Best practice isn't always the best option
Unpopular opinion: Best practice isn't always the best option.
I'm sure we have all heard at some point, "that's best practice", shortly followed with a "we don't need to test it" or "our competitors are doing it".
I have come up against this a lot, reasons why something doesn't need to be tested. The problem with blindly following best practise is that it doesn't take into account your specific audience, their journey or your business.
Here's an example - placing CTA's high up the page or 'above the fold'. As a best practice, this is a good principle. But in this example, the product being promoted was complicated and needed some consideration from the customer. Placing the CTA high up on the page was the wrong thing to do - customers were ignoring it because they were still making decisions. The audience wanted to ensure the product was correct as it had a sentimental and emotional attachment. We tested an alternative layout, where the CTA was placed lower down the page. There was an appropriate introduction and explanation about the product, taking into consideration the specific audience. This way, we found a better customer experience and a better outcome for the business.
Best practices are great guiding principles, but they shouldn't be used as a reason not to experiment.
