---
title: "Structured answers, sourced"
description: "Web research services that return structured findings with every source listed, built by an employed assistant on your schedule. Ask for a staffing plan."
url: https://assistbpo.com/services/web-research/
updated: 2026-09-21
publisher: AssistBPO (SS Support Network LLC)
language: en-US
---

# Structured answers, sourced

AssistBPO's web research services give you a named research analyst who turns an open question into a structured, sourced answer. A vendor shortlist, a competitor grid, a verified contact list or a fact-check, delivered as a spreadsheet or brief in your hours.

- Named assistant plus backup
- Data & back office
- Employed, screened, managed

[Get a staffing plan](https://assistbpo.com/get-a-staffing-plan/) [Book a 20-minute call](https://assistbpo.com/book-a-call/) Every row carries its source and date, so you can quote it and hand it on.

In short

- One named research analyst who learns your market and your format
- Lists, grids, surveys and fact-checks with a source and date on every row
- Delivered in Sheets, Excel, Airtable or Notion, ready to use

## What are web research services?

Web research services are structured online research done to a brief: finding, verifying and organizing information from websites, registries, directories, reports and public data into a usable output. Typical outputs are vendor and supplier shortlists, competitor comparisons, verified contact lists, pricing surveys, grant or tender lists, and fact-checked summaries, each with the source and the date it was checked.

Updated September 2026 · Reviewed by [Issabela Masters](https://assistbpo.com/team/issabela-masters/)

[The role behind it **Hire a remote research analyst** One named analyst who learns your market, plus a backup and a team lead](https://assistbpo.com/roles/research-analyst/)
## Who is the web research desk for?

**Founders and operators**
: Which payroll provider, which warehouse, which conference: a shortlist with criteria, prices as published and a recommendation you can act on this week.

**Sales and marketing teams**
: Target account lists built to your ideal customer profile, verified against company websites and registries, and enriched with the fields your CRM needs.

**Agencies and consultants**
: Market scans, competitor grids and client research delivered in your template, so your strategists spend their hours on the thinking rather than the gathering.

**Nonprofits, schools and public bodies**
: Grant, funder and tender opportunities tracked with deadlines, eligibility notes and links, refreshed on a schedule.

## What does the web research service include?

These 12 tasks are what AssistBPO's web research desk handles as standard for an operations manager.

- Research briefs scoped with you: question, criteria, sources, format, deadline
- Vendor, supplier and software shortlists with criteria scoring
- Competitor grids covering offers, pricing as published, positioning and reviews
- Target account and contact lists verified against websites and registries
- Pricing and market surveys across regions with dates checked
- Grant, tender, event and partnership opportunity tracking
- Fact-checking and source verification for content and claims
- Data extraction from public directories and reports into clean tables
- Summaries with a recommendation, caveats and open questions
- Source, URL and date-checked columns on every output
- Scheduled refreshes so lists do not go stale
- End-of-day report with briefs in progress and findings ready

## Deliverables and KPIs

AssistBPO reports 6 measures on the web research desk: what lands on your desk, what we count, and how often you see the number.

| Deliverable | KPI we report | Cadence |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Research outputs | Briefs delivered on the agreed date, in the agreed format | Per brief |
| Source coverage | Every row and claim carries a source and check date | Per output |
| Verification rate | Share of contacts or facts confirmed against a primary source | Weekly review |
| Turnaround | Hours from brief to first draft | Weekly |
| List freshness | Scheduled refreshes completed on time | Monthly |
| QA scorecard | Accuracy, sourcing, clarity, usefulness | Monthly |

KPIs are what we measure and report, agreed per engagement in the weekly review. Service-level commitments are set in your agreement, not on this page.

## How does the web research desk work?

1. ### Match
A 20-minute discovery call on the kinds of questions you ask, the markets you work in and how you want answers delivered. Within 72 hours we propose a named research analyst with relevant sector experience, plus a trained backup.
2. ### Onboard
We agree a brief template, your preferred sources and any you exclude, output formats in Sheets, Airtable or Notion, and a small first brief you review with the analyst so the format and depth are right before the flow starts.
3. ### Daily rhythm
Your analyst works the brief queue in priority order, checks in when a scope question comes up rather than guessing, delivers drafts with sources and caveats through the day and closes with an end-of-day report listing findings ready and briefs still in progress.
4. ### Weekly review
20 minutes with the team lead: briefs completed, what was hard to find, source quality, refresh schedules and next week's questions. Monthly, the team lead samples outputs and scores accuracy and sourcing on the QA scorecard.

## Hours, coverage and models

AssistBPO staffs the web research desk on 3 models. US, UK, Canadian and Australian business hours from the group's two offices. Briefs sent at the end of your day can be researched overnight and waiting by morning on request.

