# Zigzag Section Layout vs Consistent Alignment A/B Test

Page: https://alidemirbas.com.tr/en/lab/ab-test-library/tests/zigzag-section-layout-vs-consistent-alignment-ab-test

## Hypothesis

If images and copy switch sides from one section to the next, visitors may see more easily where each section starts and ends. That could help them scan their way down the page, which in turn could lift completions of the primary action.

## When to run this test

Scroll maps and session recordings are the best places to spot homepage sections blurring into each other: visitors racing past whole sections, or scrolling down and back up again, are the typical marks. If the zigzag sharpens those boundaries, visitors move through the sections in a steadier way and reach the main action more often. If a section has no image that carries meaning, do not add a decorative one just to create the zigzag; check first whether the content itself is clear.

## Primary metric

**Primary action completion rate**: Compare whether alternating image and text placement changes completion of the target action.

## Other metrics

- **Scroll depth**: Check whether more visitors reach the bottom of the page.
- **Section visibility**: Make sure visitors continue to see the sections.
- **Time on page**: Read longer time alongside completion; it can indicate interest or difficulty.
- **Page load time**: Check that the layout change does not increase render time.

## What to check before and during the test

- **Alignment**: Alternate the left-right placement of the same images and copy.
- **Section set**: Keep the number and order of sections, copy and images unchanged.
- **Visual weight**: Keep image sizes and text widths comparable.
- **Progress**: Measure section visibility; do not treat visibility as reading.
- **Eligible layouts**: Exclude mobile layouts where both arms collapse to the same single column.

## What to watch when reading the result

- Deeper scrolling or longer time on page does not justify shipping while primary action completions stay flat, since extra time can also signal struggle. Also confirm that section visibility does not drop and that page load time does not grow.
- What you learn covers only the screens where the two arms really differ, and this set of sections. Mobile layouts that collapse to one column stayed out of the comparison, so do not carry a win straight over to mobile or to another page.
- Keep the reading order consistent in the variant; do not randomly switch between image-first and text-first sections. Keyboard focus and screen-reader order should follow the document order, and a variant that breaks that order for the sake of the layout does not earn a valid win.
- With single-column mobile traffic left out, the sample in the comparison is smaller and the difference may take longer to settle. Before launch, find the sample per variant with the [sample size calculator](https://alidemirbas.com.tr/en/calculators/sample-size-calculator) and divide it by the daily visitors per arm who actually enter the comparison to plan how many days the test stays open. If the gap is still unclear once that time is up, do not call the layout a winner; record the result as inconclusive.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Does longer time mean a zigzag page was read more effectively?

No. Longer visits can reflect difficulty. Use completed main actions as the primary outcome and treat time and section visibility as diagnostics.

### Should mobile traffic be included?

Define eligibility before launch. When both versions collapse to the same single-column mobile layout, they do not estimate a mobile zigzag effect.

### How can zigzag layouts affect accessibility?

Preserve logical reading order and keyboard focus. Moving an image visually must not mix one section’s text with another or damage the document’s meaning.