5 Out-of-the-Box Digital Experiments to Help Drive Revenue

Having an experimentation mindset when optimizing your website is key — small tweaks can result in huge benefits. Even incremental improvements can add to significant ROI over time. However, it can sometimes be challenging to ideate experiments. Or it can be easy to try an experiment, see that it failed, and then be hesitant to try again. However, the most innovative companies have an experimentation mindset — where everything is questioned and tested. To supercharge your digital experiments, try some of these experimentation ideas to drive more revenue.

Digital Experiment 1: Group Gift Ideas to Simplify the Customer Experience

Thinking of gift ideas is challenging when you have a big family or group of friends. Usually, shoppers find it easier to pick products when they’re presented with quality gift ideas. Try testing a curated list of gifts to help visitors make additions to their cart without researching multiple websites.

You can experiment with presenting a list in a variety of formats; leverage frequently bought items, staff-created lists, occasions, price points, or user reviews. That way, customers have a much smaller list to browse and they feel more confident about making a purchase decision.

Additionally, you can try experimenting with a product carousel on a landing page. It has the potential to provide the perfect experience to last-minute shoppers who don’t have time to search through suggested items’ grids.

Digital Experiment 2: Put Up a Banner for “Days Left to Order”

Leading up to a holiday, many shoppers are in a frenzy about getting gifts in time. You can facilitate this pattern by displaying the number of days left to order in time for items to arrive before a specific date.

Similar to countdowns, you can display the days left to order and the shipping methods (you can do an express shipping test) that guarantee on-time delivery. That way, consumers will be urged to buy before it’s too late for fear of missing out.

Think of different positions for the banner that will alert shoppers about the days left to order. Some retailers do the typical hero image, while others integrate such banners in their email campaigns. Additionally, you can A/B test it in the sidebar or on specific product pages.

Digital Experiment 3: Experiment with Accelerated Shipping for Specific Items

If you’re planning to offer express shipping but don’t necessarily want to associate it with every order, you can split test it as an option for specific categories and items. For instance, you can try offering next-day shipping for more lucrative goods: either those that demand continual repurchases or those with higher price tags.

If your operations doesn’t have the resources for next-day shipping for highly in-demand items, consider other ways to A/B test the option. For example, you can limit it to a specific payment option. This includes completing the transaction with a brand-specific credit card or offer it to only half of your customers.

Another A/B testing option is making express shipping available for an additional charge and seeing who bites on its availability.

Digital Experiment 4: Experiment with a Sitewide “Benefits” Bar

Why should a consumer buy from your business? What makes you stand out from the competition? These are a few questions that all in the ecommerce industry should be able to answer. While many online businesses do a great job of explaining their brand’s unique benefits, they often inadvertently bury these value propositions in the footer of their website or on sublevel pages.

A much better way to make your value proposition apparent is to experiment with displaying a “benefits bar” on your site, above the fold, right below the navigation menu.

Digital Experiment 5: Measure the Result of Adding a Countdown Timer

If you’ve ever been in a time-sensitive situation, you’re likely familiar with the impact of a ticking clock. Having limited time to make a decision or finish a task can force us to take action. Simply put, such situations make us feel that if we don’t act, we’ll miss out.

Many ecommerce companies leverage this technique to improve their conversions. See if you’re able to get similar results by A/B testing countdown timers.

For instance, you can remind consumers that your holiday sale only lasts a limited number of days by showing the number of days remaining or a live countdown timer. This will drive them to click the Buy Now button sooner rather than later. Experiment with different variants of the timer (by the minute, by the hour, etc.) to see what works best in your particular case.

Want more experimentation ideas? Check out more experiments to try.