WHY YOU NEED AN OUTSIDE PERSPECTIVE
This week, Rebecca reflects on the power of inviting an outside perspective on a recent website design project.
I’d read and re-read the copy.
And then re-read it again.
I’d spent a full month immersed in this project — writing, refining, and tweaking every sentence until it felt perfect. I knew the material inside and out. So when a colleague sent back a Google Doc filled with suggested edits, I was a little surprised. But even more, I was so grateful!
Some of the comments were stylistic preferences. But many of them pointed out unclear phrasing or moments where the meaning didn’t land the way I intended. There were things I had completely missed, not because I wasn’t careful, but because I’d been too close to the work for too long.
That second set of eyes made the piece exponentially better. And it reminded me of something I already knew, but that’s easy to forget when you’re deep in a project of your own: we all need an outside perspective.
When you spend enough time with something — copy, art, or, our personal favorite, a website — you stop seeing it the way other people do. Your brain fills in gaps automatically. You skim instead of read. You know what you meant to say, so you assume that’s what’s being communicated.
This is why proofreading your own work is so difficult. It’s not a lack of skill; it’s just human nature and limitations. That’s also why I’ve always made it a habit to have someone review anything that’s going public like email newsletters, website copy, and especially print materials.
It’s not because I don’t trust my work — I do! But I’m also invested. I’m attached. And I’ve been staring at it for too long.
Your website has the same problem.
Your website might look “fine” to you. You know where everything is. You know what every headline means. You know your services and your value.
But your visitors don’t.
They’re arriving with fresh eyes, limited attention spans, and zero context. They don’t care how long you spent choosing the wording or perfecting the layout. They only care if it makes sense to them and if they can find what they need.
When you design your own website [or keep endlessly tweaking the same one] you’re designing from the inside out. You’re making decisions based on what feels right to you, not what’s clearest to someone seeing your brand for the first time. And that’s unfortunately where things start to break down.
Why Outsourcing Website Design Works
We’re website designers, so of course we recommend hiring someone to design your site. It saves you time and ensures your website is optimized for your audience.
But the biggest benefit is that an outside designer hasn’t been staring at your site for months. They aren’t emotionally attached to specific phrases, images, pages, or ideas. They experience your website the same way your audience does! They’re able to notice when something is confusing, feel where the flow breaks, and see what’s missing.
A good website designer isn’t just making things look “pretty.” They’re creating a space where people can find the information they need to make the decision to work with you. Because at the end of the day, that’s what your website is there for, right?
We sometimes hear from people that they feel a little defeated when they finally reach out for help with designing their site. There’s sometimes an assumption that outsourcing means giving up control or taking an easier route. “I know my business better than anyone else, so I should be able to design my own site.” In reality, it’s the opposite.
Inviting an outside perspective means you care enough about the end result to challenge your own assumptions. It means you’re willing to see your brand the way your customers do, not the way you wish they did. It shows that you’re truly invested in your success.
Are you ready to outsource your website design? Let’s chat! We’d love to help.
—RK
