Common Website Mistakes 4: Rejecting Feedback

Many people think that rejecting feedback is a deliberate act, while most of the time it is a result of passivity. I believe that the majority of rejection is subtle and comes into play even before collecting feedback, e.g. by not even providing means to do so. The result of this is a multitude of different justifications why feedback is undesirable right now. Here are a few arguments that I have heard again and again in my career.

We already collected feedback

This argument is typically the result of a usability test conducted at a very early project stage. Although the project scope and the resulting product changed in the meantime, the results of this usability test are still presumed valid. The truth is: No one knows if this is actually the case. Small modifications can change the experience substantially, so you might want to conduct another usability test for the current project stage.

We cannot afford to shift our focus now

This is a common argument in waterfall projects. It is fueled by the fear that collecting feedback might change the direction of the project, incurring additional efforts. If you hear this argument, chances are the project is not in a good shape and is experiencing delay. It is quite schizophrenic if you think about it, since it basically means We know we are moving in the wrong direction, but we decide to continue.

We do not seem professional

This argument is based on the assumption that asking users for their opinion is perceived as weakness. In my experience, that is not the case. Especially if you have a good relationship with your customers, they will happily take the opportunity to contribute. Note that this does not necessarily apply to all industries.

We know what's best

If you hear this argument, the website owner is quite confident in the product. Although such strong confidence can be beneficial, do you really think there is nothing your users can contribute? Your customers spend a lot more time with your product than your team - If not, you're doing something very wrong. Luckily you do not hear this argument very often nowadays.

What you can do

Website owner

Do these arguments sound familiar? Some of them make sense in some situations, but be sure to check your perspective every once in a while. Are you doing things because they make sense or because you were always doing them a certain way? Not every problem is a nail and you might benefit from insights of your customers.

Management

Conway's Law indicates that the approach to your website might be a product of your company's communication structure. If rejecting feedback - open or concealed - is part of your company culture, chances are high that your projects will reflect that. Embrace feedback as an opportunity and utilize it to your advantage.

Don’t Cling to a Mistake Just Because You Spent a lot of Time Making it. - Aubrey de Grey

What do you think?

Do you agree? Did you experience situations where printing culture slowed down your publication process? Is this article helpful and would you enjoy similar content? Let me know in the comments.

Aknowledgements

Photo by Patrick Hendry on Unsplash