How to Get Honest Website Feedback (That's Actually Useful)
Your friends say your site looks great. Your mom loves it. But conversions are dead. Here's how to get brutally honest feedback that actually helps.
Your coworker: "It looks great!"
Your friend: "I love the design!"
Your mom: "That's wonderful, dear!"
Your conversion rate: 0.8%
Everyone says your website is amazing. But nobody's buying.
The problem? They're lying to you.
Here's how to get feedback that's actually honest - and actually useful.
Why Most Feedback Is Useless
People lie to be polite.
Your coworkers don't want to hurt your feelings. Your friends don't want to seem mean. Your mom thinks everything you do is perfect.
Even when they try to give honest feedback, they don't know what to look for:
- They focus on colors and fonts (irrelevant)
- They say "looks good" without testing the UX
- They miss critical issues (slow load times, mobile bugs, confusing copy)
- They can't articulate WHY something feels off
The feedback you need:
- "Your value prop is confusing - I don't know what you sell"
- "Your CTA button is invisible on mobile"
- "This page loads in 8 seconds - I'd bounce"
- "The headline is vague corporate nonsense"
The feedback you get:
- "Looks nice!"
- "Maybe try a different shade of blue?"
- "I like it!"
The 7 Ways to Get Actually Honest Feedback
1. The 5-Second Test (DIY, Free)
How it works:
Show someone your landing page for exactly 5 seconds. Then close it.
Ask them:
- What does this company do?
- Who is it for?
- What action should you take?
If they can't answer, your page fails the 5-second test.
Why it works: Forces brutal honesty through speed. They can't overthink or sugarcoat.
Pros:
- Free
- Fast
- Hard to fake
Cons:
- Requires recruiting test subjects
- Only tests first impression (not full UX)
2. Ask Strangers on Reddit (Free)
Where to post:
- r/roastmylandingpage
- r/SaaS
- r/web_design
- r/Entrepreneur
- Industry-specific subreddits
How to get honest feedback:
Don't say: "Check out my new website! Thoughts?"
Say: "Roast my landing page. Be brutal. I need honest feedback, not compliments."
Example post:
"Roast my SaaS landing page. Don't hold back. I've gotten too much polite feedback from friends. I need to know what actually sucks so I can fix it. URL: [your page]"
Why it works: Strangers have zero reason to be polite. They'll tell you exactly what's broken.
Pros:
- Free
- Brutally honest
- Multiple perspectives
Cons:
- Quality varies (some great, some meh)
- Can be discouraging if they're TOO harsh
- Response time varies (hours to never)
3. AI Roast (Fast, Cheap)
How it works:
AI tools like PageRekt analyze your page and give unfiltered feedback across multiple dimensions:
- Business viability (CEO perspective)
- Visual design (Designer perspective)
- User experience (UX perspective)
- Technical performance (Developer perspective)
- Conversion tactics (Marketer perspective)
- Copy/messaging (Copywriter perspective)
Why it works: AI has no feelings to hurt. It tells you exactly what's broken without sugar-coating.
Example feedback you'll get:
- "Value proposition is vague. Nobody knows what you sell." (harsh but true)
- "CTA button is gray on gray background. Invisible." (specific)
- "Page loads in 8.7 seconds. 53% of users will bounce." (data-driven)
- "Zero social proof. Why should anyone trust you?" (uncomfortable question)
Pros:
- Instant (2 minutes, not 2 days)
- Brutally honest (no politeness filter)
- Multiple expert perspectives
- Cheap or free
Cons:
- AI-based (may miss niche context)
- Not human intuition
Get Brutally Honest AI Feedback →
4. Hire an Expert (Expensive, High Quality)
Where to find them:
- RoastMyLandingPage ($350)
- Freelance UX/CRO consultants ($200-500)
- Agencies ($1,000+)
How to get honest feedback:
When you hire them, say:
"I need brutal honesty, not polite feedback. Tell me exactly what sucks. I can handle it."
Most experts will hold back unless you explicitly ask for unfiltered truth.
Why it works: You're paying for honesty. They have no reason to sugarcoat (unlike friends/coworkers).
