Getting traffic to a website is one thing, but managing to allocate it to specific pages and offers is a totally different story. While search engine optimization might be considered as more technically oriented, the art of making users watch and click on specific objects replies more on pure psychology. It implicates user experiencce studies creating a completely separate field of study and heatmaps appear to be the most convenient method for studying the users behaviour on a specific site.
This article will turn our attention to the guiding rules of heatmap testing and will guide you through some of the most valuable lessons which can be learnt from eye-tracking.
Rule #1 : Graphics Attract Attention
Being exposed to advertisment content throught our whole lifes, we’re well aware that images grab our attention, but this amazing research from MOZ, will help us figure our what eight exactly do they have on the overall user behaviour.
Source: www.looktracker.com
If you’ve done your homework on search engine optimization, you might’ve heard there’s quite a lot of traffic allocated to the top three results in the SERP ( search engine results page ). Let’s see what happens when the results below have been switched with an image, or maybe a video thumbnail. The research indicates that those which have an image attached along receive a sensible amount of аdditional traffic. The exact study has been made with video thumbnails, yet Google authorsip photos and all other kinds of images attract attention. In fact, graphics as little as Google’s star rating might boost a website which is way below the fold and even turn it into the users’ top choice. It all depends on the idea that the graphic conveys and the role it plays on in the overall composition.
But what if there are too many graphics on a given page?
Rule #2 : Don’t Overdo It
If you want to succesfully allocate users to a the call-to-action on your website, you need to keep it simple. Amazon, Google and Ebay are one of the best examples of how simplicity and correctly placed graphic elements can keep customers’ attention and guide it in specific directions. If you have trouble raising the CTR of your website, it’s maybe time to turn your attention to heatmap testing. Sometimes, more is bad and having way too many images on your landing page might confuse users. This heatmap study shows how by allowing your text to “breathe” you can help users better indicate the most important elements of your web page.
Source: Vwo.com
Rule #3: I See What You See
This heatmap case study shows one of the most valuable lessons tought on customer behaviour. Humans are eye-tracking machines of their own. A strange and interesting fact about the human brain is that it is programmed to find, trace and recognize faces in patterns. This survival behaviour makes us instinctly pay attention to faces and most importantly to eye direction. One’s interest towards an object inevitably transferrs to us simply by observing him.
Source: blog.kissmetrics.com
This study can be used to help UX engineers analyse and develop better converting websites. Placing images with faces staring directly towards the call-to-action area can increase the click-through ratio of the website with more than 50% depending on the specifics of the site, the changes and the audience.
Source: blog.kissmetrics.com
So how can you implement heatmap testing for creating better user experience?
Use Heatmaps To Boost Your Website
Heatmap study results can be successfully transferred in website A/B testing. Finding the best place for a CTA button is a process of complex-looking studies which require nothing more than installing a heatmap and giving users time to generate the results.
There is a handful of free he atmap tools online which can help you set up your own heatmap without needing to rely on service provider.
You probably have already signed up into your Google analysis and webmaster account but haven’t paid attention to most of its useful tools. Google’s heatmap might not be the best in the web, but it can surely help you do your research.
This website offers a 1 month free subsription with basic functions and analysis.
An opensource software released to help you trace the user behaviour on your website.
With a deep research and constant watch over your site’s heatmap, you should be able to determine if the changes your site has undergone during the past months have been with a positive or negative outcome for the experience of your users.
