What is a heat map?

The heat map is a technique that allows the graphical presentation of the most important information about the behavior of users visiting a specific website. Thanks to the use of a wide range of colors, we can check which areas of the website are most frequently visited, for example:
– red – the most popular elements;
– yellow – areas of less interest;
– blue or green – places visited least often.

In some cases, heatmaps are equally identified with clickmaps. According to Paraphrase Online experts, this is the correct reasoning, but to simplify it – it is nothing else than a method of presenting data collected using click tracking, scroll tracking and attention tracking. What do these terms mean?

– click tracking – tracking information related to user clicks using server logs;
– scroll tracking – a rule based on the depth of scrolling, i.e. places where Internet users will reach the farthest;
– attention tracking – research based on the analysis of website elements that attract potential visitors.

Remember not to confuse heat maps with eye tracking. Well, eye tracking tracks the movement of the eyeballs, and the mission of this study is to verify the most popular elements that Internet users look at. For this purpose, we need specialized equipment – dedicated glasses or a monitor equipped with special functionalities.

Heat maps developed on the basis of tools such as Hotjar track the cursor movements, and thus – in this case we use click tracking or scroll tracking technology. Eye tracking is a completely different, more advanced technique used much less frequently than classic solutions.

Heat map implementation – 3 most popular tools

The most popular tools for implementing a heat map include: Crazy EGG, Smartlook and HotJar. With their help, we will implement the tracking code for the website and we will be able to study all the factors affecting click-, scroll-, and attention tracking. Here are 3 heatmap apps!

Crazy EGG
Crazy EGG is a tool that shows the number of clicks and scrolls. Creates heat maps and presents additional statistics of clicks on specific areas, elements and functionalities. You can use it for free for 30 days in the demo version.

Smartlook
The Smartlook application offers click maps, scroll maps, and allows you to record the behavior of potential customers on the website (e.g. clicking between subpages of the website). In the free version, we will generate any number of heat maps, but the data on which our heat map is based will be quite limited.

HotJar
HotJar, a program that prepares click maps and cursor movement recordings. The free version of the application is very limited, but we can use all its functionalities for free for 15 days. In some cases, HotJar reduces site performance (e.g. increases loading time).

Types of heat maps – 5 examples

The different types of heat maps enable a comprehensive analysis of all visitor activities. Depending on our preferences, we can see, among others how far users scroll our website, what they most often pay attention to, and why they do not click on a given link or leave the site. Here are the types of heat maps! – 5 examples.

Click Map
Click Map allows you to carefully analyze all clicks made on our website by potential customers. It works on a simple principle – after the user’s activity (in the form of a click), he marks a specific area on the page with a bright dot. The larger the spot of white, the more active the visitors were in this place. Thanks to the appropriate identification, we can assess whether the guests have clicked on the appropriate space.

Page scroll map
The page scroll map allows you to see how far users are scrolling. That’s not all, because with its help we can also verify the most eye-catching functionalities and places that make visitors leave our site.

Map of the percentage of clicks
The click-through percentage map allows you to accurately count the number of clicks generated by using a specific element (e.g. a call to action) compared to other website functionalities. This is very important because it allows you to find out which areas of the website are most important to users.

Confetti map
The confetti map shows single clicks on the page. It also allows you to verify that potential customers are clicking inactive areas. Some may confuse it with the click percentage map, but the confetti type only demonstrates single clicks, not the click density.

Mouse tracking map
The mouse tracking map shows the most common places your visitors move around. It is a very useful type of map that facilitates the verification of where the user has reached with the mouse, but has not clicked on a given element or has left the site.

Heat maps in internet analytics

Heat maps can be perfectly used in internet analytics, e.g. to improve the visibility of priority buttons and icons or to detect the most problematic areas of a given website. They are also helpful for improving website navigation, moving individual elements as well as analyzing the volume of content. Below we present the use of heat maps in web analytics!

Detection of the most problematic areas of a given website
Appropriate use of clickmaps will allow you to verify which elements are inactive and still attract the attention of visitors. Additionally, you can eliminate places considered to be the most problematic – it is very useful in highly competitive industries (e.g. e-commerce, hosting, gambling).

