Menu Language Testing

Shaan Puri shares a powerful story about how A/B testing menu language dramatically improved his online sushi restaurant's performance.

The Sushi Restaurant Experiment

• Shaan and his partners started an online sushi restaurant while at Duke University
• They consulted with behavioral economist Dan Ariely (author of "Predictably Irrational")
• They implemented systematic A/B testing by alternating menu versions day by day
• They tracked daily revenue and conversion rates to measure effectiveness

Key Findings from A/B Testing

Price Testing

• Counterintuitively, raising prices increased both revenue and conversion rates
• Lower prices made customers perceive the sushi as "cheap" and therefore low quality
• People don't want "cheap sushi" as it's perceived as "the worst sushi"

Language Testing

• They tested three different models of menu language
• Original "accessible" version: simple descriptions (e.g., "Philadelphia roll: salmon and cream cheese wrapped up, tastes great")
• Enhanced version: added descriptive language highlighting quality (e.g., "fresh never frozen Atlantic hand-caught salmon")
• More descriptive language significantly improved conversion rates
• The sushi industry, like wine, benefits from creating its own specialized language
• Detailed descriptions make knowledgeable customers feel smart and like insiders

Impact of A/B Testing

• Not just a minor improvement but "a two x three x type of improvements" by stacking these techniques
• Showed that restaurants should A/B test their menus but most don't
• Demonstrated that marketing isn't just a superficial addition but can "dramatically change your business"
• The same product sold with better words can create a "multiplier on success"

Broader Lesson

• Marketing and language choice are fundamental to business success, not just add-ons
• The way you describe your product can be as important as the product itself