How to give feedback on a website (so it actually gets fixed)

Most website feedback fails in one of two ways. Either it’s vague (“the homepage feels busy”), or it’s a long email that mixes typos, layout problems and new ideas in one paragraph. Both cost an extra round of changes. Here’s a simple way to review a site that gives designers and developers something they can act on straight away.

1. Agree what you’re reviewing

Before you start, be clear about the stage. Feedback on a first design should be about structure and message. Feedback on a site that launches tomorrow should be about broken links and typos. Mixing the two leads to big changes late in the project, which is when they’re most expensive.

It also helps to know who the page is for and what it should get them to do. Judge the page against that, rather than against personal taste.

2. Review in order: big picture first

Work from the top down:

1. Purpose. Within five seconds, can you tell what the page offers and what to do next?
2. Structure. Are sections in a sensible order? Is anything missing, or repeated?
3. Content. Is the copy final, accurate and easy to scan?
4. Visual design. Hierarchy, spacing, brand colours and fonts, image quality.
5. Details. Spelling, prices, dates, links, form messages.

If something big is wrong at step 1 or 2, say so and stop there. Polishing a section that is about to be cut wastes everyone’s time.

3. Point at the exact element

“The button” could mean any of six buttons. The fastest fix is to put your comment directly on the thing you mean. You can do that by taking a screenshot and marking it up with arrows and numbers (our free screenshot annotator does this in your browser), or by using a feedback tool where reviewers click on the page itself.

In edits.io you paste the page’s URL, it captures the full page, and reviewers click anywhere to leave a numbered comment. Because the capture doesn’t change, comments stay attached to the version you reviewed even while the developer keeps working.

4. Describe the problem, then suggest a fix

Compare these two comments:

• “Make the header smaller.”
• “On my laptop the header takes up half the screen, so I can’t see what the page is about without scrolling. Could it be shorter?”

The second one explains why, which lets the designer choose the best fix. Maybe the image can be cropped, or the headline can move up. Good feedback says what’s wrong, where, and why it matters. A suggested fix is welcome, but it’s the reason that helps most.

5. Separate must-fix from nice-to-have

Label each comment so the team can prioritise. A simple scheme works:

• Must fix: wrong information, broken functionality, legal or brand problems.
• Should fix: things that hurt clarity or conversion.
• Idea: things to consider, now or later.

6. Check the things people forget

Before you sign off, run through the parts of a site that are easy to miss:

• The page on a phone, not just a resized browser window.
• Every form: does it submit, and does the confirmation make sense?
• Error and empty states, such as a 404 page or a search with no results.
• Page titles and the image that appears when the link is shared.

Our website launch checklist covers these in more detail.

7. Keep all feedback in one place

If five people send comments by email, someone has to merge them, and contradictions get missed. Ask everyone to comment in the same place, and nominate one person to make the final call when reviewers disagree.

A quick example

Here’s what a useful set of comments on a pricing page might look like:

1. Must fix: The annual price on the Pro card says $190 but the checkout shows $199.
2. Should fix: The monthly/yearly toggle is easy to miss. I didn’t notice it until the third visit.
3. Should fix: On mobile, the comparison table needs sideways scrolling and the plan names scroll out of view.
4. Idea: Could the FAQ answer whether we can switch plans later? That’s the question I’d have.

Each one says where, what and why, and the labels make it obvious what to do first.

Summary

• Know the stage of the project and judge the page against its goal.
• Review from big picture to details.
• Put each comment on the exact element.
• Explain the problem, not just the fix.
• Label priorities and keep everything in one place.

Want to try it? Create a free edits.io account, paste a URL, and send the link to your reviewers. They can comment without signing up.