Content volume analysis
The content volume analysis is possible thanks to the scrollmap – then we will be able to check whether the user reads the entire text available on our website. If, on the other hand, we conclude that visitors only roll over half of the article, we should choose a different SEO strategy focused on, for example, shorter but more substantive content.

Improving the visibility of priority buttons and icons
Thanks to the click map, we will find out which functionalities of our website attract the most attention of users. If we come to the conclusion that individual elements in the current form (e.g. a subscription button or a basket icon) are not effective enough – we will be able to make significant changes.

Moving items within the site
Moving items within the site is a procedure performed primarily by online stores. What is it exactly about? Well, using scroll and attention maps, we will get to know the buttons that attract the special attention of visitors. Thanks to this, we will find out which of them should be moved higher to interest other Internet users.

Improving site navigation
The use of heat maps in web analytics is primarily the continuous testing of the functionality of a given website. Exactly the same is the case with improving the navigation on the site.

For example – if we provide our clients with two versions of the menu (vertical and horizontal), we should test which of them is used more often. We can then notice that the side navigation does not arouse any interest, and thus – we will insert additional buttons, banners or icons in its place.

Summary

Heatmaps are excellent SEO tools that improve website analytics. They look very effective, are transparent, and most importantly – they increase conversion and make the website more useful. Remember, however, that the necessary skill is to draw appropriate conclusions from the obtained maps, and then make well-thought-out and correct changes to the selected site.

FAQ

When to use heatmaps
Heatmaps are worth using to measure audience engagement in the context of your articles. According to Semcore experts, they can be additionally used to verify what elements attract the attention of recipients and check what Internet users click on most often.

What can be deduced from the heat map?
The heat map requires a careful analysis, thanks to which we can conclude, inter alia, where should we place the most important content, where visitors leave the website, and how to increase the effectiveness of priority functionalities and properly present your product or service.

Who should use heatmaps?
Heat maps are especially useful in highly competitive industries (e.g. e-commerce, gambling, hosting), where even the smallest details count. This does not change the fact that the so-called The heat map is useful in every field, for example to increase conversion or meet the requirements of Internet users (UX aspect).

To be completely honest – most of the problems include a high bounce rate and even too few entries from mobile devices compared to stationary devices can be solved by correctly implementing the improvements that we have developed based on the data from the heat maps.

How to implement a heat map to your business?
The heat map should be implemented using appropriate applications (eg Crazy EGG, Smartlook, HotJar) that will facilitate the implementation of the tracking code on our website. Thanks to this, we will be able to study the elements affecting click-, scroll- and attention tracking.

While it is said that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, in fact many of us do, and a similar mechanism works for the newsletter as well. If it is not visually attractive to the recipient, the chance that he will devote enough time to read the content is minimal. Besides, there is also the question of whether the user will see our message at all. Nowadays, e-mail has sophisticated anti-spam filters that redirect the mass of messages to the “spam” or “offer” tab. So in order to reach our potential customers, we need to send messages from a source that they will read as trusted.

So that the newsletters we send do not hit the vacuum and bring measurable benefits, we should choose a tool for sending them that has a high delivery rate and allows you to create visually attractive e-mails. Here is an overview of the most popular programs on the market with which you can create and send such newsletters.

MailChimp

MailChimp is one of the most popular systems for creating and sending newsletters. Its huge advantage is the extensive free plan. It is available without time limits and allows you to send as many as 10,000 messages per month. As part of this offer, you can build a database of 2000 contacts.

Newsletters sent by MailChimp can be easily adapted to various industries and current needs. The program provides access to over 100 e-mail templates and an advanced text editor, so the newsletters created in it can be graphically interesting and adapted to the visual identification of the brand. The tool also allows you to independently combine graphic and text elements using an editor that works on the principle of “drag and drop”. This means that without any programming knowledge, you can place frames for texts, photos, CTA buttons, headers or other components anywhere.

