Product Detail Page
Struck-Through Old Price A/B Test on Product Pages
A genuine former price can give visitors a reference for the current offer. Repeated or implausible discount claims may seem less credible. This test adds a reference price; it does not change the selling price or create an additional discount.
A/B test scenario. This page is a test plan, not the result of a real experiment.
- Product page
- Revenue per visitor (RPV)
Control vs Variant
Absent on one side, present on the other.
- Changed
- Presence
- Page
- Product page
- Difference
- added
Hypothesis
If a former price that was actually charged appears struck through next to the selling price, visitors may compare the offer against that reference and see it as a better deal. With the selling price and discount terms unchanged, that reference alone could improve revenue per visitor (RPV).
Test plan
When to run this test
Sometimes a product is genuinely discounted, yet session recordings show shoppers pausing at the price and leaving without adding to cart, or surveys and tickets show the discount goes unnoticed. If the former price works as a reference, that arm sees more add-to-carts and purchases with no harm to gross margin or returns. If shoppers stall on shipping costs instead, look there first; also confirm the former price was actually charged and meets the target market's reference-price rule. Keep the actual price fixed, and run the test only while the reference applies so the anchor never implies a permanent discount.
How to measure success
Revenue per visitor (RPV)
Use revenue per visitor as the primary metric, even if an anchor price increases conversion.
Also track
- Purchase conversion rate (CR)Review purchase rate alongside revenue.
- Add-to-cart rateCheck whether shoppers take the first purchase step.
- Gross marginTrack product mix as well as fixed discount terms.
- Return rateTrack returns over the same period in both arms.
How to set it up
- Former priceAdd a verified former price with a strikethrough.
- Other badgesKeep existing badges; testing percentage versus amount saved is separate.
- Prior exposureReview predefined groups with different prior campaign exposure.
- DeviceCheck readability on desktop and mobile.
- Price bandsReview relevant price bands defined before launch.
What to watch when reading the result
- 1Judge the anchor on revenue per visitor; even if conversion or add-to-cart rises, do not ship the anchor when RPV or gross margin slips. Product mix can shift even with fixed discount terms, so track margin in each arm.
- 2Read the result separately by the predefined price bands and by groups with different prior campaign exposure, since shoppers who see frequent promotions may find the reference less credible. Give returns the same waiting period in each arm before comparing them. Also check that badges never round the discount up; an inflated figure mixes the anchor's effect with the exaggeration.
- 3If the result is unclear, do not comb through price bands after the test to find one that wins. Check whether the conversion gap goes beyond chance with the A/B test significance calculator; it does not test revenue averages, so treat the RPV gap with the same caution. If the revenue gap still leaves both a gain and a loss possible, hold off on making the anchor permanent.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which amount can be shown as the previous price?
Use the reference required by the target market’s applicable period and lowest-price rule, including product or service exceptions. A price merely used at some point is not automatically a lawful reference.
Which groups should be examined?
Use RPV as the primary outcome. Examine predefined prior-campaign exposure and price bands. Monitor margin because the purchased-product mix can change even with fixed discounts.
More tests in Product Detail Page
All testsPlain Studio Shot or Lifestyle Photo A/B Test
Product pagePurchase conversion rate (CR)
A test idea comparing two professional photo styles, a plain-background shot against an in-use scene, and what each one reveals or hides about the product.
Testing Fit Feedback Votes on a Fashion Product Page
Product pageSize-related return rate
Experiment example adding runs-small, true-to-size and runs-large votes to a fashion product page, with return rate as the metric under observation.
Size Selection in a Bottom Sheet or Inline A/B Test
Product pageAdd-to-cart rate
A test idea comparing a bottom sheet size picker with an inline one, covering one-handed reach against fewer steps and add-to-cart as the metric.