Does a single-column checkout lift desktop conversion?

Our desktop checkout used a 2-column layout. We tested a single column, about 66% of the page width, that gave the form fields more room. Over 12 days, conversion fell 5.0%, short of our confidence bar.

Not significant Desktop 12 days Not called

SURFACE

Checkout

DEVICE

Desktop

VERTICAL

Ecommerce (B2C)

PRIMARY METRIC

Conversion rate

VARIATIONS

1

The hypothesis

By moving to a single column that gives the fields more room, we will focus visitors on checkout and ease anxiety, resulting in more completed registrations.

A 2-column checkout asks visitors to read across and down at once. A single, wider column gives each field more room and a clear top-to-bottom path.

What we changed

2-column checkout replaced with a wider single column

Var A moved the desktop checkout to a single column taking about 66% of the page width. The form fields got more room, and the price ended up lower on the page.

VAR A: INCREASE FOCUS

Single column at about 66% width
More room for the form fields

The result

Conversion fell 5.0% with a single column, short of our confidence bar

CONVERSION RATE

-5.0%

Over 12 days, the single column converted 5.0% worse than the original. Completed orders moved a little in the first week, but the results ended flat, so we paused the test after 12 days and moved on to the next round.

What we would do next

Keep the price high on the checkout page

The single column may have pushed the price too far down the page. Seeing the price early may help set what visitors expect to pay. A next test would keep the price near the top while giving the fields more room.