Features and packages
MailChimp also provides its customers with extensive reports and the ability to test different types of messages to find the most effective version. It can be integrated with various platforms, including WooCommerce, Magento or Zapier. Most importantly for marketers – e-mails sent by this system have an acceptance rate of 96-99%, which means that messages almost always go to the recipient’s main mailbox instead of offers or spam.

The tool has three paid packages, the cheapest of which costs $ 9.99 per month. They differ in the number of available functions, for example, only in more expensive plans are dynamic content available, i.e. content adapted to a specific recipient.

The most important information at a glance
– over 100 templates,
– English platform,
– the ability to create newsletters in the mobile application,
– acceptance rate 96-99%,
– free plan for up to 2000 contacts,
– Unremovable MailChimp footer in the free package.

MailerLite

MailerLite is a system that also has a free version for an unlimited period. In this case, however, the number of subscribers is much smaller – it is a maximum of 1000 contacts. The platform is intuitive to use and has a built-in drag-and-drop editor. It can be integrated with many tools (including Shopify, WooCommerce, Zapier, WordPress).

There are only two packages in this tool: Free and Paid. The latter, however, does not have a fixed price – subscription costs are constantly increasing along with the extension of the contact list, so choosing it, you have to take into account a gradual increase in expenses. You can compare the features of the packages during the 14-day trial period of the paid version.

The most interesting features
What interesting features does this tool have? The built-in photo editor is definitely worth mentioning here, thanks to which you can crop and correct photos that are to be sent in messages directly in MailerLite. The platform also allows you to conduct A / B tests to help determine the most effective version of the message, and to create pop-ups encouraging you to subscribe to the newsletter. Options that are useful for marketers are: automatic resending of messages to people who did not open the email, and delivery of messages by time zone.

The most important information at a glance
– 14-day trial period for extended versions,
– free version up to 1000 subscribers,
– English platform,
– built-in photo editing,
– automatic resending to people who did not open the message,
– A / B tests,
– delivery of messages according to time zones,
– 24/7 chat support with a paid package.

GetResponse

GetResponse includes a drag-and-drop editor, but also a database of over 220 ready-made templates – this is the program that has one of the largest libraries of this type. However, there is no permanent free plan, you can take advantage of a 30-day trial period, but then you have to decide on one of the paid plans. However, it is worth knowing that within one package, the price increases as the number of subscribers increases.

The most interesting features
GetResponse allows you to adjust the dispatch to local time, and also offers a perfect timing tool. This means that messages are sent by the system when recipients respond best to them, which is estimated by algorithms based on their previous behavior. An interesting option is also the ability to create dynamic content, i.e. content that changes depending on the preferences of the recipient. Thanks to this, each subscriber can, for example, receive an e-mail recommendation of products that he was interested in.

What distinguishes the tool from the previously mentioned programs is multifunctionality. Thanks to GetResponse, you can not only send newsletters, but also, for example, run webinars (in more expensive packages). So, if you’re looking for a program that can do things more comprehensively, this is an option definitely worth considering.

The most important information at a glance
– 99% deliverability,
– 30-day trial period,
– access to ready-made e-mail templates (220),
– built-in photo editor,
– database of free photos,
– perfect timing tool – sending messages when recipients respond best to them,
– adjusting the shipment to local time,
– A / B tests,
– you can also do webinars in more expensive packages.

FreshMail

In Freshmail, we do not have access to the free version, after a 14-day trial period, you must subscribe to one of the paid packages. However, the prices are quite attractive here – the cheapest version costs $ 10 a month and allows you to build a list of up to 1000 recipients. This program also allows you to create newsletters using the drag-and-drop method and has a rich database of message templates – there are over 150 of them. This program has one interesting option that you will not find in most tools of this type. There is an option to buy a specific pool of messages to be sent without subscribing. In this model, we can, for example, buy 10,000 messages and simply do a one-time mailing. This is a very profitable option for people who send newsletters less than once a month.

