When was the last time you tried something completely new? When we’re growing up our world is full of new experiences and we’re learning exciting, sometimes life-changing things every day. So why do we put the brakes on experimentation? When do we stop being prepared to learn from our mistakes in favour of settling for what we already know?

The digital world gives us a particularly ripe chance to experiment and take those leaps of faith that are needed to learn, develop, and innovate. We recently took such a chance with the jewellery retailer F Hinds in the development of an iPad app (find it on the App Store)  that provides a digital shopping experience in the form of a Christmas watch brochure.

Why take a chance?

If what you’re currently doing appears sufficient, why bother taking a chance? Why attempt to innovate? The first problem here is how do you know how effective your current efforts are?

Traditional forms of media for example don’t offer the same ways of measuring success or engagement as digital forms do. But even digital isn’t immune to a lack of innovation – many businesses do not measure and record data regarding performance, and if they do, they rarely act on that data.

The entire aim of recording data and acting on it is to provide a better experience for your customers. It is your customers you’re innovating for, and when you do, they have a way of rewarding you for your efforts. If you spend time working on your website, improving usability and providing a better experience, that directly translates into more conversions and more sales.

A state of permanent beta

Digital media such as Apps offer a unique situation that is not unlike a permanent state of beta. When you’re working in print media, the final product is more or less fixed. You don’t deliver a final design working on the assumption that it will be changed and tweaked in a few months time; the final design is just that – final.

However, an App, or other piece of digital media such as a website, requires a different mind set altogether. While the digital work you are delivering will be in a “finished” state, you are allowed the opportunity to refine, experiment, test and improve as time goes on.

This isn’t a process that ever reaches a conclusion – you either continually improve or release an entirely new version of your product.

One thing’s for sure: digital is changing the way we think and communicate with our target audiences. So make 2013 the year you start trying new things again. Take that leap of faith. Your first steps in the digital world may not be perfect first time but the flipside is that feedback can be immediate and you have the ability to hone and develop. Embrace the way digital media allows you to experiment in a way print does not.

What leaps of faith are you going to be taking in 2013?