Heatmaps show website owners what users want on their website, what areas they visit, their mouse movements and actions, as well as their overall engagement on every page. This is done through visually representing their clicks, taps and scrolling behavior with heatmaps.
Here’s an example of a website heatmap by HotJar
Three Types of Heatmaps
There are scroll maps, click maps, and move maps. Hot colors (red, orange, yellow) show the areas with the most frequently viewing or interaction while the cold ones (green, blue) show areas that are ignored.
- Scroll maps show how far users are scrolling down your pages. The usage is either a gradual drop off in users or a sharp drop off.
A gradual drop means that fewer and fewer people are staying engaged and there is attrition as people lose interest.
A sharp drop means large numbers of visitors leave at very specific points. There is a major problem where they think they have reached the end of the page or they are getting turned off by something at that point.
2. Click heat maps show you where visitors click their cursor on desktop devices or tap their fingers on a smartphone or tablet.
This map could show if people are getting frustrated by trying click on something that is not clickable. You can also learn to change the page to get desired actions.
3. The move map only works for visitors using a desktop computer. Unlike the click map, a move map tracks where visitors move their mouse on the screen as they go through the page; the longer the mouse cursor stays over a certain point, the hotter it becomes.
A move map provides more information about where people might be looking as they go through your page.
Make the Changes to Increase Conversions and Other Desired Behaviors
Heatmaps can be when used in combination with other behavior and feedback analytics tools.
Epiphany tested different versions of one of their pages and achieved:
- +19.7% increase in conversion rate
- +63% increase in mobile conversion rate
- +36% more users reaching the cart
- +124% more users reaching the informational content (e.g. bed size guides, children beds guides)
Epiphany involved SEO, CRO, design, content, and PR teams to leverage heatmaps and other analytics to make a major improvement in their business.
Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
Known for identifying cutting edge technologies, he is currently a Co-Founder of a startup and fundraiser for high potential early-stage companies. He is the Head of Research for Allocations for deep technology investments and an Angel Investor at Space Angels.
A frequent speaker at corporations, he has been a TEDx speaker, a Singularity University speaker and guest at numerous interviews for radio and podcasts. He is open to public speaking and advising engagements.
have you heat mapped this site brian lol