Without a doubt, the online project that is unbelievably successful right from the start and needs no improvement is a utopy. In most cases, as soon as the site is launched, the endless process of searching ways of enhancing it starts as well. No matter how many visitors/ clicks/ subscriptions/ sales you get, there always can be more. A set of possible ways of getting your online project closer to its goal is impressive. We use advanced SEO techniques, pay much for copywriter’s services, use latest web design tendencies… and may find our business making little or no progress. What’s the matter?

To answer this question, it would be a good idea to put yourself in the visitor’s shoes and walk along all the steps you’ve devised toward a sale/subscription/any other action you consider a conversion and see what is wrong. You can also have a few other people do the same for you for more objective data.

But what about getting the summarized information on how all of your visitors interact with your site, or, to be more exact, which elements drive most clicks and which are neglected? This becomes possible through the use of a heat map tool. It analyzes a particular web page and provides the map of clicks in colour – from hottest spots to places that don’t get clicks at all.

However, gathering this info is only the first step. Being able to interpret the information is crucial for making the necessary changes and improving the situation. So, let’s take a look at the most important things a heatmap can tell you about the website.

Is it simple to find a way through the website?

Using a heatmap for key pages, like homepage or catalog may point out flaws within the website navigation. Pay attention to what items of the main menu get most clicks. If this is what you expected to see – great! If not, probably it would make sense to reorganize the menu, putting more stress on the items that are crucial for conversions.

Also, look at the elements that are least clicked. Why not try to replace them or think about renaming those which can be misinterpreted. Regrouping the items in subcategories can also help users find their way faster and easier, bringing them closer to conversion.

Is the conversion path clear?

If your website is getting a decent number of visits, which for some reason don’t convert, using a heatmap for the important pages, like landing or product pages, gives you a chance to discover what makes visitors leave before doing what you want them to do. Product images get lots of clicks, but they wouldn’t enlarge? Think about getting quality pics to enable viewing an item in details. If you’re using two buttons, “Add to Cart” and “Buy now”, which receive equal attention, try leaving only one of them and measure the effect. “Learn more” button is the hotspot on the product page? Probably it would be wise to modify it so that it drove less attention, while also putting more stress on the call to action, like “Buy now” button. Once you’ve made the changes, you can use heat map tool for A/B testing to get optimal results.

What distracts them?

Heat map is also a great means for identifying items that divert users from conversion paths you’ve laid out for them. For example, visitors to the product page can be distracted by the flashy banner in the sidebar, or too noticeable products in section “People also buy these”. You can try moving them below the fold or making less vibrant.

“Register” button is the hot spot, but you get not enough registrations? Avoid too long forms or too explicit offers to complete and modify user profile, if that’s not the goal. It would be better to provide this opportunity in an inconspicuous form.

What should be modified/replaced?

Heatmap may open up your eyes to certain elements or functionalities on the page that receive much less attention than expected. In that case, they are either not necessary at all, or lack vividness, so users simply fail to notice them. Do not take chances – check both variants via A/B testing to find out which theory is correct. If you find out that the element you have stressed still doesn’t attract attention, get rid of it and use the space for another one, which should direct visitors to completing the goal.

What attracts attention?

Heatmap can help you not only discover the flaws, but also be a great way of finding potential opportunities you never suspected on a page. A cute picture in the sidebar is frequently clicked? Use it to your benefit and try placing a conversion critical element in there. Also, if a graphic element gets many mouse clicks, users, in all probability consider it a button. Then, make it clickable and see the effect.

Now, one question is left to be answered – where do you find the heatmap tool? This one’s easy – it’s called HeatMapCo and features incredible speed and ease of use. No special codes should be inserted to analyze the page, you only need to provide its URL and have patience to wait up to 15 seconds for the results. Good news – you have the chance to get 14-day free trial after its launch if you subscribe for the service right now. So, hurry up!