Improving Conversion and Revenue: Lessons from 5 AB Tests at Sprout Social
A/B testing isn’t just about making small tweaks—it’s about deeply understanding user behavior, refining user journeys, and optimizing for revenue growth.
At Sprout Social, I had the opportunity to run 20+ structured A/B tests on high-traffic pages, leading to:
+ 42.75% increase in trial signups
+ 26.7% boost in demo requests
+ 80.57% uplift in click-through rates (CTR)
This post breaks down five high-impact A/B tests, what we learned, and how you can apply these insights to their own growth strategies.
Improving Conversion and Revenue: Lessons from 5 AB Tests at Sprout Social
A/B testing isn’t just about making small tweaks—it’s about deeply understanding user behavior, refining user journeys, and optimizing for revenue growth.
At Sprout Social, I had the opportunity to run 20+ structured A/B tests on high-traffic pages, leading to:
+ 42.75% increase in trial signups
+ 26.7% boost in demo requests
+ 80.57% uplift in click-through rates (CTR)
This post breaks down five high-impact A/B tests, what we learned, and how you can apply these insights to their own growth strategies.
Experiment 1: Increasing Demo Requests with CTA Placement on Mobile
🎯 Hypothesis:"By making the demo CTA more prominent on mobile, we expect a lift in demo conversions."
⚙️ Test Setup:
Increased the presence and frequency of the demo CTA on mobile pages.
Focused on higher-visibility placements without disrupting UX.
📊 Results: Net Loss
✅ Demo requests increased by +4.83% 🚀
❌ CTR dropped by -35.3%
❌ Trial signups decreased by -7.25%
❌ Closed won deals down by -19%
💡 Key Takeaway:
It may be odd to start by sharing a test that lost, but even tests that don't confirm your hypothesis are opportunities to learn.
In this case, while easier demo conversions created a better user experience for some mobile visitors, ease of conversion didn’t mean quality of leads. The test reduced closed-won deals by 19%, showing that our trial process was more effective at converting mobile visitors into customers than a direct demo request.
Experiment 1: Increasing Demo Requests with CTA Placement on Mobile
🎯 Hypothesis:"By making the demo CTA more prominent on mobile, we expect a lift in demo conversions."
⚙️ Test Setup:
Increased the presence and frequency of the demo CTA on mobile pages.
Focused on higher-visibility placements without disrupting UX.
📊 Results: Net Loss
✅ Demo requests increased by +4.83% 🚀
❌ CTR dropped by -35.3%
❌ Trial signups decreased by -7.25%
❌ Closed won deals down by -19%
💡 Key Takeaway:
It may be odd to start by sharing a test that lost, but even tests that don't confirm your hypothesis are opportunities to learn.
In this case, while easier demo conversions created a better user experience for some mobile visitors, ease of conversion didn’t mean quality of leads. The test reduced closed-won deals by 19%, showing that our trial process was more effective at converting mobile visitors into customers than a direct demo request.
Experiment 2: Sticky Blog Sidebar Ads to Improve CTR & Trial Signups
🎯 Hypothesis: "By making the right rail ad sticky, it will follow users as they scroll, keeping it visible and driving more conversions."
⚙️ Test Setup:
Implemented a sticky right rail advertisement on blog pages to keep the trial CTA visible while users scrolled.
📊 Results: Major Win
✅ CTR increased by +80.57% (99% statistical significance)
✅ Trial signups increased by +42.75%
💡 Key Takeaway:
Keeping high-intent CTAs persistent led to a massive increase in engagement and conversions without disrupting the reading experience.
While this test didn't track conversions all the way through to revenue due to limitations of the time, this impact was enough to implement the winning variant.
Experiment 2: Sticky Blog Sidebar Ads to Improve CTR & Trial Signups
🎯 Hypothesis: "By making the right rail ad sticky, it will follow users as they scroll, keeping it visible and driving more conversions."
⚙️ Test Setup:
Implemented a sticky right rail advertisement on blog pages to keep the trial CTA visible while users scrolled.
📊 Results: Major Win
✅ CTR increased by +80.57% (99% statistical significance)
✅ Trial signups increased by +42.75%
💡 Key Takeaway:
Keeping high-intent CTAs persistent led to a massive increase in engagement and conversions without disrupting the reading experience.
