Ensuring that a website is easy and intuitive to use should be the number one aim of any web design strategy. Heat maps are in essence a visual tool to enable you to more effectively achieve this aim. Read on to find out more...
What is a Heat Map?
A heat map is a graphic interpretation of user behaviour, and can be generated using a variety of purpose-built applications, some free, some paid for.
The more basic applications will simply create a visualisation based on where users have been clicking on your website, with the graphical data overlaid over the webpage. More advanced heat map features include predicting the eyeline movement of web users, and where their attention is most likely to be drawn to on the screen.
Heat maps can be used to give you greater insight into the behaviour of web users, which you can use to your advantage.
What can it tell me?
So what use is it? When used during the design or re-design process of your site, it can help you to optimise the layout in a way which will generate the results you desire. For example, if your website is based around generating revenue from online ads, you might use the data displayed in a heat map to reposition your ads where they will get the most clicks.
If you're managing an e-commerce website, you might use the data to judge where best to place your 'special offers' box.
Heatmaps are a great solution to know which portion of the website is not liked by the visitors and has to be redesigned to increase the usability. You have clearly explained this idea in this article.
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