By analysing a heat map, you can get a whole heap of information that can be invaluable for your business. Why? Because the more insight you have when it comes to your existing and potential customers, the better for you and your business in the long run. MLK Marketing explores the pieces of vital information you can gain through the close inspection of a heat map.

We’ve all heard terms like road maps, mind maps and many other “maps”, but heat maps may be a new one for you, especially if you are a newbie in the business world. So what does a heat map refer to? Basically, think of it as a visual map which allows you to see how and where your visitors interact with a web page. The colour distribution on the page that vary in colour are indications of where the most activity is present. For example, red areas indicate areas with the highest amount of interactions. On the contrary, colours such as blue indicate the least amount of interactions on your website. The level of interaction by each visitor can be tracked in two ways; mouse tracking heatmaps via mouse clicks or movements and eye tracking heatmaps via gaze fixations. However, the most popular method of heat mapping is via eye tracking due to its accuracy and cost efficiency.

So now that we are all up to speed about heatmaps, it sure pays to have a closer look at how the heatmap can actually help establish information that may have gone unnoticed if it wasn’t for this method.

1. Location, Location, Location.

That’s right. Real estate isn’t the only time when location is imperative. The same goes for your all important business website. The main thing to remember when it comes to analysing user behaviour is that us as humans have a limited attention span. As a result of this, it has been documented that on average, visitors on your website tend to view the page less and less as they scroll down the page. This is a very important point to consider when planning the design and layout of your website, especially your content. By keeping the most important and prominent pieces of information regarding the products and services your business has to offer on the top portion of the web page, visitors are more likely to process the information efficiently. What does this ultimately mean? Basically, keep the most valuable pieces of information and content to your existing and potential customers close to the header for higher rates of attentiveness. But the story does not end there. Interestingly enough, thanks to heat map tests, it has also been previously documented that user attention spikes right back up again when they reach the bottom portion of the web page. By careful planning and layout, you can significantly increase your conversion rates by placing great call to action content at the bottom of your page. Think of it as a means in which you can increase the likelihood of purchases. Make the most of the content at the top and bottom of your website drives sales, after all, it’s where the most attention lies.

2. Keep Left.

When planning your website, it is important to always be a step ahead of your target audience in order to be ready to capture their attention when they visit your business web page. Usually, most of us tend to process words starting from the left side, especially while we read. After numerous heat mapping tests, it was found that most people devote most of their attention to the left side of the web page. Therefore, it is always a good idea to keep important content also on the left side of the website. People spend about double the time looking on the left hand side before transferring their attention, which may be somewhat limited, to the right side of the web page. Again, during the process of designing your website it is important to consider such factors in order to achieve the maximum amount of content exposure during each visit from an existing or potential client. Heat mapping is a great tool when it comes to actually showing us the most effective way to place content to reach and exceed your business goals.

3. False Advertising Of Another Kind.

We are all sick of those pesky and annoying advertisements that pop up during our online shopping experience, which is precisely why we do our best to ignore them at all costs. Yes, at all costs. This means that even if you have content on your website that looks like advertising, even remotely, then have no doubt that it will be ignored. This is a phenomenon called “banner blindness” which basically refers to the act of subconsciously ignoring the presence of content all because it resembles advertisement. This is further confirmed with the support of heat map studies that have found that there was no gaze fixations on advertisement or content which looks like advertisement. During fast paced shopping experiences, such as online shopping where there are many distractions present, advertisements are almost always ignored and rendered as useless. This is why it is important to ensure all pieces of information and content present on your website does not look like advertising in any way, shape or form to actively prevent banner blindness. With the aid of an experienced web designer, these types of errors can be easily avoided making your website look much more appealing to each visitor.

4. Everyone Loves A Bargain.

Thanks to the technologically advanced heat mapping methods we have today, we can say that everyone loves a bargain with even greater confidence. That’s science talking. Based on previously documented heat mapping findings, it was discovered that a vast majority of web page visitors actually allocated most of their time and therefore attention to the discounted price that was displayed. What do we exactly mean by this? By placing the discounted price next to the original price of the product or service you are offering to your target audience, the amount of gaze fixation significantly increased. This is a highly influential factor when it comes to decision making, which is critical during the online shopping experience. In short, whatever information we have available to us at the time, that is what we primarily base our decisions around. Customer satisfaction is the main focus for many businesses today, which is why utilising methods such as these can improve customer satisfaction just by simply allowing the customer to visually realise the savings they are making with their purchase. It’s simple and it works. Happier customers are much more likely to return, as well as recommend your business to their friends and family. Advertisement through word and mouth is priceless to any business, and this is a great way to achieve that while building up the credibility of your brand.

5. Stand Out With Your Looks.

Heat mapping works by basically tracking and monitoring the level of attention that certain parts of your website get. And what grabs more attention than content that stands out on the page. Therefore, it has been previously found that the most attention was gained by prominent content including bold writing and great images that conveyed purpose and emotion. Most of the time, people can be highly ambivalent before making a purchase, especially when they are in a rush or distracted by external factors. In order to ultimately seal the deal and increase your profit margins in a significantly short amount of time, it is highly worthwhile to consider showcasing your products and services in a highly desirable manner in order to increase the likelihood of sales. By highlighting the products and services you want your visitors to see, you are creating visual saliency which can be a lifesaver for many of your existing and potential customers. Make sure your potential customers can find what they are looking for in a relatively short amount of time in a hassle free manner without losing to competitors. Think about it, layout of content and presentation that is drab, not engaging and lacking in the charm department can be highly detrimental to sales, and thus, your business. Use vibrant colours and settings that are eye catching to display what your business has to offer in the most effective way possible.

MLK Marketing are market leaders in professional web design, branding, social media management, app development and premium SEO. With the objective to continually reach and exceed customer expectations and levels of satisfaction when it comes to marketing your business online, we strive to effectively deliver all your business needs to get you noticed online. Our premium SEO packages that are specifically designed to get your website catapulted to the front pages of prominent search engines including Google are suitable for any size business and are second to none within the industry. With an impressive portfolio, MLK Marketing are the experts when it comes to web design with skilled and experienced website designers and developers who are dedicated and driven by excellence. Contact MLK Marketing today on 1300 720 032 for more information.