Thermal map of the site: what shows and why it is needed

What is the site heat map

There are various services and tools to analyze the behavior of visitors on the web resource pages, as well as to improve conversion indicators. The heat map just refers to one of them. Consider in more detail: what is a heat map and what it is necessary for.

The heat map of the site is toolbox, which displays data on the attendance of web resource pages and user behavior on them, using color range of various shades and tones (cold and warm). The colder the tone, the less visitors are interested in this part of the page, respectively, the warmer the shade, the more interesting these elements are for the audience.

Using heatmaps can be quickly determined unified user behavior model and draw the right conclusions about the convenience of the site. If we compare them with the Webview in Yandex Metric, about which we wrote in previous article, a specialist will need a rather large amount of time to watch the videos of each visit and analyze the behavior of groups of people.

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Types of heat cards

The services for creating thermal maps of the site, usually consist of several independent tools that should be used to determine various indicators and solve different goals. In this article, consider the main ones using the example of Yandex Metrica. In the next article we will talk about other services for creating heat cards and their functionality.

Click Map

Displays the most clickable elements on the pages of the site with a warm color scheme. With it, you can identify inconvenience in the usability of the site and improve conversion. For example, to determine the element by which users click, thinking that there is a link, but in fact it is not there. Or find out which buttons are unsuccessfully located, as visitors to the web resource do not pay attention to them.

A map of clicks in Yandex. Metric can be look in several modes:

“Heat” - the mode displayed in the form of color shades - the colder the tone, the smallest number of clicks;
“Monochrome” - a high density of color points shows that these are the areas where the greatest activity is;
“Clicks on buttons and links” - analysis of only those areas where users click on links;
“Transparent” - the page is blurred, and the most clickable sections will be transparent;
“Elements” - selection of various elements on the map of clicks. What is it for? In order to see the most visible areas, namely those that are often clicked.

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Scroll card

Looking at a scrolling heat map (scrolls), we can conclude that this is very important content analysis tool site. With it, it is possible to see if users read the texts to the end, determine the optimal length of your information blocks. And it will also help to understand where it is better to place a banner or a button calling for action, whether there is a need for the use of longrids, use pagination or just endless scroll. You can explain these and other points using this type of card.

In Yandex Metric, a scrolling card is possible look in two modes: thermal and transparent.

Link Map

We have written more than once about the importance of skipping on the site. Using the link map in Yandex Metric, you can determine, on which links users move more often, and which are ignored, and perhaps they should be moved to a more convenient place on the page.

Form Analytics

Using this tool, you can analyze user behavior on the pages where there is a form for filling in any data. You will see how much time was spent filling each of the fields, at what stage the visitors left the site, which fields did not fill.

To analyze what indicators heat maps are needed

Consider several scenarios in which data from heat cards can become simply necessary:

Web resource redesign. Updating page design, I want to see an improvement behavioral factors on the site. In this regard, it is advisable to analyze the data from heat cards and determine which elements are currently popular with users and which are not.
Conducting a A / B test. For example: you want to determine which of the several lendsings is better, choose the most suitable place for the CTA button (Click To Action), where to place the elements in the most profitable way. These and other indicators can be found using heat cards by conducting A / B testing.
Upgrading the site. Heatmaps will help determine which elements and blocks of the site need to be worked on, where it is better to place them for maximum efficiency, what a suitable length should be pages so that users scroll them to the end.

What else do heat cards need:

In order to understand because of which the site has a low conversion. One of the options for raising the conversion is to improve the appearance of the site. In order to understand which changes are effective, you can use data from a heat map.
To eliminate errors and bugs on the site. Often users can be lost due to annoying errors, for example: they cannot go to any link, or click on a non-clicable element in the hope of moving to another page. These and other flaws will help you find a click map.
To identify the most optimal location for hyperlinks.
For detection inefficient arrangement of elements calling for action. The frequency of clicks on them will help to understand how successful the place on the page is for them.
To improve the quality of content. A scrolling card will make it possible to understand whether users read your texts to the end. If the text is not interesting, perhaps it should be improved.

Summing up

Quite often, analyzing the content of the site and its usability, we are guided by our own opinion and think that other users perceive the information as well. As a result, the true reasons are not determined abandoned baskets, low conversion, ineffective calls to action, etc.

Such a tool as a site heat map allows you to solve many problems faced by site owners, optimizers and developers. Analyzing the behavior of users on the pages of the site, you can significantly improve its usability and conversion.

You can analyze this and other tools for analyzing the behavior of users of the site in more detail on the course "Web analytics for business". For 30 days of training, together with our specialists, you will complete all the necessary settings, collect data and on their basis you can build an action plan to improve indicators and increase conversion. And for readers of our blog who will report when buying promotional code "Analytics-map", we will make an additional pleasant bonus.