How to Give Clear Website Feedback to Your Designer or Developer
How to review a website design or build and give feedback that gets results: consolidate comments, be specific, use screenshots, separate bugs from changes, focus on goals and stick to deadlines.
On this page
- Consolidate feedback from everyone and decide who has the final say.
- Be specific, use screenshots and explain the problem rather than dictating the fix.
- Separate bugs from changes, review on your phone and meet feedback deadlines.
Unclear feedback is one of the biggest reasons website projects run late and budgets stretch. "Make it pop" or "I don't like it" leaves designers guessing. Clear, organised feedback gets you a better website, faster.
1. Collect feedback in one place
If several people are reviewing, gather everyone's comments first and send one consolidated list. Contradictory feedback from different team members, sent separately, causes rework. Decide who has the final say.
2. Be specific
| Vague | Specific |
|---|---|
| "The homepage doesn't feel right" | "The hero image feels corporate; we'd prefer a photo of our team at work" |
| "Make the text bigger" | "Body text on mobile is hard to read; can it be larger?" |
| "The form is broken" | "Submitting the contact form on iPhone Safari shows an error after clicking Send" |
3. Use screenshots
A screenshot with an arrow or circle is worth a paragraph of text. Include the page URL and the device and browser you used. Some teams use visual feedback tools that let you comment directly on the page.
4. Explain the problem, not just the solution
"Make the button red" is a solution. "People might not notice the enquiry button" is the problem. Sharing the problem lets your designer suggest the best fix.
5. Focus on goals and customers
Ask "will this help customers understand us and enquire?" rather than "do I personally like this colour?". Your customers' needs matter more than personal taste.
6. Separate bugs from changes
- Bugs: things not working as agreed, usually fixed free
- Changes: new ideas or different requirements, which may affect cost and timeline
7. Test on your phone
Most of your visitors use mobile, so review the site on your phone, not just a desktop screen.
8. Respect deadlines
Agree feedback dates in the project plan and stick to them. Delayed feedback is a common reason projects slip; see how long a website takes.
9. Use rounds wisely
If your agreement includes a set number of revision rounds, make each one count by sending complete feedback rather than a few comments at a time.
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