I've worked with hundreds of Shopify businesses of all types, and one thing is clear: most are eager to experiment and improve their performance. That's exactly the right mindset. But before you jump into testing, it's essential to make sure the foundation of your store is solid - your Shopify store health must come first.
What A/B Testing Is (and What It Isn't)
A/B testing means splitting your traffic between two or more versions of a page to see which performs better. You might test a simple change, like a button colour or headline, or experiment with a complete product page redesign. Shopify A/B testing can be powerful, but it only delivers meaningful insights when your site is already performing smoothly. Testing on a poorly performing store will often disguise the real issues rather than solve them.
When to Start Testing
It's tempting to dive straight into testing, but if your store isn't technically sound, you'll be testing on unreliable data. A healthy Shopify store is one that loads quickly, works consistently across devices, and is easy to navigate.
Shopify stores are constantly evolving - new products, banners, apps, and custom features are added all the time. While Shopify has improved how public apps clean up after uninstalling, older themes often contain legacy code, unnecessary scripts, or old snippets that slow down page speed. A slow site means slower sales, no matter what you test.
Browsers and devices also move quickly. Add in changing shopping habits and new tools like Google's UCP with Shopify, and the message is simple: if you're not maintaining your store regularly, you're falling behind.
Think of it like a car or home maintenance schedule. You wouldn't wait for a breakdown before checking things over. Regular Shopify store performance audits should ensure the site works as expected on both old and new browsers. If any user can't add to cart or complete checkout due to technical issues, that's your priority - not testing.
What to Test vs What to Improve
Not everything needs an A/B test. Some improvements are simply best practice.
- Fixing bugs is a given.
- Anything that improves page speed without changing functionality should be implemented straight away. Slow loading times are proven conversion killers.
- Adding new content, products, or missing information doesn't usually require a test.
But some changes, like altering content layout or navigation priority, are great testing candidates. For example, if analytics show a high-performing page buried deep within your navigation, bring it forward in the menu - a quick win that doesn't need testing. But if a page is underperforming and you're unsure why, that's worth testing. Use data to identify where people drop off in your conversion funnel, then design experiments to learn more.
Key Areas to Prioritise
Focus your testing efforts where visitors make key decisions:
- Navigation and site structure
- Product pages
- Landing pages and campaign entry points
High traffic and high-impact pages are often the best places to start. Use data from Shopify Analytics or tools like Hotjar or GA4 to identify friction points and prioritise from there.
How Much Traffic You Need
A/B testing requires enough visitors and conversions to be statistically reliable. As a rule of thumb, aim for 1,000-2,000 visitors per variant - so if you're testing your homepage with 50/50 traffic split and get 5,000 visits per week total, each version gets 2,500 visitors weekly. At a typical 2-3% conversion rate, that's 50-75 orders per variant per week, enough for reliable results in 2-4 weeks. Smaller stores with 500 visits/week might only get 7-8 orders per variant weekly, needing 6-8 weeks minimum. Low traffic stores should focus on high-impact pages and be patient - ending tests early risks misleading results.
How to Run Your Tests
Choosing the right tool for Shopify A/B testing depends on your goals and setup. Options vary by complexity, cost, and how much developer involvement they require. If you're new to CRO, try sequential testing - run one version for a set period, then another, comparing results afterwards. It's a simple and accessible way to begin building a testing culture, even if it's less precise than real-time split testing.
Shopify's Own Testing Tool: Rollouts
Shopify announced its own native A/B testing feature, Shopify Rollouts, in the Winter Editions '25 release. This new tool will make experimentation easier directly within the Shopify admin, enabling merchants to test features, content, and design changes without third-party setups. You can learn more and sign up for updates here:
Shopify Editions Winter 2026 - Rollouts
Final Thoughts
Before investing time and money into experiments, make sure your Shopify store is technically sound. Conduct a store performance audit, clear out redundant code, fix user experience blockers, and optimise page speed. Only then will your A/B testing results reflect what truly matters - how your customers respond to great design, seamless performance, and clear messaging.
A/B testing is the final layer of a well-optimised store, not the starting point. Nail the health first, then experiment with confidence.