Website heat map user guide: data interpretation and optimization method sharing

at the moment when traffic acquisition costs are rising day by day, the core of website operation has shifted from "pulling new" to "retaining customers" and "converting", and user behavior data is the core basis for optimization. Website heat map, as a tool for intuitively presenting user page interaction behavior, can transform abstract click, scroll, and stay data into visual hot areas, helping operators accurately capture user interest points and loss points. This paper will systematically share the use of website heat map from the dimensions of basic cognition, data interpretation, and optimization landing, so as to help operators realize the improvement of website efficiency through data-driven.

What are the core types of website heat map?

want to use the heat map of the website, we must first clarify different types of applicable scenarios to avoid blind use of data interpretation bias.

1, click heat map

click heat map is the most commonly used type, through the red, yellow and green hot zone to show the frequency of the user's click position, red represents the highest number of clicks, followed by yellow, and green is the lowest. It can directly reflect the user's interest in page elements, such as navigation bar buttons, CTA buttons, content links, etc. Click on the situation to help operators judge whether the layout of the core interactive elements is reasonable.

2, rolling heat map

scrolling heat map focuses on the user's page browsing depth, and identifies the page area to which the user scrolls through different colors, which can clearly show the user's browsing boundary and determine whether the attractiveness of the page content is enough to support the user to browse to the core conversion area. For example, many users only scroll to 1/3 of the page and exit, indicating that the upper content fails to effectively guide the user to continue browsing.

3, stay heat map

stay heat map identifies the user's focus of interest by recording the user's stay time in different areas of the page, and is suitable for the optimization of long content pages. For example, in a blog post, the hot area corresponding to a certain piece of content has the deepest color, indicating that this part of the content is the focus of the user's attention, which can be followed to strengthen the creation of similar content.

2. How to accurately interpret the data of the website heat map?

get the visual data of the website heat map, you can not only look at the surface hot area, but also combine the business scene and user path for in-depth interpretation, in order to dig out valuable optimization direction.

1, compare expected and actual click differences

operators can first preset the expected click volume of the core interactive elements of the page, and then compare it with the actual click data displayed by the website heat map. For example, the click volume of the preset CTA button should account for 20%, but it is only 5%. It is necessary to analyze whether the position, color and copy of the button are not eye-catching enough, or the user has lost before reaching the button.

2, combined with the user path analysis of the reasons

combine the website heat map data with the user access path data to more accurately locate the loss node. For example, the scrolling heat map shows that the user stops scrolling in the middle of the page, and the user path data shows that the exit rate of the node is as high as 40%.

How does the website heat map guide the page optimization landing?

interpretation of the website heat map is the ultimate goal of landing optimization, only the data into specific optimization actions, in order to achieve the improvement of website efficiency.

1, optimize the layout of core interactive elements

according to the click data of the website heat map, adjust the elements clicked by the user to a more conspicuous position, while weakening or removing redundant elements that are almost clickless. For example, clicking on the heat map shows that the user frequently clicks on the non-navigation link on the left side of the page, which can be integrated into the main navigation bar to improve user operation efficiency; if the CTA button clicks are low, you can try to adjust the color, copy or position of the button, such as moving from the right side of the page to the middle visual focus area.

2, adjust the content structure and display logic

combine the browsing depth data of the scrolling heat map to optimize the typesetting logic of the page content. If the user only browses to the upper part of the page and exits, the core conversion information and the content that the user pays most attention to can be front-loaded, such as product core selling points, promotions, etc. If the middle of the long content page stays in the heat map with a lighter color, a subtitle, picture or short video can be inserted at this position to improve the rhythm of the content and guide the user to continue browsing.

What are the common misunderstandings in the use of website heat map?

in the actual use of website heat map, many operators will fall into the misunderstanding of data interpretation, resulting in deviation in the optimization direction, need to pay special attention to avoid.

1, ignoring the sample size and timeliness of the data

some operators are eager to optimize the website heat map data collected for only a few days. If the sample size is too small, the data will not be representative and cannot reflect the real user behavior rules. It is recommended to collect continuous data for at least 7-14 days, and eliminate data interference during special periods such as big promotions and activities to ensure the objectivity of the data.

2, from the business scenario interpretation data

website heat map data interpretation must be combined with business scenarios, not just based on the color of the hot zone to draw conclusions. For example, the sidebar of a certain information website ads click on the heat map color is darker, if it is directly determined that the advertising content is popular, but ignores that the user may be accidentally touched, it will lead to subsequent increase in advertising but lead to user disgust. At this time, it is necessary to combine the bounce rate data after the user clicks to make a comprehensive judgment.

To sum up, website heat map is the core tool for website operation optimization. From clear core types and accurate interpretation of data to landing optimization actions and avoiding misunderstandings, every link needs to be combined with business scenarios to deeply mine data value. Through the rational use of website heat map, operators can accurately capture user behavior laws, optimize page layout and content, and ultimately realize the double improvement of user experience and website conversion rate.