# Short vs Descriptive Category Headings A/B Test

Page: https://alidemirbas.com.tr/en/lab/ab-test-library/tests/short-vs-descriptive-category-headings-ab-test

## Hypothesis

When both headings describe the same category and offer, a short heading may help shoppers scan the page quickly, while a descriptive one may confirm they are in the right place. If shoppers here mainly want to scan, the short heading could earn the higher category-page purchase conversion rate; if they need to know what the category covers, the descriptive one could.

## When to run this test

Visitors from search or ads who leave right away, session recordings of people who read the heading and turn back before the products, or support questions about what the category covers signal a category heading that is out of step with what visitors expect. If wording is the cause, one heading sends visitors into the products with clearer expectations, so bounces fall and purchases rise. If exits come from the category's contents or from poorly targeted traffic, look at that first, and check before launch that both headings read without truncation on mobile.

## Primary metric

**Category-page purchase conversion rate**: Compare purchases among eligible visitors assigned to the short or descriptive heading.

## Other metrics

- **Click-through rate (CTR)**: Check whether the first click rate changes.
- **Scroll depth**: Track how far visitors explore the page.
- **Time on page**: Read time alongside purchases; a longer visit is not automatically better.
- **Bounce rate**: Track exits that may follow an expectation mismatch.

## What to check before and during the test

- **Copy approach**: Compare a short heading with a descriptive one that explains the same product and offer.
- **Keep constant**: Keep supporting copy, CTA, category content and placement unchanged.
- **Scope**: Run the test in the predefined category area; do not also change product, campaign or blog headings.
- **Mobile**: Check line breaks and truncation for both headings.
- **Interpretation**: Tie the result to the specific copy compared, not length alone.

## What to watch when reading the result

- A higher click-through rate or a longer time on page does not identify the better heading on its own; judge each heading by its category-page purchase conversion rate. A heading that raises the bounce rate may be setting an expectation the page does not meet; if purchases do not rise either, do not ship it.
- If one heading wins clicks by teasing something the page does not deliver, do not count those clicks as success or ship that copy. These findings belong to the two headings you compared in this category area; test again before using it for other short or long headings, or for product and campaign headings.
- A heading change may have only a small effect, and a small effect takes a large sample to see. On a low-traffic category, enter the lift you expect as the minimum detectable effect in the [sample size calculator](https://alidemirbas.com.tr/en/calculators/sample-size-calculator), and compare the sample it gives per variant with the category's traffic before launch. If the traffic falls short or the gap stays unclear, write down that this test could not choose between the two headings, and do not declare a winner.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How should short and descriptive category headings be written?

Both must describe the same category and offer accurately. One should be concise and the other more explanatory. Preserve supporting copy, the CTA, category contents and layout.

### Can the result be attributed to heading length alone?

No. The experiment compares two complete messages. Wording and clarity change along with length, so another short or long heading could produce a different result.

### Does longer time on page mean the descriptive heading is better?

Not necessarily. Use category purchase conversion as the primary outcome. Time and exits are diagnostic and may reflect either useful exploration or unclear expectations.

### Can the heading test be extended to other page types simultaneously?

Keep the scope within the defined category area. Changing campaign, product and blog headings together changes the experiment. Check mobile wrapping and truncation.