This use case walks you through how to run a hero section A/B test using GemX Template Testing, including when to use this approach and what elements to focus on for meaningful results.
Why Hero Section Testing Is Important
The hero section is the first part of a page that visitors see when they arrive. A well-optimized hero section can shape the first impressions and guide early user behavior:
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What the page is about
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What value is being offered
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What action they should take next
Any changes you’ve made to the hero section often affect the bounce rate, engagement, and overall conversion performance directly. Testing your hero section allows you to validate whether your messaging, visuals, and layout truly align with user intent.
When Is the Ideal Time to Run a Hero Section A/B Test
Running a hero section A/B test is especially useful when:
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The page has consistent traffic but low conversion rates
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Bounce rate is high or visitors are not scrolling past the first screen
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You recently changed your campaign, audience, or offer
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The page performs “good” but lacks a clear improvement opportunity
Hero section testing is a safe starting point because it does not disrupt the purchasing flow further down the page and allows you to isolate the impact of first-impression changes.
High-impact Elements You Should Test with Hero Section
When testing a hero section, focus on elements that most strongly influence how users perceive the page within the first few seconds.
#1. Messaging & Copy
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Headline style (problem-focused vs benefit-focused)
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Subheading clarity and length
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Value proposition framing
#2. Visual Elements
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Product-focused images vs lifestyle images
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Static images vs video or animation
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Human models vs product-only visuals
#3. Call-to-Action (CTA)
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CTA text wording
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CTA prominence and visibility
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Single CTA vs multiple CTAs
#4. Layout & Structure
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Text-left/image-right vs centered layout
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Content density above the fold
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Spacing between headline, image, and CTA
Pro tip: Test one main hypothesis per experiment to keep results clean and easy to interpret.
How to Run a Hero Section Test using GemX Template Testing (Step-by-Step)
Follow these steps to set up a test campaign for your hero section with GemX.
Learn more: How to Create a Template Testing Experiment
Step 1: Create a new Template Experiment
From your Shopify admin, go to the GemX Dashboard and click Create new experiment.
For this hero section testing, the Template Experiment is the best fit.
Step 2: Select the Control template
In the campaign editor window, click Select a template under the Control box to choose a template from your store. This will serve as the control template of the test.
Step 3: Create and Edit the Variant template
If your Control template is built with GemPages, you can simply click “Create Variant based on Control” to save time and effort.
GemX will duplicate the Control template and bring you to the editor window to edit the duplicated one, which now serves as the Variant template.
From here, you can edit the hero section, such as:
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Changing the hero layout
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Updating CTA copy or styles
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Replacing a static image with a video background
Once satisfied, click Save and Publish to make the Variant template live.
Step 4: Choose winning metrics and segment your traffic
Back to the experiment editor to select the winning metric for your test. You can choose from:
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Revenue: Best for product- or sales-focused pages
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Conversion rate: Ideal for lead generation or signup pages
For the traffic segmentation, you can keep its settings as the default. To configure any segment, hover over each one and click the pen icon.
For example, if you want to drive more traffic to the Control (the Original), you can adjust the Traffic Split to 70-30.
Learn more: How to Configure Your Experiment's Advanced Settings
Step 5: Review and Launch Your Test
It’s highly recommended to review all your test settings before making it live. Once done, simply click Start experiment.
Key Metrics to Track for Hero Section A/B Testing
When analyzing hero section test results, focus on both primary and supporting metrics.
Primary Metrics
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Conversion rate
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Revenue (for transactional pages)
Supporting Metrics
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Bounce rate
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Scroll depth
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CTA click-through rate
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Engagement metrics
Hero section changes often influence early-session behavior, so supporting metrics are important for understanding why a variant performs better or worse.
Learn more: How to View and Read Template Experiment Analytics
FAQs about Hero Section Testing
