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How to A/B Test Product Page Template in Shopify to Boost Conversions [2026]
To sell your product effectively, first, your product page has to sell.
And when you find it hard to achieve the desired outcome, something needs to change on your product page template. What should be changed? Well, you need to decide it by A/B testing your product page template.
So, in this blog post, we’ll go through a detailed guide on how to A/B test product page templates for your Shopify store and increase your conversion rate.
Let’s briefly go through the basics first!
What is Product Page A/B Testing in Shopify?
Product page A/B testing is a technique to compare two different versions of a product page template to identify which one brings more conversions.
In Shopify, there are mainly three types of product page templates:
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Default product page template that comes with your Shopify theme
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Custom-designed product page template with the Shopify native editor
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Product page template designed with a page builder app like GemPages
How Does Product Page A/B Test Work in Shopify?
Using a Shopify A/B testing app like GemX, you can test two different versions of your product page template. Let’s understand this with a hypothetical example:
As you can see, the total website traffic is divided into two equal parts and sent to product page version A (Control) and B (Variant). The control version with a “free shipping bar” got 5% conversion rate. The variant template with a “social proof bar” got a 10% conversion rate.
Conclusion: The A/B test was successful, as we found a winner (variant) product page template, which will help us get a higher conversion rate.
Why A/B Test a Product Page Template?
There are several benefits to conducting A/B testing on your Shopify product page template.
Improve your conversion rate
If your conversion rate is lower than the benchmark, it’s high time you consider A/B testing for your product page. With proper A/B test implementation, you can identify the areas of improvement in your template and boost your conversion rate.
Enhance the user experience
While most eCommerce brands leverage A/B testing to increase the conversion rate, there’s more you could do with A/B test insights. By conducting an A/B test for UX improvements in your template, you can ensure your visitors not only convert but also keep coming back.
Drive a certain purchase event
The primary conversion event on a product page may vary depending on business requirements. A subscription-based brand may want to aim at increasing the conversions of the subscription offer versus getting one-time sales. Thus, such brands may focus on A/B testing the subscription offer on the product page template.
Step-by-Step Guide on How to A/B Test a Product Page Template in Shopify
Now, let’s go through the detailed guide on conducting an A/B test on your Shopify product page:
Step 1: Define the Hypothesis for the Test
First off, we need to finalize the hypothesis or the type of test.
And the interesting thing here is that you could test your product page two ways: A. Single element testing, and B. The entire template testing. So, defining a hypothesis is necessary to decide on which type of template test you’re going to conduct for your product page.
Now, let’s understand both of these hypothesis types in more detail with examples:
Hypothesis Type A: Testing a single variable or element on your product page template
Here, we’re testing only one variable or element at a time on your product page template.
When you’re trying to identify the impact of certain element(s) on your product page, you should test only one variable at a time. If you test multiple variables in a single test (e.g., headline copy + CTA button), you won’t be able to identify which exact element caused the change in the result.
Here’s an example hypothesis based on a widely used template from Craig Sullivan, a conversion optimization expert:
Theory: Based on the conversion rate and product page session data, we believe that displaying a lifestyle image above the fold instead of a product-only image to all visitors will make the product more appealing and entice them to go for the purchase.
Validation: We will know this when we see an increase in the conversion rate.
Outcome: This will be good for our business because it will help us validate the product page design template and increase our overall revenue.
Apart from the primary image on the product page, here are some important elements that impact the conversion rate:
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Product title
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Social proof (Customer rating & reviews, press mentions, expert reviews, etc.)
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Offer (% discount, subscription deal, free shipping offer, etc.)
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Payment options (Installments, “Buy now, pay later” offer, etc.)
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Trust badges
Pro Tip: When deciding which exact element you should pick for the test, don’t just go with guesswork. Remember to use your data and observations related to customer behavior. For example, heatmap observations for your product page could give you signals about which elements are being checked the most and which ones are ignored by your customers.
Hypothesis Type B: Testing “Shopify theme’s default product page template” vs “Product page template designed with GemPages”
Meaning, conducting an A/B test on a template level altogether. This way, you can identify which template is more effective from a conversion standpoint.
Let’s go through an example hypothesis for this scenario:
Theory: Based on the conversion rate and product page engagement data, we believe that displaying a product page template designed with GemPages to all visitors will make the product storytelling more engaging and encourage them to go for the purchase.
Validation: We will know this when we see an increase in engagement and conversion rates.
Outcome: This will be good for our business because it will help us validate the product page design template and increase our overall revenue.
Basically, we’re changing the scope of the test in the second hypothesis, but ultimately, the primary goal remains the same, i.e., to increase our revenue with a higher conversion rate.
Step 2: Create Two Versions of the Product Page Template
Once you have the hypothesis ready, it’s time to prepare both versions of the product page:
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Original (Control) version
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Variant version with the defined changes
If you’re using GemPages, creating different versions of your product page is quite easy. You can easily customize your product page template using its visual drag-and-drop editor.
