The Problem
The Method
The Findings
A different perspective: 14.4% of your potential customers might be walking away at checkout not because of price, shipping costs, or product concerns, but because of an invisible fear you're not addressing.
For Sip Tequila, that fear was simple. Premium tequila ships in glass bottles. Glass breaks. And without explicit protection, customers were making the rational calculation that the risk wasn't worth it, no matter how much they wanted the product.
The 14.4% conversion rate increase revealed something significant about their customer base. Roughly 15% of potential customers had been hesitating at checkout specifically due to shipping concerns. These weren't price-sensitive shoppers abandoning carts over cost, they were risk-averse buyers who wanted assurance before completing expensive purchases. That conversion rate improvement translated directly into a 21.8% increase in revenue per visitor, demonstrating how removing a single friction point can compound across your entire sales funnel.
The Challenge
Sip Tequila had built a strong brand selling premium tequila, developed an attractive e-commerce experience, and attracted qualified traffic to their site. But somewhere between adding to cart and completing checkout, a meaningful percentage of customers were walking away.
The problem wasn't immediately obvious in their analytics. Cart abandonment looks the same whether customers leave because of price, shipping costs, payment friction, or unaddressed concerns about damaged products. Without testing, Sip Tequila couldn't identify which friction points were actually costing them sales.
Given the nature of their product, shipping protection seemed like a logical solution. But implementation questions remained: Would adding another decision point at checkout create more friction than it solved? Would customers perceive it as an unnecessary upsell? Would the cost of protection discourage purchases?
Their operations and customer service teams knew shipping issues were expensive. Damaged bottles meant full retail replacements, customer service time, and frustrated customers who might not return. But they needed to know whether customers would value protection enough to improve conversion rates rather than harm them.
The Approach
SavedBy's platform met Sip Tequila's requirements for a clean, transparent implementation. The double opt-in approach placed two buttons on the cart page: one including shipping protection, one without. This gave customers clear agency over their choice without feeling pressured or confused.
The placement strategy focused on the cart experience:
- Clear button presentation at cart stage
- Seamless integration through checkout
- No hidden fees or surprise charges
- Transparent coverage explanation
Using Shoplift's A/B testing platform, Sip Tequila set up a controlled experiment that would generate statistically significant results. The control maintained their standard cart and checkout flow, while the variant introduced SavedBy's protection options.
This approach allowed them to measure actual performance impact across their entire customer base before making any permanent implementation decisions. No guesswork, no assumptions, just data on how real customers responded to real choices.
The Results
After eight days of testing across more than 44,000 visitors, the results showed clear customer preference for having protection options available.
Key metrics:
- Conversion Rate: +14.4%
- Revenue per visitor: +21.8%
- Customer confidence: Measurably improved
The 14.4% improvement in conversion rate translated directly to a 21.8% increase in revenue per visitor. But the impact extended beyond immediate sales numbers.
For Sip Tequila's operations team, SavedBy's commitment to covering replacements at full retail value meant predictable costs and streamlined customer service. When shipping issues occurred, customers filed claims directly through SavedBy's platform, removing burden from Sip Tequila's support team.
What's Next
Based on the test results, Sip Tequila implemented SavedBy across their entire site. The decision was straightforward: a 14.4% CVR improvement and 21.8% RPV lift, combined with operational benefits and improved customer satisfaction, represented a clear win across their Ecomm, CS, and Operations teams.
Looking forward, Sip Tequila expects continued benefits from higher customer lifetime value. Returning customers who've experienced SavedBy's protection, whether they filed claims or simply valued the peace of mind, will likely convert at even higher rates on subsequent purchases.
For customers who have filed claims, the speed and simplicity of SavedBy's process creates positive experiences even from shipping problems. This turns potential negative interactions into opportunities for building long-term loyalty.
Key takeaways
Sip Tequila's test revealed insights that extend beyond shipping protection to broader principles about conversion optimization and customer psychology.
Analytics show the symptom, testing exposes the cause. The 14.4% CVR improvement came from addressing a concern customers never explicitly voiced. They weren't emailing support asking about shipping protection, they were simply choosing not to buy. Standard analytics showed cart abandonment but couldn't reveal why. Testing exposed the true cost of unaddressed anxiety.
Transparency outperforms pressure. The double opt-in approach with two clear buttons gave customers agency over their choice. This transparency likely contributed to the positive conversion impact. Customers appreciated having the option without feeling forced or manipulated into adding protection.
Operational benefits compound over time. The immediate 14.4% CVR lift was significant, but the operational advantages created lasting value. SavedBy covering replacements at full retail value provided cost predictability. The streamlined claims process reduced customer service burden. Happy customers who experienced fast, simple resolution became more likely to purchase again.
Testing reveals customer priorities. Before testing, Sip Tequila could have assumed shipping protection would add unwanted friction at checkout. The data revealed the opposite: customers valued the option enough to convert at meaningfully higher rates. Testing replaced assumptions with evidence about actual customer priorities.
Exclusively for Shoplift merchants, SavedBy will waive their $2,000 implementation fee to get you started with zero upfront cost. Book a call today.
