How to Properly Set Up a Convert.com Experiment (Without Losing Your Mind or Your Money)

Your Ultimate Shopify Guide to Running Tests that Actually Boost Conversions 📈

Why Bother Experimenting?

If you're running a Shopify store, you probably spend a lot of time (and money 💸) driving traffic to your website. But here's the hard truth: According to the Baymard Institute, roughly 69% (nice) of online shoppers abandon their carts due to usability problems. Running targeted experiments helps you pinpoint these issues and turn window shoppers into buyers.

The goal isn't just to run tests for the sake of it. It's about uncovering real insights that make your Shopify store easier to use, more persuasive, and ultimately more profitable.

Step-by-Step Guide: Setting Up Your Convert.com Experiment

Step 1a: Begin with an A/A Test if You're Brand New

If you're completely new to experimentation, start with an A/A test. This means running two identical variations against each other to ensure your testing platform and setup are accurate and reliable. It's like checking your gear before a big game. You wouldn't want faulty equipment causing you to lose crucial data 🛠️.

Step 1b: Pick a Test with Clear Potential (CTA Copy is a Great Start)

The simplest yet most impactful tests often revolve around messaging. Baymard Institute found that unclear Call-To-Action (CTA) buttons could decrease conversions by up to 18%. Start with a straightforward experiment like changing "Add to Cart" to "Get Yours Now." It's low-risk but can yield quick wins 🎯.

Step 2: Target Your Audience Precisely

Clearly define who sees your test. Are you targeting mobile users in the US, desktop shoppers in Canada, or returning visitors? Baymard research has shown that 63% of mobile users abandon sites due to poor UX. This means targeting specific user groups can dramatically improve the relevance and accuracy of your experiment.

Step 3: Conduct Pre-Test Analysis (Know Your Starting Point)

Never jump straight into an experiment without understanding your current performance. Document key metrics like current conversion rates, average order values, and click-through rates. Think of it like knowing your team's stats before heading into a playoff series—you need this baseline to measure real improvement 🏀. Speeros Pre-Test Analysis tool is great for this!

Step 4: Proper Traffic Distribution and Sampling

Ensure your test traffic is properly distributed and sufficient in size. Running a test with too little traffic or uneven distribution is like tasting a single bite of pizza and assuming the entire pizza is perfect 🍕. Use tools like Convert’s built-in calculator or external sampling calculators to verify your experiment has enough visitors to deliver statistically significant results.

Step 5: Set Clear Goals and KPIs

Clearly defining success metrics is crucial. Whether it's boosting "Add to Cart" rates, increasing revenue per visitor, or improving overall conversion rate, each experiment needs focused, relevant goals. Baymard highlights the importance of aligning user expectations clearly with your CTAs and overall messaging, so choose meaningful KPIs that truly reflect your objective.

Case Study: Clear Messaging Beats Clever Gimmicks

We recently tested removing "Price Match" messaging from a client's Shopify site. The original site had "Price Match" everywhere but offered no clear instructions on how to claim it. Instead of encouraging sales, this messaging sent visitors elsewhere to compare prices 🤦‍♂️.

By replacing "Price Match" with a straightforward "Made in the USA" message, we immediately saw impressive results:

• 18.35% lift in overall revenue

• 8.94% lift in revenue per visitor

• 2.02% increase in Add-to-Cart rate

Baymard’s research aligns with this outcome, noting that clear, compelling unique selling propositions can increase conversions by 10 to 20%.

Avoid These Common Mistakes

Even experienced testers sometimes make these missteps:

• Not QAing Across Devices: Always test your experiment across multiple browsers and devices. Baymard ranks cross-device usability issues among the top reasons users abandon purchases.

• Preview vs. Live Deployment Errors: Preview mode isn't always accurate. Avoid disasters by setting up a dedicated "QA Audience" in Convert.com:

  • Create a permanent audience titled "QA Audience."

  • Define it by using utm_medium=qa.

  • QA your experiment in real-time using this live segment before launching broadly.

This strategy ensures your tests are bulletproof before going fully live 🚀.

Advanced Techniques Worth Trying

• Track Heatmaps and Session Recordings: Tools like Microsoft Clarity let you analyze how users behave differently across variations, often revealing unexpected friction points.

• Maintain Data Hygiene: Accurate analytics tracking ensures your test results are reliable and actionable. Messy data leads to messy decisions, so keep it clean and precise.

Don't Trust Your Gut Alone

A common mistake is relying too heavily on intuition instead of data. Baymard consistently emphasizes that objectively-driven UX improvements yield significantly better results than subjective or gut-driven approaches. Always prioritize data-backed hypotheses.

Pro Tips from Thousands of Tests

After running thousands of Convert.com tests, here's what consistently helps us succeed:

• Always Track Site Deployments: New site features or updates can unexpectedly disrupt your experiments. Keep clear documentation to quickly troubleshoot issues.

• Prioritize Tests Systematically: Use a scoring framework based on expected impact, ease of implementation, and confidence level. Random ideas rarely lead to systematic wins.

Go Launch Your Next Winning Experiment

Experimentation shouldn't be overwhelming. Follow this structured approach, learn from each test (yes, even the losing ones), and you'll continually improve your Shopify store's conversion rates.

Ready to dive deeper? 📅

Schedule your FREE CRO Strategy Session today to see exactly how we can help your Shopify store thrive.