We have a problem.
By “we,” I’m talking about web designers, copywriters, conversion rate optimizers, and digital marketers in general.
The problem is called best practices.
Like a checklist of things to do, we blindly follow our best practices list. We forget why it worked and who it worked for. We just assume it will work again – or continue working today.
And we all know what “assume” does.
That’s the thoughtless and lazy way of applying our craft. You see, instead of actually thinking long and hard about what our clients need – we just apply the latest trend and expect results to show up in a week or two.
The solution to this problem is pretty simple too.
Think.
Think about what your clients care about. Think about why your service is right for them (or not). Think about the things your clients think about.
This is called critical thinking. And it’s amazing how little we practice it.
From there you can start developing creative ideas and tweaking your best practices for them.
It’s ok to be wrong. Just learn and evolve another solution.
Something else you need is bravery. There is a lot of pressure to conform. You will want to do what your boss expects, use the popular trends, or follow your past success.
Conformity just makes you normal. Average. The same.
You’re better than that!
Please share your thoughts. Do you think best practices are a problem? How can we still use best practices for good?
