Providing effective feedback during a website build ensures your project stays on schedule and meets your expectations. From written notes to video recordings, understanding the best practices for website revisions helps designers implement your vision accurately and efficiently.
When chatting with the numero® website team there is one frustration which happens more than any other.
We are waiting for client feedback.
Why is this such a big issue?
Project management timelines are based on ‘dependencies’ – these are tasks which must be completed before another task can be started. And we don’t do anything without client approval. Some clients trust us with pre-approvals – but that’s never the case when we are building websites.
Website builds are different. They’re personal – businesses have high standards and it’s important that brand values and tone of voice are accurately reflected in the build. This requires dialogue and feedback between the numero team and the client.
How to give website revisions / feedback as a client
Rapid Slabs and Precast is a client who gave good website feedback. Let us show you.
Here’s a picture taken from a document they made. Each change is circled in red ink and on the right the instruction about what to change is made clear.
Different types of feedback
Sometimes you know exactly what you want changed – like the apostrophe in the example above.
Other times you may have a question or be unsure which version is better. Take a look at this image – the top remark is a simple instruction to make a change. The lower one makes it clear what the end result the client wants – more distinction between the job title of the person and their name – but the client wasn’t sure exactly how to achieve this.
This is good feedback. Because we now know that there’s an issue – and our designers can use their design skills to present solutions. You don’t have to know the answer when giving feedback – it’s fine to ask for alternative layout options.
Other ways to give feedback
If you aren’t a fan of the written word, you can also easily give feedback using video. Loom is a great free software tool that allows you to make a video which is up to 5 minutes long.
It shares your screen so you can load up the site and then describe your feedback and use your mouse as a pointer or to highlight the area you are talking about.
I recorded this from our own website as an example for you.
Website build delays
The inspiration for this article came from a post shared on LinkedIn – here it is and my reply.
Hi, my name’s Kim, and I’m going through a rebrand.
One that was meant to be finished 𝙨𝙞𝙭 𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙝𝙨 𝙖𝙜𝙤.
Back in 2013, I paid someone on Upwork to do my logo. I did not expect to keep them as long as I did, but a decade flashed by and here we are.
Earlier this year, I decided we’d grown up a bit and it was time to get the experts in. Proper job. Big thanks to Gemma Ede, Monsoon Creative, and Alex Browning. (They’ve been incredible!)
The problem? Me.
How much time does this take? 𝐋𝐨𝐭𝐬.
How much did I have? 𝐍𝐨𝐧𝐞.
Am I scared about the rebrand? Not really. It’s time the brand “grew up.” We’ve got exceptional clients, and the new version reflects that.
Did I completely underestimate how much time it would take? 𝐘𝐞𝐬. 𝐁𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐬.
Now I’m paying for it. The website should 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 launch this November. I’ve learnt my lesson. I promise. Anyways, I’m tired.
Rebranding experts out there: Any tips from lessons learnt the hard way?Our founder Richard couldn’t wait to reply… because we KNOW that this happens too often. And this was his advice.
Briefing designers takes practice
You will only build a website once every 3-4 years but you probably work with graphic designers and web designers more regularly. There’s an amazing book which was written by a designer and explains in how to get what you want from creative people. It’s in the form of short letters – each chapter addresses a different situation. And it’s beautifully designed, as you’d expect from a designer.
I commend it to you.
