Alchemy Worx recently ran an A/B split test for contemporary furniture retailer Vänt Panels pitting creative with customer reviews against creative without reviews. We talked about it in a recent blog post. 

Reviews aren’t the same as images 

While similar tests for other merchants yielded some positive results for creative with customer reviews, they flopped for Vänt Panels.

The no-review campaign drove a whopping 121% more revenue and a 181% higher average order value than the campaign with a review.

This result might lead someone to conclude that customer-generated content is simply a no go for Vänt Panels.

However, it turns out that’s not the case.

Customer photos can perform even when reviews don’t 

In another test for Vänt Panels, Alchemy Worx A/B split test creative featuring Vänt Panels professionally staged photos against customer-created photos that had been posted on Instagram.

The creative with customer photos won decisively, driving 50% more revenue and a 105% higher conversion rate.

“Buying any home décor or furniture is a big decision for most people,” says Allan Levy, CEO of Alchemy Worx. “It involves planning and practicality, but above all it is very emotional. Will it fit in with my home’s current look? Does it fit with how I perceive myself?”

Also, Vänt Panels’ style is very sleek and contemporary and may be a little intimidating for people contemplating making the leap from more traditional decor, Levy adds.

“I think the professionally staged photos are beautiful, but sometimes can get in the way of people envisioning Vänt Panels’ products in their homes,” he says. “On the other hand, the customer-created photos look like places we can all envision ourselves living in. They have a certain authenticity that professional photos can’t match.”

If we had stopped testing when we found that customer reviews simply weren’t helping Vänt Panels achieve their goals, we might never have discovered the power of customer photos. Testing helped us prove the power of photos for Vänt Panels

As a result of this test, Vänt Panels has begun incorporating customer-created photos in all its email campaigns.

At Alchemy Worx, we test everything. You should, too. For more information on how to partner with Alchemy Worx, contact us.