Three months ago, we wrapped up a website project that should have taken weeks but dragged on for multiple months. The culprit? A broken review process.
Sound familiar? If you’ve ever found yourself in revision hell where feedback is unclear, stakeholders contradict each other, and deadlines keep slipping, you know exactly what I’m talking about.
After that painful experience, we completely overhauled how we handle website reviews. The result? Our last three projects finished on time, with fewer revisions and happier clients.
Here’s what changed.
The old way (that wasn't working)
Our previous review process looked something like this:
- Send a staging link to the client
- Wait for feedback via email
- Try to interpret vague comments
- Make changes based on our best guess
- Repeat until everyone gives up or the budget runs out
It was inefficient, frustrating, and produced mediocre results. The worst part? We thought this was normal.
The better way (that saved our sanity)
Now our process looks completely different:
1. Set clear review expectations upfront
Before the first review, we explain exactly how feedback should be provided and what makes for actionable comments. We share examples of helpful vs. unhelpful feedback and set a timeline for each review round.
This simple step eliminated a huge amount of the confusion right away.
2. Use a dedicated review tool
Instead of collecting feedback through email or chat, we now use a visual annotation tool that lets reviewers pin comments directly to website elements.
This change alone cut our revision cycles in half. When someone can point exactly to what they’re talking about and everyone can see all comments in context, miscommunication practically disappears.
3. Implement structured review rounds
We now limit reviews to specific rounds with clear purposes:
- Round 1: Focus on layout, structure, and major elements
- Round 2: Review content, imagery, and functionality
- Round 3: Final polish and details
Each round has a deadline and a scope. This prevents the endless "just one more thing" cycle that kills timelines.
4. Consolidate stakeholder feedback
Multiple reviewers no longer send separate, often conflicting feedback. Instead, we ask clients to designate a feedback coordinator who collects and resolves internal conflicts before sending us the final review.
This step alone prevented countless headaches and contradictory revision requests.
The results speak for themselves
Since implementing this new process:
- Projects now finish noticeably faster on average
- We've managed to reduce amount of revision rounds
- Client satisfaction has noticeably improved
- Our team reports significantly less frustration
The most surprising benefit? Better end results. When feedback is clear and focused, we can actually implement it properly instead of guessing what the client wants.
Tools make the difference
Having the right tools is crucial for this process to work. We tried several options before landing on Huddlekit, which offers the perfect balance of simplicity and functionality.
What makes it work for us:
- Anyone can leave feedback without creating an account
- Comments are pinned directly to elements
- You can view the site at different screen sizes
- All feedback lives in one place, not scattered across emails and messages
Start with one change
If you're struggling with a broken review process, you don't have to overhaul everything at once. Start by implementing a proper visual feedback tool. It's the single change that will have the biggest impact.
From there, you can gradually refine your process until website reviews become something your team actually looks forward to, not dreads.
Ready to transform your review process? Give Huddlekit a try and see the difference for yourself.
