The UI tweak that added $3.5M in revenue

Shoppers don’t just add to cart and check out. They compare, remove, and refine their selections before making a final decision. But when that process becomes frustrating, like discovering an item is out of stock after clicking on it or dealing with dropdown-heavy interfaces, they’re more likely to abandon the purchase entirely.

We ran a test to fix this friction by improving 

• Size.

• Length. 

• Color selection.

• Removing dropdowns.

• Refining the cart experience. 

• Making out-of-stock items clear upfront.

The result: A $3.5M revenue lift. 

But the biggest insight was unexpected. Allowing shoppers to remove items easily actually increased transactions. Instead of forcing a linear shopping experience, we found that when shoppers could curate their cart freely, they bought with more intent. 

Here’s what worked, what didn’t, and what brands should consider when optimizing their shopping experience.

Add-to-Cart ≠ Purchase Intent

One of the biggest misinterpretations is assuming an add to cart means someone is ready to buy. In reality, early shoppers often use their cart as a comparison tool.

• If you sell multiple products in the same category, or the same product in different designs, buyers will add multiple items to their cart just to compare.

• They might also have carts open on multiple sites, using them as research tools, not purchase steps.

So before jumping to discounting, brands should focus on reminding shoppers what’s in their cart (especially with strong visuals) rather than immediately trying to push them over the finish line.

The Journey Is Nonlinear

Many brands still treat the buyer journey as a step-by-step funnel:

Navigation → Category page → PDP → Add to cart → Checkout

But that’s not how people actually shop.

• They might add a product to their cart, hit the back button, and browse more.

• They could be looking at product recommendations on PDPs or the cart page.

• They may even highlight the product title to search for coupon codes.

On that last point, one of our favorite tests is triggering a pop-up when someone highlights a product title. If you offer a discount or guarantee the best price, show a modal that reassures them:

• "You're getting the best price available."

• "This item is already on sale!"

• "Here's a discount code for new customers."

Keeping them on-site instead of letting them search for coupons can help retain conversions. 

Using Heatmaps to Understand Behavior

Heatmap tools, like Heatmap.com, are great for deciphering customer behavior. But beyond just click tracking, one of the most valuable things brands can look at is mouse movement tracking and session recordings.

• People unconsciously move their mouse over text as they read, similar to how speed readers use finger reading.

• They may not go line by line, but you can tell what they’re interested in based on where their cursor hovers.

• You can also see which images they focus on and where they attempt to click even if those elements aren’t clickable.

If people are clicking on non-clickable elements, that’s a signal they expect some kind of interaction there. Maybe they’re hovering and accidentally tapping, or maybe they genuinely believe it should lead somewhere. Either way, it’s worth paying attention to.

Key Events to Track

When analyzing heatmaps and user behavior, you want to look at more than just clicks. Some key events to track:

• PDP page visits (which products they’re exploring)

• Category page visits (what sections they’re interested in)

• Cart visits (what they’re adding)

• What they click in the cart (are they engaging with product recommendations? Clicking “Learn More” on a discount?)

• Free shipping notifications or discounts (are they opening these?)

• Checkout interactions (what elements they engage with before completing a purchase)

If your site has a cart page rather than just a drawer cart, see if people are clicking on product recommendations there. Are they hovering over them? Scrolling through? That kind of engagement tells you whether those elements are actually useful or just taking up space.

Less Is More: Stop Adding, Start Removing

One of the biggest mistakes brands make is constantly adding more, more, more to their site. Instead, they should be asking:

What can we remove to simplify the decision-making process?

Every extra element forces customers to think more, making the experience harder instead of easier.

A great reference on this is Steve Krug’s book Don't Make Me Think. It’s one of the first CRO and UX books I ever read. The whole idea is to simplify choices:

• Instead of making customers juggle five decisions at once, break it down into clear, easy steps.

• Chunk the information. Guide them smoothly through the process rather than overwhelming them.

Tailoring the Site Experience for Different Levels of Purchase Intent

Not every buyer moves through the same conversion process, so brands need to tailor the site experience based on purchase intent. The right balance between urgency, social proof, and education depends on who the shopper is and where they are in the journey.

A lot of this comes down to personalization, and the tools you have installed on your site will determine how well you can segment audiences based on behavior.

Identifying Buyer Types

We typically segment buyers into a few categories based on their actions:

• Window Shoppers – If a shopper has visited three or more PDPs but hasn’t added to cart, we classify them as window shoppers. They’re deciding if the time is right for them to buy the thing. They are gathering information and becoming bought into the decision emotionally. They might be considering whether you are the right place to buy it from.

• Researchers – If a shopper adds three or more products to their cart, we classify them as researchers. They’re still comparing and considering options rather than deciding on a final purchase.

• New Customers – Once someone completes a purchase, they shift from consideration to the post-purchase experience. The goal is now to turn them into a repeat customer.

• Recovered Customers – If a shopper hasn’t purchased in over a year (or whatever makes sense for your buying cycle), they fall into this group. Depending on whether your products are annual, seasonal, or more frequent purchases, you need different strategies to bring them back.

Using Urgency and Social Proof for High-Intent Shoppers

For high-intent buyers, urgency and social proof can push them toward conversion. Some effective strategies include:

• Countdown timers to create a sense of urgency.

• Stock indicators showing low inventory.

• Real-time purchase signals, such as “X people bought this in the last 7 days”.

These cues work best for shoppers who are already considering a purchase and just need a slight nudge to commit.

Engaging Medium-Intent Shoppers

Medium-intent shoppers aren’t quite ready to buy in this session, but they may return later. The goal here is to capture their interest and keep the brand top-of-mind.

• Encourage them to submit an email or phone number in exchange for a discount they can use later.

• Get them to sign up for a newsletter so they stay in your ecosystem and keep you in mind for future purchases.

They may not buy today, but staying connected increases the chances they’ll return when they’re ready.

Educating Low-Intent Shoppers

For lower-intent shoppers you must educate them so they can make the right decision.

• You want them to feel confident that your product is right for them.

• If your product isn’t the best fit, you should guide them toward an alternative rather than pushing them into a purchase they’ll regret.

The worst outcome isn’t that they don’t buy—it’s that they buy, are dissatisfied, and start telling other people about their negative experience.

• Dissatisfied customers are more likely to talk about your brand on social media than return the product.

• Preventing misaligned purchases upfront reduces negative word-of-mouth and returns.

Final Thoughts

The easier you make it for shoppers to find what they want and adjust their selections, the more likely they are to buy. If the experience feels clunky or frustrating, they’ll take their business elsewhere. Simple changes, like clearly showing what’s in stock, refining cart interactions, and reducing unnecessary steps, ultimately make a huge difference. 

The goal is to make the customer’s decision effortless.

Looking forward,

Brian

Interested in leveraging CRO to grow your revenue? Reach out!