For a website or virtual store to fulfill the objective for which they were designed, Information gathering methods are needed, to understand how users navigate the website, how they interact with the content and other data that allows us to make improvements.

On previous occasions, we talked about how Google Analytics It provides us with a wealth of valuable metrics to improve our website experience and make it much more effective in generating conversions.

On this occasion, we want to talk to you about The heat map, a very useful tool to know how relevant the content is and the design of our website or virtual store, or, on the contrary, how we can improve them to increase conversions.

What is a heat map?

Roughly speaking, a heat map, It is a graphical representation that shows the areas of greatest and least interest on a web page.; This representation is done using a color convention:

• Warm colors, such as red, orange and yellow, represent areas where sunlight is concentrated. most interactions.
• Cool colors like blue, green and turquoise represent the zones with fewer interactions.

The image above is a sample of what the data collected and distributed in a heat map looks like.

Generally, areas such as the menu or call-to-action buttons are highlighted with warm colors, since that is where most people focus their attention.

The areas with cold colors are where there are interactions, but they are not as frequent as in the warm areas. To make the interpretation of the data easier, the areas that do not receive interactions are not highlighted with any color.

Where does the heat map come from?

The heat map arises from the technique of “eye tracking” used in psychological and marketing studies, where they seek to know how people read a particular piece, where they stop to read, and based on this, determine patterns and behaviors.

To study a web page, the eye tracking technique can be implemented, but this technology is too expensive and not all computers are capable of using this technology.

The alternative that exists to generate A heat map on a web page, is based on using the mouse to collect the information, since there is a relationship between mouse movement and eye movement: where the mouse is clicked or moved, the eyes also follow this movement.

What types of heatmaps exist?

Three types of heatmap can be made, depending on the uses applied to the mouse.

Mouse click map

This Heat map shows data on where people knowingly clicked on some element present on the web page. Clicks made by mistake or unconsciously are also recorded, but since these are coincidences, these areas will generally be represented with cold colors.

Mouse movement map

Unlike the previous heat map, This collects information about where the mouse passes., here, both the movement and the static position of where the mouse is located are recorded.

Scroll map

This Heat map shows us the scrolling that people do on a certain web pageTypically, the first screen users see when entering a website is the most important, but how far down do they scroll? With this type of heatmap, you can learn what information users see and how far down they scroll.

For a correct analysis of a heat map, a considerable amount of data needs to be collected, so the code should be left running to later interpret the data and make some adjustments to retest the efficiency of the implemented changes.

As this is a subjective interpretation of the data, It is recommended to perform A/B type tests to find out which is the most effective proposal for a particular website or virtual store.

Benefits of implementing a heat map

Generally speaking, a heat map, It allows us to know the way in which users interact with our website, but it can also benefit us to:

Knowing the most visible spaces

With a heat map, we can know the spaces that attract the most attention on our website or virtual storeIn this way, we can create impactful content and place it in these areas so that it achieves the greatest possible visibility.

It also works if you want to place third-party advertising on your website, but we recommend not doing so, as it will distract users from your own content.

Improve calls to action

If we see that, in a heat map, the call-to-action buttons have cold colors, or are not even painted, it can mean several things: they may be poorly located, they may not be very visible or the message is not the clearest. You can also improve other buttons, such as the chat button or the WhatsApp button.

Improve content distribution

A heat map is a good way to see what content attracts the most attentionFor example, when we want people to consume the written content on our website, but the heat map shows that the areas that attract the most attention are the images, we can create strategies to focus people's attention on the text, or also, adapt the images to help provide more valuable information.

The Heatmaps are a good tool to know how a website is performing., you must keep in mind that heat maps use java script code, so you must have a well-optimized website so that it does not affect loading times and overall speed.

Anyway, they are a great option for develop changes that help increase your conversions and meet your digital marketing goals.