What else does the tool offer?
This shipping system offers great opportunities when it comes to user segmentation. You can divide by interests, gender or location, among others, and send mailing only to those people who are the target group for a specific message. Freshmail also has the functions of optimizing the sending time of newsletters and creating dynamic content. In addition, it is also worth paying attention to the large possibilities in terms of creating a shipping schedule – the platform allows you to plan any number of them.

What else does Freshmail offer? A useful function is, for example, anti-spam tests, thanks to which, before sending, you can make sure that the message will not be read by email filters as junk. In addition, many interesting options are included in the highest package. Onboarding, which introduces the secrets and functions of the tool, contact with a dedicated customer manager and the possibility of creating webinars, are also included in the price.

The most important information at a glance
– 14-day trial period,
– over 150 ready-made templates,
– anti-spam testing before shipment,
– shipping time optimizer,
– schedule of any number of shipments, – in higher packages: onboarding, webinars, dedicated account manager,
– option to buy a news package instead of subscribing.

ActiveCampaign

As part of this program, you can count on a 14-day trial period, after which you must buy one of the paid packages, the cheapest of which costs $ 15 and allows you to create a base of 500 subscribers. In addition to the standard “drag and drop” editor, ActiveCampaign offers ready-made templates, the base of which, however, is relatively small – it is currently 25 versions. What is an advantage of this tool, however, is free photo hosting, thanks to which you can store photos and graphics that you want to use in the future in the cloud. A useful feature of ActiveCampaign is also the history of changes – if at some point in the newsletter creation we find that the earlier version was better, we can easily return to it.

In ActiveCampaign, there is no problem with integration with various platforms or with importing contacts, if we previously used a different tool. There are also options for personalizing messages, delivery control and Lead Scoring. What is the last of these functions? Well, we can automatically assign points to our contacts depending on their engagement, thanks to which we create a list of our most loyal recipients. Active Campaign also allows you to do A / B tests, and in the highest of the packages we also get basic CRM functions – for example, assigning tasks to people from the company. What to take into account is that the price within the package increases as the contact base grows. It is quite a powerful tool that is best suited for large companies that need more than standard solutions.

The most important information at a glance
– e-mail templates (about 25),
– message change history,
– free image hosting 14-day trial period,
– personalization of e-mails,
– deliverability control,
– the function of adding ticks.

MailPoet

MailPoet, on the other hand, is not a standard program, but a WordPress plugin. It is free for up to 100 subscribers and there is no distinction between packages – it’s just that the price of the paid version grows in proportion to the number of subscribers. Its advantage is that it allows you to send an unlimited number of e-mails, no matter how wide the contact base is. It also works on a drag-and-drop basis and offers around 50 templates for free.

A useful feature not found in other programs is the automatic removal of uninvolved subscribers, so we don’t have to spend money sending newsletters to people who do not respond to them. The time after which a person is considered disengaged can be freely set in the panel according to current needs. The plugin has a high message delivery rate and is easy to use, so it is a good choice for WordPress users.

The most important information at a glance
– platform in English,
– free templates (around 50),
– free of charge up to 100 subscribers,
– unlimited number of e-mails,
– there is no division into packages
– the price increases with the number of subscribers,
– automatic removal of uninvolved subscribers,
– high deliverability ratio.

EmailLabs

EmailLabs is a platform that has very high message deliverability. We can even decide on a dedicated IP address, thanks to which only we have influence on the reputation of the address and message deliverability. The tool offers 4 packages, including one completely free, which allows you to send 24,000 messages per month. At EmailLabs, we also have ready-made templates that make creating mailings simple and fast.

In the case of this tool, great emphasis is placed on ensuring the client’s security during the transmission of messages and encryption of communication. In higher packages, we also have access to full onboarding, training for employees and the support of a dedicated specialist who helps, among others, in carrying out the necessary integrations. Reporting options are also expanded, including not only basic data, but also open tracking, link tracking and e-mail deliverability alerts.

The most important information at a glance
– very high deliverability,
– 24,000 messages a month for free,
– dedicated IP in higher packets,
– very extensive options to ensure security,
– free plan forever.