By performing click tracking analysis, that is, identifying what and how many clicks are made on a site (Google Analytics performs this function for example) we obtain quantitative information.
Heat maps provide us with QUALITATIVE information, since they provide us with data that forces us to ask ourselves why events occur on our websites or applications, and help us to improve it by taking actions based on their analysis.
It should be noted that, as it is a non-quantitative tool and its interpretation depends on the analyst, the CHANGES made in the interface could be wrong and therefore not generate any benefit, or even the opposite. For this reason, it is recommended to make the changes in A/B tests.
What is an A/B test?
An A/B test or test is used in the field of digital marketing and web analytics to describe randomized experiments with two variables, a control call and another the variant. The goal of these experiments is to identify which changes increase a given result, but apply it only to specific parts of the site or application, so as not to incur large losses in the event that the variant doesn’t work.
What elements can I identify and improve in my heat maps?
Active elements that do NOT attract clicks
Another common problem in the user experience is the case of elements that contain links or perform some action, called active elements, are not attractive to users and therefore do not interact with it. It may also happen that they are not directly identified as active elements or that their message is not attractive enough to motivate their use.
To solve this problem, changes in the design of the buttons or links, in the colors used, in their location within the pages, can be effective.
They should not forget that the best way to apply changes is through A/B tests, to measure what results in the best user experience and not make the big mistake of changing the site due to an erroneous analysis of a heat map.
Loss of user interest before the end of the pages/posts
As we mentioned when we talked about scroll maps, pages have a tendency to concentrate the most activity at the top (which does not require users to interact with the content) and it fades as you scroll down.
That is why it is important to place the most important and striking content at the beginning, which creates curiosity in the user to continue browsing down and see the rest of the sections of the page or article.
Passive elements that attract clicks
This is a very common problem in the usability of a website, and it directly affects the quality of the user experience. Many times, elements such as images or banners attract the attention of users, who click on them expecting a link that does not exist.
By identifying which passive elements attract clicks, we can take advantage of the attractiveness of these elements to generate links that keep users on our website or make them navigate through them.
