Does a progress bar in the header lift desktop checkout?

A progress bar in the sticky header was leading on mobile checkout. We tested the same progress bar in the desktop checkout header. Over 14 days, conversion fell 7.9%.

Lost Desktop 14 days Called at 90%

SURFACE

Checkout

DEVICE

Desktop

VERTICAL

Ecommerce (B2C)

PRIMARY METRIC

Conversion rate

VARIATIONS

1

The hypothesis

By adding a progress bar to the desktop checkout header, we will reduce the sense of complexity and uncertainty, resulting in more completed registrations.

The progress bar was showing a steady lift on mobile checkout, so we ran the same change on desktop at the same time to see whether it would help there too.

What we changed

A progress bar added to the desktop checkout header

We added the progress bar we were testing on mobile to the header of the desktop checkout page, to show visitors how far along they were.

VAR A: PROGRESS BAR

Progress bar added to the checkout header

The result

Conversion fell 7.9% with the header progress bar

CONVERSION RATE

-7.9%

Over 14 days, the version with the progress bar converted 7.9% worse than the original. It did not show the lift we saw on mobile, so we paused it after 14 days.

What we took from it

Users preferred the desktop checkout without the progress bar

Desktop visitors have more room on screen and need less hand-holding than mobile visitors. The progress bar added clutter without helping them. A later version that named each step in a breadcrumb fit the desktop page better and won.