profile

One Creative Moment

When in doubt, test it out

Published over 1 year ago • 1 min read

When you want to try something new, it can be tempting to spend hours (or days…or weeks) trying to decide on the “right” path before taking it.

There’s a very human desire to be sure of all (or as many as possible) of the outcomes in advance. Even though it’s in the future, and largely out of our hands, we still want to feel like we’re in control. And usually we do this at the expense of action (and agility).

It’s worth acknowledging that you can’t really know; that life is one grand experiment.

If you’re not sure which of two similar-looking (or even very different) paths to take, why not turn it into a test? Start with whichever comes first on your list, and know that you can change course based on the results.

With websites, emails, and landing pages, I recommend taking one of two approaches:

  • Change everything (radical overhaul)
  • Change one thing (single variable)

Which is right for you depends on what you’re thinking about changing (and why).

Even without the traffic (or tech) to run an A/B test, you can still see the effects of your change if you pay attention. This is particularly true if you take the time to talk to your prospects and customers. (Another topic for another day.)

Happy testing,
James

One Creative Moment

by James E. Turner

One Creative Moment is a daily email for founders, owners, and creators. You'll get insights, irreverence, and inspiration to help you build a better business & live a more creative life.

Read more from One Creative Moment

Not to be that “newsletter recommending” guy, having just yesterday drawn your attention to a new one I’m enjoying. But this has to be done and has to be done now. (I had meant to do it before the start date! But, life…) So I’m sharing this in case you would also find it interesting: Craig Mod’s latest pop-up newsletter, “The Return to Pachinko Road.” It’s, as Craig puts it, “…an 18-day pop-up walk, walking 600km from Kyoto to Tokyo along the Tōkaidō (“Pachinko Road”). Starting on May 14,...

4 days ago • 1 min read

Just read the second issue of a promising new newsletter from Finn McKenty. (I know him from LinkedIn, but am most intrigued by what he has to say about making YouTube work.) It included this painfully true quote: “… opportunities usually go to the people who are the most visible, not to the people who “deserve” them.” If you needed an extra boost to help you put yourself out there (or remind yourself why you’re doing it in the first place), there you go. There I go, too! Be seen, James

5 days ago • 1 min read

Think about the way your living space is set up right now. Has it always been that way? I’m guessing not. And yet, I was reflecting today that to our children, our kitchen/dining arrangement, for example, must seem permanent. Things that to them are the only way-things-can-be are, to us (Kayte and me), more like something we’re trying out “for now.” To them, this house is the seat and centre of tradition. To us, this is our suburban bungalow period. (Note: I’m not saying they’re wrong, nor...

6 days ago • 1 min read
Share this post