# Anchoring Price With an External Reference Number

Page: https://alidemirbas.com.tr/en/lab/ab-test-library/tests/anchoring-price-with-an-external-reference-number

## Hypothesis

If a documented external price appears before the offer price, visitors may judge the price against that reference instead of on its own. By making the offer look more favorable, it could raise the purchase conversion rate, or lower it if the reference does not seem credible.

## When to run this test

Sessions that linger on the price and then leave, survey answers saying visitors have nothing to compare it with, or support contacts asking for a comparison show that people cannot tell whether the price is reasonable. A credible reference should make the offer look like better value and lift purchases. If visitors hesitate over what the offer covers rather than its price, clarify the scope first. Do not start without a current, comparable external source, and before naming a competitor, check the target market's comparative advertising and unfair competition rules.

## Primary metric

**Purchase conversion rate (CR)**: Compare purchases per assigned visitor to see whether the reference price changes buying behavior.

## Other metrics

- **Perceived credibility**: If surveyed, ask whether the reference seems credible; omit this measure if there is no survey.
- **Returns or disputes**: Track complaints that the comparison is misleading.
- **Average order or plan value**: Review purchase value alongside conversion.

## What to check before and during the test

- **Presence**: Add one verified external reference before the offer price.
- **Source**: Name the current source and explain why the comparison is like for like.
- **Amount**: Keep the reference fixed under a documented update rule; do not inflate the difference.
- **Placement**: Use one fixed placement; testing another location is a separate experiment.
- **Audience**: Review predefined buyer groups for whom the price comparison is relevant.

## What to watch when reading the result

- Higher conversion does not prove the reference was found credible; measure perceived credibility with a survey. If complaints about a misleading comparison, returns or disputes go up, do not ship, and read average order or plan value alongside conversion.
- Only the reference, placement and offer price you tested are covered; if the offer price changed too, the reference's effect cannot be separated from the price change. Keep the source current throughout the test and refresh the figure under its update rule rather than leaving an outdated one in place.
- A reference price may have a modest effect that this page's traffic cannot pick up. Before launch, put the current conversion rate and the smallest lift that matters to you into the [sample size calculator](https://alidemirbas.com.tr/en/calculators/sample-size-calculator) to see how many visitors each arm needs; at the page's daily traffic per arm, that sets the run length. If the result stays unclear, do not present it as a gain or a loss; note only that no effect of the planned size showed up.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Can my previous selling price serve as the external reference?

Not in this scenario. The comparison uses a documented external price. Identify its current source and comparability conditions.

### Which source should support an external reference price?

Use a current, verifiable and comparable external source. A competitor is one option, not the only one. Disclose differences in product, package and cost conditions.

### Does higher conversion prove the reference was credible?

No. Use purchase conversion as the primary outcome and investigate credibility through direct feedback. Monitor misleading-comparison complaints and purchase value.

### Can a competitor be named in the comparison?

Only within applicable comparative-advertising rules and with current, supportable information. Do not leave an expired reference or imply equivalent conditions where they differ.