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CLIENT: Big Brand Beds

The Problem

Visitors using the keyword search feature (in the header) accounted for over 20% of sales. The problem was only ~3% of all users made a search. This suggested three things:

  1. The existing navigation wasn't clear
  2. The keyword search feature wasn't prominent enough
  3. Searching users found what they were looking for and were more likely to make a purchase as a result
Screenshot of the Big Brand Beds original search box

The Solution

Several changes were made for an A/B test:

  • The header remained at the top of the page ("sticky") as users scrolled down
  • The search button colour changed from blue to orange, providing a distinct contrast with the blue background
  • The placeholder text inside the search box, 'Search term', became more personal and descriptive, 'What are you looking for?'
Screenshot of the Big Brand Beds new search box

The Results

  • Volume of searches: +27%
  • Sales conversion rate: +79%
  • The largest CVR impact was on mobile users: +438%

Conclusions

  • Understanding a site's strengths are as important as finding its weaknesses
  • Making the site about the user and fulfilling their needs is key to converting them