- Dedicated research analyst, 80 or 160 hours a month, in your hours
- Project for a single large brief such as a market scan or a list build
- Shared research desk for occasional questions, priced per brief

See what is staffed in your zone on the [coverage clock](https://assistbpo.com/how-it-works/#coverage).

## Tools we work in

- [Google Workspace](https://assistbpo.com/software/google-workspace/)
- [Microsoft 365](https://assistbpo.com/software/microsoft-365/)
- [Airtable](https://assistbpo.com/software/airtable/)
- [Notion](https://assistbpo.com/software/notion/)
- [HubSpot](https://assistbpo.com/software/hubspot/)
- [Salesforce](https://assistbpo.com/software/salesforce/)
- [ChatGPT](https://assistbpo.com/software/chatgpt/)
- [Slack](https://assistbpo.com/software/slack/)
- [Asana](https://assistbpo.com/software/asana/)
- [ClickUp](https://assistbpo.com/software/clickup/)

[See all 80 tools we work in](https://assistbpo.com/software/)

## What are the terms on the web research desk?

The card, the contract terms and the web research desk's own numbers, in one place.

| Specification | What you get |
| --- | --- |
| Focus, 20 hours a week | $800 a month, 80 hours |
| Dedicated, 40 hours a week | $1,600 a month, 160 hours |
| Evening, weekend or overnight cover | Tier rate plus 20 percent |
| Desk | [Data & back-office desk](https://assistbpo.com/services/desks/data-back-office/) |
| Standard schedule | Dedicated research analyst, 80 or 160 hours a month, in your hours |
| Coverage | US, UK, Canadian and Australian business hours from the group's two offices. |
| Tools | 10 platforms, including Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Airtable |
| KPIs reported | 6 measures: weekly, monthly, per brief |
| Setup fee | None |
| Minimum term | Month to month, no lock-in |
| Notice | 30 days, to stop or to change hours |
| If the fit is wrong | Trained backup covers the desk the same day, re-match at no charge |
| Continuity | One named assistant, one named backup, one team lead |
| Who does the work | Employed by SS Support Network LLC, never freelancers or contractors |

These are rate-card starting points. What you pay depends on the hours, the desk and the coverage window, which is what the staffing plan sets. Rates improve as you add assistants. Your staffing plan states the rate for the number of seats you need. [The rate card](https://assistbpo.com/pricing/) carries the other currencies, the add-ons and the six things that move a plan off it.

## How much does web research cost?

Plans start at $400 a month for 40 hours, at $10 an hour, and rates improve as you add assistants. Get a staffing plan within 1 business day.

### What moves the plan

1. Hours a week and whether the desk is dedicated or shared
2. Phones: live answering needs a receptionist profile and a backup
3. Coverage zone: business hours, after-hours, weekends or 24/7
4. Tools and access to set up
5. One person or a pod with a lead

### What the market publishes

Other providers' published ranges, by market, so you have something to hold this against. These are not AssistBPO prices.

| Market | Published range | Source |
| --- | --- | --- |
| United States | Offshore managed assistants $7 to $15 an hour or $640 to $2,400 a month full-time; US virtual assistants average $19.45 an hour on PayScale; Time etc publishes around $28 to $36 an hour | Wishup, Cherry Assistant and Zedtreeo roundups, 2026; PayScale via Wishup 2026; Time etc via Staffify 2026 |
| United Kingdom | UK-based VAs £25 to £45 an hour; Virtalent around £28 an hour; offshore full-time £900 to £2,000 a month | SVA surveys, Virtalent and UK agency pricing pages, 2026 |
| Canada | Canadian VAs C$25 to C$60 an hour; managed offshore plans US$699 to US$899 a month | Virtual Gurus and VantaStaff published pricing, 2026 |
| Australia | Offshore managed staff A$8 to A$35 an hour; onshore VAs A$39.90 to A$65 an hour | Virtual Coworker, DotVA and Australian agency pricing, 2026 |

[Get a staffing plan](https://assistbpo.com/get-a-staffing-plan/) [How we build a plan](https://assistbpo.com/pricing/)

## Web research for your industry

- [SaaS & startups](https://assistbpo.com/industries/saas-startups/)
- [Marketing agencies](https://assistbpo.com/industries/marketing-agencies/)
- [Coaches, consultants & creators](https://assistbpo.com/industries/coaches-consultants/)
- [Nonprofits & churches](https://assistbpo.com/industries/nonprofits/)
- [Recruiting & staffing agencies](https://assistbpo.com/industries/recruiting-agencies/)
- [Construction & development](https://assistbpo.com/industries/construction/)
- [Education & tutoring](https://assistbpo.com/industries/education/)
- [Financial advisors & wealth firms](https://assistbpo.com/industries/financial-advisors/)
- [All industries](https://assistbpo.com/industries/)

## Security and compliance

1. Background-checked, employed analysts under NDA; never freelancers
2. Research briefs and outputs live in your drive or workspace, not on the analyst's device
3. Only public and licensed sources; no scraping behind logins, no purchased personal data without your written approval
4. Managed devices with MFA, no local storage and monitored access
5. Personal data in contact lists handled under UK GDPR, PIPEDA, Privacy Act and CAN-SPAM rules for its intended use

Full control list on the [security page](https://assistbpo.com/security/) and country rules for calls, texts and email on the [compliance page](https://assistbpo.com/compliance/). Certifications are listed only when held.

