- −21,3%cancellations before shippingShip date and timeline in the buy box
- +5,7%conversion rate"Why made-to-order costs less" after the buy box
- −12,8%exchangesFit advice under the sizes
The longest wait in the category, mentioned last
Made-to-order is this brand's whole model: it's why the shoes cost $249 instead of $370. It also means a long wait. The buy box showed the price, "You save up to $121 vs traditional retail", colors, soles and a size button. The date the shoes would ship was one line in a "Shipping details" block near the bottom.
I put the ship date and a three-step timeline in the buy box
Right under the price, a panel says "Handmade for you · Ships February 2027" and shows three steps: you order today, the workshop makes your pair in 150+ steps by hand, it ships in February 2027. The same date is in the button's questions, and the closing call to action says it again.
Conversion principleSet expectations before the commitment, not after (expectation management). A known wait with a reason is accepted; a surprise wait gets cancelled.
A/B test result: −21,3% cancellations before shipping from this change, tested against the original page
I explained why made-to-order costs less, right after the buy box
"You save up to $121" had no reason next to it, and a low price on a handmade shoe makes people suspicious. The first section after the buy box now explains it: shops order shoes months ahead, store them and discount what doesn't sell. Making to order skips that, and the savings go into the leather and the craft. A bar shows where a $370 retail price goes, next to the $249 one.
The anatomy of the shoe, how to wear it and the workshop (founded in 1945, 137 employees) follow, then reviews, questions, a closing call to action and a full footer.
Conversion principleExplain a low price, or shoppers assume a catch (price justification). The wait and the price are one story.
A/B test result: +5,7% conversion rate from this change, tested against the original page
I added fit advice under the sizes
The size grid had a link to a size guide and nothing else. Now a short note sits directly under it: order your usual size in other quality dress shoes; standard D width with a roomy almond toe; between sizes or wide feet, ask before you order. Reviews can be filtered by fit.
Conversion principleAnswer the fit question where the size is chosen (decision support). Every exchange on a made-to-order shoe is another long wait.
A/B test result: −12,8% exchanges from this change, tested against the original page
BeforeAfter↔Why these changes worked
For a made-to-order shoe the wait is part of the product. Hidden 7,700 pixels down, it surprised buyers after they paid. Shown in the buy box with a three-step timeline, it cut cancellations before shipping by 21,3%.
Explaining why made-to-order costs less turned a suspicious discount into a reason to buy, and conversion rose 5,7%. Fit advice under the sizes cut exchanges by 12,8%.