Does removing the homepage left navigation lift conversion?
The desktop homepage had a left navigation menu as well as the main menu in the header. We tested removing it, with and without moving social proof higher on the page. Removing it alone raised conversion rate 30.2% over 14 days.
Won Desktop 14 days Called at 90%
The hypothesis
By removing the homepage left navigation so the page has a single menu, we will cut the choices shoppers face on arrival, resulting in more shoppers moving into the funnel and buying.
The desktop homepage gave shoppers 2 ways to browse: the main menu in the header and a second menu down the left side. With that many paths on the first screen, shoppers can stall before they pick a direction.
A single menu gives a clearer starting point. Removing the left column also freed space, so we tested using it to bring reviews and value props higher on the page.
What we changed
We removed the left navigation and, in Var B, raised social proof.
In the control, the desktop homepage showed a left navigation column beside the main content, plus the main menu in the header. Variation A removed the left navigation, leaving the header menu as the only menu. Variation B made the same cut and also moved social proof and value props higher, which broke the page into clearer sections.
- Left navigation column removed
- Header menu kept as the only menu
- Left navigation column removed
- Social proof moved higher on the page
- Value props brought near the top
The result
Conversion rate rose 30.2% once the left navigation was removed.
Variation A, which removed the left navigation and changed nothing else, won. Over 14 days on desktop, it raised conversion rate 30.2% and revenue per visitor 11.4%. Revenue grew less than orders did, so the average order was smaller.
The results flipped several times in the first weeks, with a lot of noise, before they leveled out.
What we took from it
Removing the left menu on its own helped more shoppers buy.
With 2 menus on the same screen, shoppers had to choose how to browse before they chose what to buy. Taking away the left column removed that step and gave the main content more room. The smaller average order suggests some shoppers bought fewer items, which is worth watching after implementing.