## Country rules for this service

AssistBPO makes outbound calls, texts and emails only with lawful consent and do-not-call scrubbing. Assistants never take card numbers. [Country rules](https://assistbpo.com/compliance/).

- US: contact lists intended for outreach are built with CAN-SPAM and TCPA consent rules noted per row
- UK and Canada: PECR and CASL mean a researched list is not a consented list; we flag this on every delivery
- Australia: Privacy Act and Spam Act notes accompany any list containing personal data

## Frequently asked questions

### How much do web research services cost?

Plans depend on hours, desks and coverage. Get a staffing plan within 1 business day. For orientation, offshore managed assistants are published at $7 to $15 an hour or $640 to $2,400 a month full-time, US virtual assistants average $19.45 an hour on PayScale, and premium US services such as Time etc publish around $28 to $36 an hour (Wishup and Staffify roundups, 2026). Research is usually bought as a dedicated block of hours or as a fixed-scope project for one large brief.

### How is this different from asking an AI tool?

An AI answer is a starting point; it can be out of date, unsourced or simply wrong on prices, names and availability. Your analyst uses AI to speed up the first scan, then verifies every row against the primary source, records the URL and the date checked, notes caveats and tells you what could not be confirmed. You get an answer you can put in front of a client or a board.

### What does a good research brief look like?

One question, the decision it supports, the criteria that matter, sources to include or exclude, the output format and the deadline. During onboarding we build a brief template so a two-minute Slack message is enough. If a brief is ambiguous the analyst asks before starting rather than delivering the wrong thing well.

### Can you build contact and lead lists?

Yes, to your ideal customer profile and verified against company websites, registries and public sources. We do not buy or scrape personal data without your written approval, and we flag the consent rules that apply before anyone contacts the list: CAN-SPAM, TCPA, PECR, CASL and the Spam Act. For outreach itself, see our lead generation and appointment setting desks.

### How do you handle sources and citations?

Every row in a list and every claim in a summary carries the source URL and the date it was checked. Prices are recorded as published, with the currency and any conditions. Where sources disagree, the analyst shows both and explains which is more reliable. You can hand the sheet to anyone and they can retrace the work.

### Can research be refreshed on a schedule?

Yes. Competitor pricing, grant deadlines, event calendars and target lists go stale quickly, so we set a refresh cadence, monthly or quarterly, and the analyst updates changed rows, marks what is new and sends a short change note. The refresh takes a fraction of the original build because the structure already exists.

### Which formats do you deliver in?

Google Sheets or Excel for lists and grids, Google Docs or Word for briefs, Airtable or Notion databases when you want the research to live with your other work, and CRM imports when a list is going straight into HubSpot or Salesforce. Charts and one-page summaries are available for board or client packs.

### Is it the same analyst every time?

Yes. One named research analyst learns your market, your criteria and your format, so the fifth brief is faster and better than the first. A trained backup covers leave, and a team lead runs the weekly review and the monthly QA scorecard. If a brief needs deeper sector knowledge than the analyst has, the team lead says so and either pairs them with a colleague or scopes the brief differently, rather than delivering thin work.

Still deciding

A 20-minute call with someone who runs web research every day. No sales script, and you keep the notes.

[Book a 20-minute call](https://assistbpo.com/book-a-call/) [Get a staffing plan](https://assistbpo.com/get-a-staffing-plan/) Next step

## Your desk, staffed. Wherever you are.

Tell us what is overloaded. A named person replies within 1 business day with a staffing plan, and we propose your assistant within 72 hours.

[Get a staffing plan](https://assistbpo.com/get-a-staffing-plan/) [Book a 20-minute call](https://assistbpo.com/book-a-call/) Or call [+1-657-777-0006](tel:+16577770006) during US, UK or Australian business hours, or [hear our demo receptionist](https://assistbpo.com/demo-line/).

- A named assistant proposed within 72 hours
- Employed, screened and managed staff, never freelancers
- Your hours, your tools, your data

---

Source: https://assistbpo.com/services/web-research/ · Contact: https://assistbpo.com/contact/ · Full site map for agents: https://assistbpo.com/llms.txt