GemPages is one of the most popular page builder apps for Shopify, with a rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars from more than 3,000 reviews.
Also, if you want to A/B test your Shopify theme’s default product page template with a conversion-optimized template, you can use a professionally designed product page template from GemPages.
When using the GemPages product page template, its striking design gives your brand a premium feel and helps you stand apart from other Shopify stores.
Step 3: Set Up “Template Testing” Using GemX
Now, it’s time to set up your product page versions for the test.
GemX: CRO & A/B Testing app is built specifically for that — with our years of experience and expertise in CRO and A/B testing.
Install the GemX app and start your free trial. Go to the GemX dashboard, and click the “Create new experiment” to begin setting up your A/B test.
Now, you’ll have two options:
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Template testing: This testing feature lets you test a single template. Thus, you can A/B test both hypothesis scenarios we discussed: 1. Testing one product page variable at a time, and 2. Testing the entire product page template.
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Multipage testing: This feature covers a much broader scope. GemX also lets you test A/B test two complete store experiences — instead of testing just one page.
Of course, for this tutorial, we’ll go with the “Template testing” feature.
Now, select both templates that you need to test. For example, here, we’re selecting the Shopify theme’s default product page template vs. a GemPages product page template.
Now, both of your templates are ready in the experiment.
Step 4: Set Up the Advanced Conditions for the Test
With GemX, you can set up advanced conditions/settings that will make your A/B tests more specific and precise. Let’s go through each setting to understand its role in the test:
4.1. Choose the Winning Metric
Your winning metric could be either “Conversion” or “Revenue”, depending on your business goal. Now, at first, you might think — isn’t it the same thing?
Well, yes and no. In some cases, more conversions mean more revenue, but it’s not always the case. Some tests focus on conversion actions that may not necessarily add towards the revenue goals of the business.
For this particular case of product page A/B testing, we’ll go with the “Conversion” metric, as our goal is to increase the conversion rate of the product page.
4.2. Select the Device Types
If you want to perform the test for specific device type(s), GemX allows you to do so.
4.3. Select the Visitor Types
This could be an important setting if your hypothesis was defined to target specific visitors only — new or returning. For this guide, we’ll go with both types of visitors.
4.4. Choose the Traffic Sources
You can either select all the traffic sources or specific ones based on the audience you’re targeting for your test. For example, if you want to test the behaviors of specific visitors coming from paid campaigns, you can select “Paid social” and “Paid search” and exclude the rest.
For this test, we’ll go with all traffic sources.
4.5 Define the Traffic Split
Ideally, your traffic should be split equally, i.e., 50% for each product page template, so that both variants are given equal opportunity to prove themselves.
4.6. Select “Market & language”
If you want to test your product page template for specific market(s), GemX lets you define that condition as well.
Now, if you’re still finding it difficult to set it up for some reason, don’t worry — the GemX team is there to help you! Just click the Question/Help icon, and you’ll find the option for “Setup guide”, “Chat with us”, and “Book a call with us”.
Step 5: Run the A/B Test
Once everything is set up, click the “Start experiment” button, and your A/B test will go live in a matter of seconds.
After starting the experiment, you can go to the “More options” button, where you’ll find more options to view analytics, rename your experiment, the page link, and the option to end the experiment.
Step 6: End the Test and Implement Changes
By the way, you also get a quick overview of your live experiment in the GemX dashboard with key data points such as Conversion, Revenue, and Visitors. Plus, click on the Analytics icon to expand more detailed data points.
Now, here are a few important things to keep in mind before you end the test:
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Timeline of the test: Make sure to allow your A/B test the required time (minimum two weeks) to gather reliable insights.
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Statistical significance: You must achieve the statistical significance of 95% (or at a minimum 90%) to ensure the result you obtained is reliable and has not occurred by fluke.
After considering these aspects, and once you’ve found the winning product page template, end the test and implement the changes on your Shopify store.
Step 7: Document the A/B Testing Insights
Last but not least, document the insights you gather from your product page test.
Regardless of the test results, make it a practice to write down key notes from your test results and observations. These insights could be helpful in your future marketing campaigns.
Choose the database tool of your choice, e.g., Notion, and document the test outcome and observations whenever you perform any sort of A/B test for your store.
Final Thoughts on Product Page Split Testing
The product page is one of the most crucial pages on your store. After all, it directly impacts your revenue. Every element you place on it requires careful consideration.
A/B testing can be your master tool to not only enhance these elements in terms of their design but also define their proper placement. Also, you need to conduct various experiments at regular intervals based on your strategy.
So, don’t forget to install the GemX: CRO & A/B Testing app if you haven’t already. You can just start with a FREE trial — and initiate your product page template test right away.
To learn more about other eCommerce marketing strategies, tools, and best practices — check out more resources on the GemPages Blog. Also, join the GemPages Facebook community to network and learn from like-minded entrepreneurs and experts.
FAQs About Product Page A/B Testing
