One of the most important aspects of development is the User. Research in this area is vital to the sucess of the page, app or content as a whole.
I start by sitting down with the client and asking who they are as a business, getting general and detailed information such as motivations for the product or business, company culture,
and who they think their buyers are. Then I move out into the field and find out who their buyers truly are, and what they are looking for from the company.