The CRO track of BRAUZZ.: Subscriptions and A/B testing
BRAUZZ. is a Ghent-based startup on a mission to make cleaning more sustainable. They sell ecological cleaning products - from toilet cleaners and laundry detergents to dishwasher tablets - and have already won multiple sustainability awards for their approach.
Founded in 2020 by Lowie Vercraeye, Ruben Renaer and Manush Barvar, BRAUZZ. scaled fast. In just one year, they grew their monthly revenue from €10,000 to €100,000. From day one, subscriptions were a key part of their growth strategy, but scaling them properly within Shopify turned out to be more challenging than expected.
The challenge
BRAUZZ. had already taken their first steps with subscriptions using Shopify’s native subscription functionality. While this worked initially, it quickly showed its limits:
- limited flexibility and customisation
- no support for all European payment methods
- difficult to optimise and experiment with
- not future-proof for rapid international growth
On top of that, BRAUZZ. wanted to actively optimise how subscriptions were marketed, without hurting overall conversion rates or annoying customers. They needed a setup that allowed them to test, learn and scale fast.
Our approach
We’ve been a partner of BRAUZZ. since day one. After launching a new website based on designs from an external agency, the next step was clear: build a stronger subscription foundation and start optimising conversion through experimentation.
1. A stronger subscription setup with Firmhouse
Because Shopify’s native subscriptions couldn’t support BRAUZZ.’s ambitions — especially around European payment methods — we partnered with Firmhouse.
Why Firmhouse?
- support for local European payment methods
- flexibility for advanced subscription logic
- built for subscription-first businesses
We built a custom integration between Shopify and Firmhouse, allowing BRAUZZ. to keep their Shopify storefront while handling subscriptions through Firmhouse seamlessly. Customers are redirected during checkout, while everything behind the scenes stays perfectly connected.
2. CRO through A/B testing
Once the technical foundation was solid, we focused on conversion rate optimisation.
Using tools like VWO and ShipScout, we continuously tested:
- shipping fees and free-shipping thresholds
- messaging around subscriptions
- how 'pushy' subscription prompts could be without backfiring
For subscription optimisation, we tested three variants with increasing visibility and urgency. We closely monitored:
- overall conversion rate
- subscription-specific conversion rate
- customer behaviour after seeing pop-ups
- differences between desktop and mobile
This data-driven approach allowed us to push subscriptions just enough, without hurting UX or one-off sales.
The result
The impact was clear:
- Subscription conversion rate nearly tripled, from 0.61% to 1.79% in the winning variant
- Overall conversion rate increased by 0.5%, including both subscriptions and one-off purchases
- Subscription messaging became more effective without increasing bounce or frustration
Even after implementation, we continued monitoring performance using GA4 and GTM, ensuring the pop-ups stayed helpful rather than annoying. If engagement drops, the setup allows us to instantly adjust or disable elements, keeping optimisation safe and controlled.
For BRAUZZ., subscriptions are a growth engine. By combining the right tooling (Firmhouse), custom development, and continuous CRO through A/B testing, we helped them scale subscriptions in a way that fits both their customers and their ambitions.
