New websites are exciting. They can signal amazing shifts for your business – big steps and even bigger opportunities. And if you’re investing in someone to design your website for you, it’s really important that you’re both on the same page. This is where the art of providing valuable feedback to your website designer comes into play.
It’s rare that your website will feel absolutely perfect on the first try. That’s fine! Your website designer will be happy to tweak and adjust until it feels like an ice cold glass of fresh lemonade on a boiling hot day – aka, pure delight.
However, it’s up to you to make sure that your feedback is as useful as possible – us website designers aren’t mind readers, and we’re desperate to get your website to precisely where it needs to be.
So, to get you on your way, I’ve pulled together my 10 top tips for delivering valuable feedback to your website designer.
RELATED: 9 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU HIRE A WEBSITE DESIGNER
Opening up your new website for the first time can be a bit overwhelming. You might be immediately hit with ‘THIS IS THE BEST THING EVER’ or you might even get that creeping feeling of dread that it isn’t what you were expecting.
I always recommend that you sit with these feelings for a while. Look at the website, and then take some time away from it. Look at it again. Start making notes. Look away. Come back (you catch my drift, right?).
Ensure that your feedback is considered, rather than a snap response.
On the other hand, try not to dawdle!
Most website designers will provide you with timelines and deadlines. If you miss these deadlines, it can mean that your website progress has to be pushed back a tad. Wherever possible, strive to keep within the dates and time frames that your website designer gives you. Believe me, it’s for both of your benefit!
Let’s compare these two pieces of feedback:
‘It just doesn’t feel right.’
VS
‘The colours don’t reflect my branding and I’d love some more movement throughout the design.’
Which one do you think a website designer can do more with?
When you’re specific with your feedback, your website designer can do a better job of fulfilling your needs. Asking a designer to ‘jazz the design up’ doesn’t say all that much. However, asking them to ‘add in more of your graphic design elements on the homepage’ is clear and understandable. This will save you SO much time running back and forth due to misinterpretations and hazy requests.
I absolutely LOVE it when a client gives me a real-life example to expand on their feedback. Genuinely – it’s like gold dust.
Often people don’t want to do this through the fear that it’s copying the other person / brand; trust me when I say it’s fine. A good website designer will never copy another business’ online identity, although they will use it to bring context to your needs. Perhaps you want to have a timeline function on your about page, but your website designer isn’t quite nailing how you want it to look. By showing them another example, you can avoid all that wasted time and get to your end goal FAR sooner.
I want to say this one nice and loud for the people at the back – don’t forget your branding!
You need to be sure that your new website is a coherent reflection of your business branding. And that doesn’t just mean your logo and colours. It’s everything – your photos, your copywriting (if the website designer has also sourced a copywriter for you), the way your website is structured, the graphics that you use, the fonts and how they are configured… There’s a LOT to think about, but it’s all incredibly important.
If your website isn’t in line with your brand, then you need to tell your website designer. It’s better to get it right now than to suffer from a disjointed marketing strategy long into the future.
Try not to get bogged down with your personal likes and dislikes – your website isn’t trying to sell to you, is it?
When you give your feedback, always put yourself in the customer’s shoes. What would THEY need to see? What would THEY respond well to?
This is where it’s super important to trust in your website designer’s expertise. Ultimately, your say will always be final – but, if they have a reason for designing something in a certain way for your audience, consider it carefully before throwing it in the rubbish bin.
This is more about the potential for your website – is there anything that you will want to implement in the future that your new website isn’t geared up for?
Examples could be a membership area, a blog, an online store… The list goes on. It’s something to keep in mind, even if it’s just a question as to whether this is something that could be added in later down the line.
Honesty is the best policy. You’re unlikely to offend your website designer if you aren’t head over heels in love with the design – if anything, they’d rather know so that you can be proud of your website once completed.
Tell them the truth. Don’t worry about saying something that isn’t glowingly positive. You’re paying your website designer, and you are well within your right to tell them if the design isn’t working for you.
Saying that… Please be nice! Your website designer is still a human being who has poured a lot of care and attention into your website. Constructive criticism is super important, but straight up criticism can be a tough pill to swallow.
As a rule of thumb, whenever I’m giving someone professional feedback, I ask myself: how would I feel if someone said this to me?
Finally, ask as many questions as you need to. Your feedback may even be entirely made up of questions. And remember – there is no thing as a stupid question! So ask away.
The more questions you ask, the closer you can get to figuring out exactly what you want out of your website. Those questions can lead to new realisations or ideas – throw them at your designer and don’t stop until you know everything that needs to be known. Plus, it gives your website designer the opportunity to explain their own thought process so that you can feel comfortable with their decisions.
If you’re still in the midst of choosing a website designer, here at Littlebigbox we would love to help.
We’re experts in WordPress, eCommerce, SEO and website audits. We also pride ourselves on our openness to feedback and response to constructive criticism 😉
Fancy connecting? Book in for a free consultation and let’s find out more about one another.
(Oh, and if you aren’t quite ready to commit to an entire website, read our blog on the 8 quick website tweaks you can make to boost your brand).
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