Heatmaps: See What Visitors Are Doing on Your Site!

Google Analytics shows HOW MANY people arrive on your website and FROM WHERE, but not WHAT they do there. Where do they get stuck? Which button do they miss? Visual analysis tools like heatmaps and session recordings answer these questions.

What is a Heatmap?

A heatmap is a visual representation of where users click, how far they scroll, or where they move their mouse on a page. "Hot" (red) areas are the most popular, while "cold" (blue) areas are less frequented.

• Click Map: Shows where most people click. It might reveal that many try to click on a non-clickable element.
• Scroll Map: Shows how far down the page visitors get. Maybe your most important information is at the bottom where no one sees it.

What is a Session Recording?

This is the most exciting tool! Essentially, you can watch a video recording of a user's entire visit: how they move the mouse, where they click, where they hesitate, where they get stuck. It's like looking over their shoulder as they use your site. It provides invaluable information for improving user experience (UX).

What Tools Should You Use?

There are many excellent tools for this purpose. The most well-known are Hotjar and Microsoft Clarity. Both have free plans that are perfectly sufficient for analyzing a lower-traffic website. Installation is simple, usually involving placing a short code snippet on your website.

Don't just guess when deciding on website improvements! Use data! Heatmaps and recordings show exactly where the problems are.