Everybody knows about Google Analytics. But are you using a heat map to improve your website experience? Like Google Analytics, a heat map is a must-have tool to dig into the data and optimize user experience (UX) on your website.
What exactly is a heat map? This tool gives you a pulse on UX. By tracking clicks, scrolls and movements on your website, a heat map gives you a peek of what your users are up to. “Hot” or popular items on your webpage are shown in red, while “cold” or unpopular elements are shown in blue.
Sounds cool - but why is it useful? Well, a heat map can give you a snapshot of user experience to make timely improvements to your website.
1. Reboot buttons that aren’t getting clicked on
Blue areas on your heat map are your problems. You should study these icy-cold sections to see what’s going on. Maybe you need to change the navigation or layout, or even spice up the copy.
It’s even possible that users are confused and can’t find what they’re looking for. You might even have a broken link! In a recent study of Fortune 500 companies, 42 websites were found with a broken link on their homepage. This is common even with top companies.
2. Check how far users actually scroll
We’d all like to think that all users read the full page of every webpage. But that’s just not the case. It’s worth using a heat map to see how far users are scrolling. In particular, looking at key informational pages, such as the homepage or blog posts, is worthwhile.
3. Make sure mobile and desktop are on par
These days, responsive design is essential for retaining customers. The question is: do you know if the UX on mobile and desktop are equally successful? Sometimes we forget that the mobile version takes on new formatting, affecting UX. A heat map can help you tease out potential issues with your responsive mobile site.
4. Do A/B testing for best results
Heat maps can also spur us to try new things. If your call-to-action (CAT) isn’t getting much attention, do A/B testing for two new layouts. Heat maps make it easy to use data to drive decision making - and also get new clicks or sales in the meantime.
As you use a heat map to improve your website’s user experience, you should consider getting a full performance check-up from Onsharp.
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