A Total Transformation
Johnston now believes that experimentation has completely transformed his organization. “We've gone from sitting around a table debating hunches and opinions,” he confesses, “to trying things out on a small percentage of our traffic with open minds and eager anticipation.”
He also has this message for those just dipping their toes into the experimentation world—don’t be timid. “The idea of subjecting your site to a new platform, experimentation, and personalization can all be pretty intimidating,” Johnston points out, noting that, “Once you start, you realize it's not so scary and it actually mitigates the risk of making changes.”
Perhaps the most compelling observation Johnston made was this: experimentation changes people. They begin to think differently, feel more involved, see the impact of their ideas, and with that comes a tremendous amount of satisfaction.