While this test didn't track conversions all the way through to revenue due to limitations of the time, this impact was enough to implement the winning variant.
Experiment 3: Optimizing the Sprout Social Homepage for Conversions
🎯 Hypothesis: "Creating a more detailed landing page for the annual Sprout Social Index would give visitors more context and encourage more downloads."
⚙️ Test Setup:
Tested two Sprout Social Index page variations with different content structures and CTA placements.
Focused on optimizing the hero section, CTA clarity, and user flow.
📊 Results: Moderate Win
✅ Download conversion rate improved by +11.22%
💡 Key Takeaway:
Even small homepage layout changes can drive double-digit conversion lifts.
While this test was specific to one gated asset, we rolled out the winning test variant to Sprout Social's 50+ gated assets for additional conversion improvements.
Experiment 3: Optimizing the Sprout Social Homepage for Conversions
🎯 Hypothesis: "Creating a more detailed landing page for the annual Sprout Social Index would give visitors more context and encourage more downloads."
⚙️ Test Setup:
Tested two Sprout Social Index page variations with different content structures and CTA placements.
Focused on optimizing the hero section, CTA clarity, and user flow.
📊 Results: Moderate Win
✅ Download conversion rate improved by +11.22%
💡 Key Takeaway:
Even small homepage layout changes can drive double-digit conversion lifts.
While this test was specific to one gated asset, we rolled out the winning test variant to Sprout Social's 50+ gated assets for additional conversion improvements.
Experiment 4: Adding More Demo CTAs to the Navigation
🎯 Hypothesis: "Making demo buttons more prominent in navigation alongside the trial CTA will give users multiple conversion options, increasing overall revenue by improving the user conversion experience."
⚙️ Test Setup:
Adjusted the visibility and prominence of the demo CTA in the top navigation.
Ensured the CTA was visible on every key page without additional clicks.
📊 Results: Win
✅ Demo requests increased by +26.7%
❌ CTR dropped significantly (-52.79%)
❌ Trial signups fell (-17.74%)
✅. Closed-won deals increased by +33.23%
✅ Total MRR increased by +29.52%
💡 Key Takeaway:
While initial results can look like a loss, it's important to be patient and wait to see how the test impacts your major down-funnel goals. In this case, while the CTR and trial signups dropped, our overall win rate and closed-won monthly recurring revenue was up.
This is because we gave users the option to convert in whichever form they preferred, creating a better user-experience and leading to more revenue..
Experiment 4: Adding More Demo CTAs to the Navigation
🎯 Hypothesis: "Making demo buttons more prominent in navigation alongside the trial CTA will give users multiple conversion options, increasing overall revenue by improving the user conversion experience."
⚙️ Test Setup:
Adjusted the visibility and prominence of the demo CTA in the top navigation.
Ensured the CTA was visible on every key page without additional clicks.
📊 Results: Win
✅ Demo requests increased by +26.7%
❌ CTR dropped significantly (-52.79%)
❌ Trial signups fell (-17.74%)
✅. Closed-won deals increased by +33.23%
✅ Total MRR increased by +29.52%
💡 Key Takeaway:
While initial results can look like a loss, it's important to be patient and wait to see how the test impacts your major down-funnel goals. In this case, while the CTR and trial signups dropped, our overall win rate and closed-won monthly recurring revenue was up.
This is because we gave users the option to convert in whichever form they preferred, creating a better user-experience and leading to more revenue..
Experiment 5: Exit Intent Popups for Trial & Demo Pages
🎯 Hypothesis: "An exit intent popup offering a trial/demo will recover lost leads and increase conversion rates."
⚙️ Test Setup:
Implemented exit intent popups across key landing pages.
Used different variations for trial users vs. demo seekers.
📊 Results: Win
✅ CTR skyrocketed by +140.14%
❌ Trial signups decreased by -3.43%
✅ Demo requests increased slightly
✅ Monthly recurring revenue: +30%
💡 Key Takeaway:
Exit intent popups grab attention and improve engagement, but they don’t necessarily drive trial signups (and they're not always a fan favorite).
That's why this test required us to monitor not just improvements in conversion but ensure there was no significant degradation in user-experience.
For SaaS companies, exit popups should be used to retain visitors and redirect them to high-value content, rather than relying on them as primary conversion drivers.
Experiment 5: Exit Intent Popups for Trial & Demo Pages
🎯 Hypothesis: "An exit intent popup offering a trial/demo will recover lost leads and increase conversion rates."
⚙️ Test Setup:
Implemented exit intent popups across key landing pages.
Used different variations for trial users vs. demo seekers.
📊 Results: Win
✅ CTR skyrocketed by +140.14%
❌ Trial signups decreased by -3.43%
✅ Demo requests increased slightly
✅ Monthly recurring revenue: +30%
💡 Key Takeaway:
Exit intent popups grab attention and improve engagement, but they don’t necessarily drive trial signups (and they're not always a fan favorite).
That's why this test required us to monitor not just improvements in conversion but ensure there was no significant degradation in user-experience.
For SaaS companies, exit popups should be used to retain visitors and redirect them to high-value content, rather than relying on them as primary conversion drivers.
Final Takeaways: What We Learned from A/B Testing
First, there's no one-size-fits-all for AB testing. Sprout Social is a unique company with a unique audience, and what worked on their site may not work on your own.
The tests above are what I have personal experience with and the synthesis below is a representation of my own thoughts and not that of Sprout Social.
You're going to lose (but can win more)
Not every test is a winner. A hypothesis is "a tentative assumption made in order to draw out and test its logical or empirical consequences". So no matter how strongly you believe something will occur, until it's proven, it's just an assumption.
But that doesn't mean you can't do anything to improve your results. By better understanding your customer and website visitor pain-points, you can create better hypotheses with an increased confidence.
Collect and analyze user data with tools like Google Analytics, Fullstory, or UserTesting, then use that data to identify audience pain points you can help solve.
Stick to the kitchen sink
When creating AB tests, most marketers imagine a grand change in an entire page or website, testing everything but the kitchen sink. While there is a time and place for those types of tests, it's better to build momentum and trust through iterative testing.
Simple changes to your website can lead to massive improvements and are much easier to build, QA and launch.
It's all about the user
Adding more CTAs to your website will almost certainly increase your conversions, but at a cost. If you don't monitor how these new ads are perceived by your loyal audience, you risk alienating them completely. Especially when it comes to intrusive ads like Exit Intent.
Make sure to monitor user engagement when adding new CTAs to your site to ensure you don't come off as spammy. Check out your visitors average session duration, engagement rate, boounce rate, and more to paint the picture of their website experience.
I hope this helps you run your own AB tests with more confidence. I'll be sure to keep this page updated with new tests I run and continue to expand on the key take-aways!
Final Takeaways: What We Learned from A/B Testing
First, there's no one-size-fits-all for AB testing. Sprout Social is a unique company with a unique audience, and what worked on their site may not work on your own.
The tests above are what I have personal experience with and the synthesis below is a representation of my own thoughts and not that of Sprout Social.
You're going to lose (but can win more)
Not every test is a winner. A hypothesis is "a tentative assumption made in order to draw out and test its logical or empirical consequences". So no matter how strongly you believe something will occur, until it's proven, it's just an assumption.
But that doesn't mean you can't do anything to improve your results. By better understanding your customer and website visitor pain-points, you can create better hypotheses with an increased confidence.
Collect and analyze user data with tools like Google Analytics, Fullstory, or UserTesting, then use that data to identify audience pain points you can help solve.
Stick to the kitchen sink
When creating AB tests, most marketers imagine a grand change in an entire page or website, testing everything but the kitchen sink. While there is a time and place for those types of tests, it's better to build momentum and trust through iterative testing.
Simple changes to your website can lead to massive improvements and are much easier to build, QA and launch.
It's all about the user
Adding more CTAs to your website will almost certainly increase your conversions, but at a cost. If you don't monitor how these new ads are perceived by your loyal audience, you risk alienating them completely. Especially when it comes to intrusive ads like Exit Intent.
Make sure to monitor user engagement when adding new CTAs to your site to ensure you don't come off as spammy. Check out your visitors average session duration, engagement rate, boounce rate, and more to paint the picture of their website experience.
I hope this helps you run your own AB tests with more confidence. I'll be sure to keep this page updated with new tests I run and continue to expand on the key take-aways!