Part of: UX
User experience research and development
UX research finds out why visitors struggle on your store, using evidence rather than opinion. We review your analytics, talk to customers, run usability tests and carry out an expert review, including accessibility against WCAG 2.2 AA, then tell you what to fix first.
Is this right for you?
Who it is for
Stores where people reach the site but do not buy or enquire, teams about to redesign who want evidence first, and anyone tired of design decisions made by whoever is loudest.
When it is not
Stores with very little traffic and no customers to speak to, where research has little to work with. Also not the right fit if you already know the problem and just need it fixed.
What is included
- An analytics review, to show where visitors leave and which journeys matter
- Interviews with customers or people who match them
- Usability tests, where people try real tasks on your store while we watch
- An expert review against a structured set of ecommerce or lead-generation checks
- An accessibility check against WCAG 2.2 AA
- A prioritised report with evidence for each finding and a clear order of work
Who UX research is for
UX research helps when you can see the symptoms but not the cause. People visit and do not buy, they add to the basket and leave, or a redesign is coming and you would like it to rest on something firmer than taste.
It is less useful when there is almost no traffic and no customers to speak to, because there is little to study. It is also unnecessary if you already know what is broken and just need it fixed. In that case, you may be closer to conversion rate optimisation.
What is included
We use four sources of evidence and say which one supports each finding. The first is your analytics, which show where people leave. The second is conversation with customers. The third is usability testing, where we watch people attempt real tasks. The fourth is an expert review.
The expert review follows a structured framework. It looks first at the areas that most often block a sale or an enquiry: the first impression and clear next step, navigation, search and filtering, product information, basket and checkout, trust and policies, mobile use, speed and accessibility. Where your site generates leads rather than sales, we review the value proposition, calls to action and forms in the same way.
We check accessibility against WCAG 2.2 AA, including contrast, keyboard navigation with visible focus, labels and clear error messages.
You receive a slide deck of findings ranked by impact and effort, each with its evidence, such as clips, quotes or analytics, and we talk it through on a follow-up call.
How we do it
We agree the questions first, so the research answers something specific. We then gather evidence and write up what we found. Analytics tell us where to look, which is why we often start with your GA4 setup and audit. Recordings and click patterns from heatmapping show what visitors did, and testing helps explain why.
In GA4, funnel and path explorations show where people drop out between steps.
What it costs
UX research is priced by scope, so you can begin with an expert review and add testing where it will help. See pricing for how we approach it.
Priced per project, with a fixed quote in writing before work starts. Up to three rounds of revisions are included. See the pricing page.
What we measure
We do not claim results from research. We report what we found, how we found it and how confident we are. For each issue, we show the evidence, the likely impact and the effort to fix it, so you can choose the order. If you act on the findings, we agree the measures that matter, such as completion of a key journey, and track them against a baseline before and after.
Where it connects
Research tells you what to change, and then the changes need testing. Conversion funnel optimisation takes those findings through the steps from first visit to purchase. When the findings point to a larger change, wireframing and prototyping lets you agree the new structure before anything is built.
How we do it
Every project is different, so timings depend on its size and complexity. You get a realistic timeline in writing before work starts, and we never promise results by a date.
Step 1: Frame
We agree the questions, such as "why do people leave the basket?", and which journeys matter most.
Step 2: Gather
We review your analytics and heatmaps where they exist, and talk to or test with real people.
Step 3: Review
We carry out an expert review with a checklist, covering high-impact areas first, then an accessibility check.
Step 4: Report
We give you findings, ranked by impact and effort, each with the evidence behind it. They come as a slide deck, talked through on a follow-up call.
What it costs
We price this by what you need, so you can start small and add stages later. You see the quote in writing before work starts. Our pricing page explains how we approach design and creative work.
Questions people ask
What is UX research?
It is the work of finding out how real people use your store and where they get stuck. We combine data, conversations and testing, so recommendations are based on what we observe.
How many people do you need to test with?
A small number can reveal the main problems, because the same issues tend to appear repeatedly. We usually start with around five people per round, then test again after changes.
What is an expert review?
It is a structured review of your store against a checklist, covering areas such as the first impression, navigation, search, product pages, the basket, checkout, trust, mobile and performance. It finds likely problems quickly. Testing with real people then confirms which ones matter.
Will you check accessibility?
Yes. We check against WCAG 2.2 AA, covering contrast, keyboard use, focus states, labels and error messages. An automated check cannot find everything, so we also test by hand. WCAG 2.2 AA is the level UK public sector sites are expected to meet. Businesses also have a duty under the Equality Act 2010, or the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 in Northern Ireland, to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people.
Do you need access to our analytics?
It helps a great deal. If it is not set up properly, we say so, and we can look at tracking first through our GA4 setup and audit work.
Will UX research increase conversion?
It identifies the problems most likely to be costing you sales, and fixing them often helps. We cannot promise a particular result, and we say how confident we are in each finding.
Ready to talk it through?
Get a free UX and conversion review of your website, focused on how your creative affects performance. A subject matter expert at Advent reviews it, and we aim to send it within 5 working days.