any traffic that searched via their tablet was automatically shown the mobile version of the website.

Hypothesis: They wanted to see if showing users a new HTML-5 desktop version would increase tablet conversions.

Result: The new tablet friendly website outperformed the mobile website and increased revenue by 72%.

What These Split Test Results Mean:

Every year technology is going to change. As it changes you need to make sure that you’re optimizing your website based on what’s available.

Source: _Redirecting Tablet Users to Desktop Website Increased Revenue by 71.81% _

48. Changing the background image increased signups by 38%

A dating website in Asia wanted to get more visitors to sign-up for a free trial. They knew that these leads could be easily converted to paying customers.

Hypothesis : Changing background image would increase the number of free trial sign-ups.

Result: Version C (Winner) had a background image that showed all types of people that were on the website. This increased signups by 38% and paying customers by 304%.

Version A:

Version B:

Version C (Winner):

What These Split Test Results Mean:

Version C showed the value of their dating site by showing the many options available. You always want to make sure that your background image is something your target audience wants.

Source: How to Increase Revenues by 304% Using Emotional Targeting

49. 65% increase in revenue by emphasizing benefits on landing page

An invitation company was looking to optimize their landing page to increase revenue.

Hypothesis: Changing the copy to sell an experience (benefit) instead of the product (features) would help increase conversions.

Result: Selling an experience instead of the product increased sales by 65%.

Version A:

Version B (Winner):

Version C:

What These Split Test Results Mean:

You always want to make sure you’re selling the benefits of a product. You can say what the features are but if you want to sell you need to help people picture why it’s a great product for them.

Source: Simple Neuromarketing hacks that increased revenue by 65% in the first round

In 2013 Movember wanted to increase the number of registrants on their website.

Hypothesis: They felt that a redesign of their website would make it easier for people to register. One of the key things they did was move their social share buttons above the fold so registrants could share the message with their friends.

Result: By moving the social share buttons above the fold, Facebook shares increased by 490% and email shares increased by 75%

Their website – Originally the highlighted section was below the fold.

What These Split Test Results Mean:

Social sharing is a great way to increase awareness but if no one sees it, no one can share it. Making your most important information is easy to find is key to your success.

Source: Movember Drives 28,000 More Mo’ Bros with an A/B Test

Conclusion

Congrats, you did it. You’ve made it to the end of my 50 split test case studies.

I hope you’re inspired to run some awesome split tests of your own.

Remember these tests are a guide and shouldn’t replace your own testing. If you have some tests of your own that you’d like to share please comment below.

BONUS: Check out 25 Creative Facebook Contest Ideas You Can Use Today

Wishpond’s Facebook Contest Apps make it easy to create sweepstakes, photo contests, Instagram hashtag contests & more.

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