You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know

31 Jul

Why the Basics Matter More Than You Think

Last weekend, I had one of those “wait, what?” moments. While tying my shoelaces, @clairegatenby casually pointed out that I’ve tied my shoelaces backwards. After a few moments of confused comparisons it turns out she was right. For nearly 40 years I’ve not only been tying my shoelaces wrong, I’ve also unknowingly taught this ‘skill’ on to both of our kids too. Who would have known that there was a “right” or “wrong” way to tie a shoelace (I certainly didn’t).

But the more I thought about it, the more it made sense (unfortunately). My laces never stayed tied for long, and hikes often ended with a tangled mess of double and triple knots that were a nightmare to undo. And so, after only 41 years, I decided to re-teach myself the “correct” way to tie my shoes. I wasn’t expecting much if i'm honest but by the end of the week I realised I was only tying my shoes once each day. It’s a small thing (first world problems I know), but it’s made a big difference.

This got me thinking: if, for four decades, I’d been doing something so basic, so unconscious, and putting up with the consequences simply because I didn’t know any better. How many of us are doing the same in other areas of life or business?

When we work with clients on their Shopify sites, especially around conversion rate optimisation, the highest impact recommendations are usually the simplest. They’re not flashy, and they don’t require expensive apps or months of development. They’re common-sense fixes that come from understanding how real customers shop online and through their phones.

That’s not to say there’s no place for apps or advanced features. But getting the basics right, making sure your site is easy to use, fast, and intuitive and unobstructive - lays the groundwork for everything else. When your foundation is strong, every other improvement becomes more effective.

But here’s the catch: