Page & Process

Research, explained

Why research
comes before
the website.

We learn what your customers need to know. Those answers help us choose the words, pictures and next steps on your website.

See the thinking in practice
Customer questions feed into an understanding of needs, doubts, language and priorities, then become the plan for a useful website page
From what buyers need to know, to what the page needs to do.

The evidence behind the questions

Attention. Confidence.
A manageable next step.

The psychology is practical: respect limited attention, help people resolve uncertainty and make the next step manageable. B2B survey findings and usability research offer different kinds of evidence for those decisions.

B2B buying · 6sense · 2025

94%

Preferences can form before a conversation

In 6sense’s survey, 94% of buying groups said they ranked their supplier shortlist before speaking to sellers.

Design implication
Explain suitability, relevant experience and the buying process while visitors are still evaluating.
What we would check
Can a prospective customer establish whether your service fits their situation?

Nearly 4,000 global B2B buyers; purchases of at least $25,000. This is larger-purchase evidence, not a forecast for a local business.

Read the 6sense report

Eyetracking · Nielsen Norman Group · 2017

Scan

Important answers need to stand out

NN/G’s eyetracking research documents several ways people scan pages. Reading every line is only one way to use a website.

Design implication
Use descriptive headings, short groups of information and meaningful labels.
What we would check
Can someone locate a key answer without working through every paragraph?

Usability evidence across tasks and devices; reviewed in 2026. The familiar F pattern is one observed pattern, not a universal layout rule.

Read the scanning research

Company websites · Nielsen Norman Group · 2019

Trust

Let people assess the real business

NN/G observed users looking for understandable company information, authentic material and ways to reach a real person.

Design implication
Show genuine work where available, explain who is involved and make contact details easy to find.
What we would check
Can buyers verify who they would be dealing with and what happens after an enquiry?

Qualitative corporate-site research; the latest round involved 20 participants. Findings guide decisions, rather than prove a conversion increase.

Read the company-site findings

Service design · GOV.UK · updated 2018

Effort

Give every form question a purpose

GOV.UK recommends deciding why information is needed and how it will be used before adding questions to a form.

Design implication
Request the details needed for the next step, with clear labels and relevant help.
What we would check
Does the buyer understand each question, and can your team use the answer?

Public-service design guidance, not a B2B conversion experiment. The principle needs adapting to your sales process.

Read the form-design guidance

The design implications above are our application of the evidence. Your audience, offer and project constraints still need their own investigation.

Two illustrative decisions

See what the research
actually changes.

These invented service scenarios show the reasoning. They are examples of design choices, not delivered client work or measured results.

Example 01 · Finding the right service

A purchasing engineer needs the right replacement part.

What we learn: dimensions, material and equipment compatibility matter before a buyer can assess a part. A general promise of quality leaves the checking to them.

What changes: the product page groups the specification, relevant images and compatibility information beside a part-enquiry route.

The useful test: ask an engineer to identify a suitable part and find the information needed to confirm it.

Before · broad introduction

An engineering parts supplier

Precision.
Expertise.

A complete range of quality solutions for industry.

Learn more
After · a useful answer

Industrial component · concept

Check the part.
Confirm the fit.

Dimensions, material and compatibility together on the product page.

SpecificationsTechnical drawing
Ask about this part
Example 02 · Starting an enquiry

A workshop manager needs to arrange instrument calibration.

What we learn: the service team needs the instrument type, quantity and location to begin assessing the request. A long company questionnaire gets in the way.

What changes: a short initial brief gathers useful facts. The team can then confirm standards, certificates and practical arrangements with the customer.

The useful test: let someone try the questions; check whether your team can act on their answers.

Enquiry concept · static illustration

A simple place to start

What needs
calibrating?

  1. 01
    Which instruments?

    The type or model helps the team check suitability.

  2. 02
    How many, and where?

    Quantity and location help plan the service.

  3. 03
    How can we reach you?

    Choose a suitable way for the team to reply.

You can discuss the technical details with a person.

How it becomes your website

Evidence informs it.
Your business makes it specific.

Research has a job throughout the project: turn assumptions into choices that can be explained and checked.

  1. 01

    Gather the right material

    Your customer questions, sales conversations, service facts and existing website provide a starting point. We agree whether direct buyer interviews or further investigation would be useful.

    GDS: learning about user needs

  2. 02

    Find the decision that matters

    Identify who is buying, what they need to establish and what might stop them. Keep a clear distinction between confirmed information and a working assumption.

    GDS: mapping the experience

  3. 03

    Make the answer visible

    Choose the page order, wording, genuine proof, original visual direction and next step around those needs. That is what makes the design custom to the business.

    NN/g: how people read online

  4. 04

    Check, then learn from use

    Try realistic tasks before approval. After launch, agree proportionate measurement: useful enquiries, enquiry quality or another relevant outcome. Adjust when there is enough evidence.

    GDS: moderated usability testing

A clearer explanation and fewer avoidable obstacles are useful design goals. Sales also depend on your offer, reputation, pricing and the people reaching the site; no study guarantees enquiries.

WebAIM Million / 202695.9%

of the homepages tested had automatically detected WCAG failures.

Check the experience, too

Looking complete is
only one part of the job.

WebAIM tested one million popular homepages in February 2026. The finding describes detected accessibility barriers, rather than sales, profitability or whether a whole website is successful.

It is a reason to check readable contrast, keyboard use, labels and task completion alongside the visual design. Automated checks cover part of that work; a clean scan does not establish full accessibility.

Read WebAIM’s method and findings

Our current review scope and remaining limits are described in the main Accessibility notes.

Start with something your customers ask

What do buyers need
to know about you?

Bring that question to Darren at DS Repro. We can use it to begin shaping the brief.

Discuss your buyers