Pros:
- Deep expert insights
- Strategic positioning advice
- Industry-specific knowledge
- Can ask follow-up questions
Cons:
- Expensive ($200-500+)
- Slow (24-72 hours)
- Single perspective (one expert's view)
5. User Testing Services (Medium Cost)
Tools:
- UserTesting.com ($50-100 per test)
- Maze ($0-99/month)
- Lookback ($0-200/month)
How it works:
Real users complete tasks on your site while thinking out loud. You watch videos of their confusion, frustration, and where they get stuck.
Why it works: You see REAL people struggle with your site. Can't argue with video evidence.
Example insights:
- "I don't understand what to do next" (at your CTA)
- "This is taking forever to load" (before bouncing)
- "Wait, how much does this cost?" (confused pricing)
Pros:
- Real user behavior (not opinions)
- Video evidence (can't be disputed)
- Catches UX issues experts might miss
Cons:
- More expensive than AI ($50-100)
- Slower than AI (hours to days)
- Requires setup/recruiting
6. Analytics Don't Lie
Your data is honest feedback:
High bounce rate (70%+): Your page isn't meeting expectations
Short time on page (under 30 seconds): Value prop isn't clear
No scroll depth: Content above fold is failing
Zero CTA clicks: Button is invisible or offer sucks
Mobile traffic bounces more: Your mobile UX is broken
How to use it:
Look at your worst-performing pages. That's your honest feedback.
Why it works: Numbers don't have feelings. 75% bounce rate means 75% of people hated what they saw.
Pros:
- Free (you already have analytics)
- Objective truth
- Statistically significant
Cons:
- Tells you WHAT is broken, not WHY
- Requires interpretation
Related Reading
Once you get honest feedback, here's how to act on it:
- Why Is My Landing Page Not Converting? - Fix the 10 most common issues
- Website Looks Unprofessional? - 8 credibility fixes
- Free Landing Page Roast Tools - Where to get feedback
7. The "Drunk Friend" Test
How it works:
Get someone slightly drunk. Show them your landing page.
Ask: "What does this do?"
Drunk people have zero filter. They'll say exactly what they think.
Why it works: Alcohol disables the politeness filter.
Pros:
- Hilariously honest
- Free (if you were drinking anyway)
- Memorable feedback
Cons:
- Not scalable
- Ethically questionable
- Results may vary by alcohol content
The Honest Feedback Strategy
Use multiple sources to triangulate the truth:
Week 1: AI Roast (2 minutes)
- Get instant brutal feedback from PageRekt
- Fix critical issues (speed, mobile, CTA, value prop)
Week 2: Reddit + Analytics (ongoing)
- Post on r/roastmylandingpage for diverse opinions
- Watch bounce rate and time on page
Week 3: User Testing (if budget allows)
- Run 5 user tests to see where real people struggle
- Fix UX friction points
Week 4: Expert Review (optional)
- Hire a human expert for strategic depth
- Get positioning and messaging advice
Total investment: $0-$400 (depending on how deep you go)
Result: Actually honest feedback from multiple angles
How to Handle Brutal Feedback
Don't take it personally. They're roasting your landing page, not you.
Look for patterns. If 3 people say your value prop is confusing, it's confusing.
Prioritize impact. Fix critical issues (speed, mobile, CTA) before nice-to-haves (button color).
Implement and test. Don't just collect feedback. Actually fix things.
Measure results. Did bounce rate improve? Did conversions go up? If yes, the feedback was good.
The Feedback Nobody Wants to Hear (But Needs To)
After roasting hundreds of landing pages, here's the honest feedback most people avoid:
"Nobody knows what you sell."
Your value prop is vague. "Innovative solutions" could be anything.
"Your page is slow as hell."
8-second load time = instant bounce. Compress your images.
"This looks unprofessional."
Stock photos, inconsistent fonts, broken mobile layout. Looks like a scam.
"Why should I trust you?"
Zero testimonials, no social proof, asking for credit card details. Red flags everywhere.
"Your CTA doesn't tell me what happens next."
"Submit" isn't clear. "Start Free Trial - No Credit Card Required" is.
"The mobile experience is broken."
60% of traffic is mobile. Your page is unreadable on phones.
Get Honest Feedback Right Now
Stop asking people who are too polite to tell you the truth.
Get roasted by AI that has no filter:
Get Brutally Honest Feedback →
6 AI bears will tell you exactly what's broken. No sugarcoating. No politeness. Just honest feedback in 2 minutes.
Then actually fix it.
Your conversion rate will thank you.