{"id":58292,"date":"2021-05-06T11:54:05","date_gmt":"2021-05-06T06:24:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vwo.com\/blog\/?p=58292"},"modified":"2025-04-28T16:11:30","modified_gmt":"2025-04-28T10:41:30","slug":"top-4-methods-for-finding-test-ideas-for-your-ecommerce-store","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vwo.com\/blog\/top-4-methods-for-finding-test-ideas-for-your-ecommerce-store\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 4 Methods for Finding Test Ideas for Your eCommerce Store"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Are you looking to continuously improve your eCommerce store<\/a>? If so, you\u2019ve probably wondered whether changes you want to make to your store will help, hurt, or make any difference at all in your store\u2019s performance. In fact, not even the most experienced marketers and designers can perfectly predict if a particular change will improve your conversion rate<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is where A\/B testing comes in. It\u2019s an amazing method that makes it possible to prove\u2014with data\u2014if a particular change has an impact and whether it\u2019s positive or negative. In an A\/B test<\/a>, you can split your traffic between your page or element versions, and even define the audience that gets to view the variation. The version that gets the best results is the winner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Download Free: Advanced CRO Program Guide<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"Top<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Once you know that you can test changes on your store before<\/em><\/strong> making a decision, it seems like a no-brainer to use that method moving forward. <\/p>\n\n\n

Getting started<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n

So where should you start testing? How do you come up with ideas to test? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You may have some ideas\u2014probably even a document full of possible changes based on your opinions and experience. But that may not be the best way to come up with your tests.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Collect<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

We will show you a better approach\u2014where to focus your attention and how to find tests that will increase your chances of getting meaningful, positive results. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The following process removes the guesswork and moves you closer to those great results you\u2019re looking for.<\/p>\n\n\n

Where to focus your attention<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n

Google Analytics won\u2019t tell you what to test, but it does indicate where you should focus your efforts, that is, which part of the funnel to test. Google Analytics provides a Funnel Visualization Report that shows how many visitors are dropping off your store at each stage of the funnel.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Drop<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Every eCommerce store is different depending on the industry it\u2019s in and other factors. But a funnel visualization<\/a> combined with some benchmarking lets any eCommerce store owner know which part of the funnel is the weakest link. Once you know the most problematic step, you can improve it by performing tests aimed at it.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"visualization\"
Screenshot of Build Grow Scale\u2019s<\/a> funnel visualization report
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For example, in the image above, you can see that a lot of people abandoned the checkout. From 466 people that started the checkout process, only 131 people completed it. This indicates that you may have to work on your checkout<\/a>. And because that\u2019s a step where a lot of people abandon your store, improving it could yield the biggest results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Dorado Fashion case, VWO found that there was a high drop-off on the checkout page. To address this and increase the Average Order Value<\/a>, the VWO team tested a cart page variation that incentivized additional purchases for users who already had an item in their cart. This variation had a notice that said \u2013 \u201cYou are 1 product away to get Extra 30% Off\u201d. The test ran for 26 days and the variation won with a 14.14% increase in clicks to the Thank You page<\/a>. You can read the full case study here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, if you already have a very good checkout conversion rate, it\u2019s harder to get significant improvements there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Visualize your funnel as a leaking bucket. The more water you can keep in the bucket, the more money you get. By fixing the weakest steps of the funnel, you are effectively fixing the biggest holes in the bucket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After fixing the big holes, concentrate your efforts on the medium holes and so on. To apply this to your online store, you want to find out which is the biggest hole and work on it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Google Analytics helps you find the \u201cwhat\u201d\u2014the step of the funnel that isn\u2019t working\u2014but it won\u2019t tell you why<\/em><\/strong> it\u2019s not working. You can determine why by using heatmaps<\/a>, session recordings<\/a>, on-page surveys<\/a>, user testing<\/a>, and other methods to help develop solutions to the problem.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Where<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n

What to test<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n

Choosing what to A\/B test is one of the most important decisions you can make:<\/p>\n\n\n\n