How a test designed in 2 hours drove +166% increase in conversions

Photo by holigil 27 on Unsplash‍ ‍

A/B testing doesn’t need to involve redesigns, major build work, or large creative changes. Some of the most effective improvements come from refining the clarity and relevance of the experience users already have.

Recently, we tested two small changes on a key browsing section of a client’s site where users view items available for purchase. The aim was simple: reduce cognitive friction and support user intent.

What we changed

1. Clearer Navigation Label
The original label didn’t immediately communicate what the user would find if they clicked into it. We replaced it with wording that was more intuitive and descriptive. The goal was to increase the number of users choosing to explore this section in the first place.

2. Pre-Filtered View to Show Only Available Items
Once users entered the section, they were previously seeing a mix of content. The experience now defaults to items currently available. This aligned the page more closely with purchase intent and removed unnecessary choice.

That was all, no major layout changes, no new features, no complicated additional functionalities - just clearer signposting and a reduction in noise.

What was the impact?

Across the test period, we saw:

• +34% increase in users clicking through to the section

• Conversion rate roughly doubled for users who visited this area (+98%)

• Combined this amounted to a +166% increase in conversions once inside the section

The directional outcome was consistent: more people arrived, and a higher proportion took meaningful action once they were there.

Final thoughts

Not every experiment needs to be large or complex.
Often, the most meaningful progress comes from removing or reducing complexity:

• If users hesitate at a label → make the intent clearer.

• If users face options they cannot act on → reduce the noise.

Sometimes big wins are found within small changes.