Usability Consultancy, Website Reviews, Website Optimisation

Everyone has an opinion but some are more valuable to you than most. Be careful who's opinion about your website you take literally and which you take with a pinch of salt.

Website Review by your work colleagues
You can ask your staff or your work mates, depending on your position, and you will get opinions about the website you've designed but their opinions can easily be influenced.

Some will give an opinion based on how well they know you - it could influence them to be delicate so that they avoid hurting your feelings.

It may be someone you get along with, have a beer with after work; these people are likely to be nice to you because they look at you as a friend and they don't want to fall out with you.

Perhaps you've asked someone who you don't get along with or someone who is constantly in the firing line (assuming you are their superior) and they could either be influenced to tread carefully (just say what you want to hear) or just make every negative comment they can think of just to annoy you.

Asking family to review your website
Family members, you would think, would be the most honest group of people you could find but they know you well enough to know if you can take it on the chin (or not). If you can't, then they will not give you any negative comments, thus, leaving you with the thought that everything is fine and dandy.

Ask your partner on a day when you've just had a falling-out and you'll get a completely different kind of feedback than you would get in the middle of a day when you've made him or her breakfast in bed.

Just how helpful is a comment like "wow, look what you did, you're so clever"?

Your kids, depending on their ages, will have different opinions purely by what they like and dislike. A teenager might like bells and whistles and all those fancy animated graphics, but if they are bogged down with homework and chores, they might give you 30 seconds of their time and simply say "yeah Dad, it's okay"... And what use is that to you, really?

User testing is crucial and never ends - it takes time and some investment. But the cost is nowhere near what you could be losing if your website is not performing.

Friends - please review my website
Friends are great. There when you need them. But are they going to give you a fair and honest review? Are they really going to tell you something that could ruin your day? They know you inside and out and they know how easily you get wound up or how thick skinned you are. They will be influenced by that and steer their review of your website in a 'safe' direction.

Is it constructive and helpful to hear "nice website buddy"?

Friends also mess about. That's what friends do. In the UK we call it "taking the mickey" and friends do this with each other constantly to "wind you up". So, based on how friendships thrive on banter and and plain silliness, how can you be sure that what one or two friends tell you is actually an honest and useful review?

"Ok, I've heard enough! I need my website reviewed in the next 4 hours"
Order your website review now for just £199
Less than the value of sales you could be losing today - and every day until you know how to get more customers.

Ask a stranger to review your website
A stranger has no emotional baggage. They don't know you and so their comments will be genuine opinions about your website - not about whether they like you or not or whether they don't like your dress sense.

When you say to someone "please review my website" you need honest, clear and valuable insight into their likes and dislikes - not a test about your popularity... So ask the right people.

One or two independent reviews are, by far, more valuable and helpful to you than dozens of comments from friends, family and work-mates who all, for one reason or another, are either treading carefully or just goofing off and not taking your important project seriously enough. Some may look at it as another hair brain idea you've come up with and others may not really "get it" at all.

The other thing is how long will they take? You can't put pressure on friends and family because you are asking a favour and they'll get round to it when they get round to it and not before. Which means you could be waiting weeks to get the feedback you so desperately need.

It's not of any value to hear "sorry, haven't had chance yet - I'll look at it tomorrow".

User testing must be done outside the net of those people who could be influenced by the relationship with the person asking for the review or it will be completely flawed, useless and have no value whatsoever. No-one 'really' wants to say the wrong thing to their boss. No-one really wants to ruin Dad's day and friends don't want to get into a heated debate at the risk of falling out...

You need honest, reliable and valuable feedback...

"Ok, I've heard enough! I need my website reviewed in the next 4 hours"
Order your website review now for just £199
Less than the value of sales you could be losing today - and every day until you know how to get more customers.