What to do when you don't have a baseline

It's not always possible to find a clear baseline for your metrics. In these situations, you can use the following strategies to set your own "lines in the sand":

1. Look for diminishing returns

As you optimize a metric, you'll eventually see the rate of improvement slow down. This is a sign that you're approaching a local maximum.

By plotting your results over time, you can see this trend and get a sense of what's achievable. This can help you decide when to stop optimizing a particular metric and move on to something else.

2. Use your own data to create a baseline

Even if you don't have industry-wide data, you can use your own data to create a baseline. By tracking your metrics over time, you can establish what's "normal" for your business.

This can be a useful benchmark for measuring your progress and making decisions. It can also help you to identify trends and patterns in your data that you might not have otherwise noticed.

The key is to be consistent in your tracking and to use the data to inform your decisions.