Analyzing the experience that visitors have while browsing a site or an application is important in the contemporary world. Regardless of your level or job title – marketer, product manager, web designer – any glimpse into how users are going to behave is beneficial for making relevant decisions about the corresponding design and content.
The best thing is that these decisions do not have to be made blindly because every lightweight or significant feature change can be tracked by heatmap software tools. These provide the graphical interface of users such as clicks, scrolls, hovers, and other operations that are performed by users to reach their goals that help to identify what is appealing and unappealing to users.
So in this article let me get you covered on what you need to know about these tools, including the good ones that should have the following capabilities. We will also provide the heat map software comparison of the top 10 heat map software with their detailed features, benefits, drawbacks, and costs. Whether you are interested in the best practices for conversion tracking, this is your lucky day.
What is Heatmap Software?
They are specific software technologies to support infographics of statistics regarding user engagements within online environments. The ‘heatmap’ is a sort of map that represents heat and uses colors to suggest the intensity; higher interactively zones are colored with warmer colors like red or orange; lower zones are colored with cooler colors like blue or green. Heatmaps provide you with a general overview of the areas of your site or your app that users find interesting and those that they avoid.
Some examples of heatmaps are click maps which are a representation that focuses on which areas users click on; scroll maps which depict how far users scroll; and hover maps which focus on which areas users’ mice hover. More advanced heatmap tools can also record session replays, meaning the complete interaction of the ‘user X’ series. These lessons give website owners and UX design service providers useful data to make corrections.
Why You Need Heatmap Software Tools
- Understand User Engagement: Heatmaps indicate the precise location of mouse clicks and scrolling; in addition, you find out what attracts users’ attention and where their interest fades.
- Optimize Content and Design: So understanding which aspect of a page users skip or interact with may direct changes to the organization of the page and the location and design of components.
- Boost Conversion Rates: When you learn user behavior, you can adjust the position of call-to-action (CTA), the structure of the navigation, and the customer journey as a whole, which will increase conversions.
- Identify Frustration Points: Some of the heatmap tools show ‘the red zones’ or scroll speed and ‘bounce’- repeated clicks that portray frustration from the user. Several areas bear potential for improvement when it comes to user experience enhancement.
- Enhance Content Distribution: When using content distribution platforms, heatmaps make it possible to determine how well this content is received and what can be done with it.
Key Features of Heatmap Software Tools
Best practices and useful tips when working on Heatmap Software Tools are:
- Click Tracking: Logs that specify whether a user found a given page by clicking or navigating somewhere else, are useful for understanding which portions capture people’s interest.
- Scroll Mapping: Illustrates where on the page users scroll indicating whether content is placed where users expect it to be.
- Session Replay: This enables you to view the live recorded session of the user which provides a clear picture of how the user navigates on the application.
- Event Tracking: Used to focus on certain activities that can be a web page form submission, click on the button, or downloading of some materials to get a clear understanding of how the interactions with specific elements.
- Segmentation Options: This lets you segment users according to some parameters such as device, geographical location, return users, or new visitors.
- Data Integration: Almost all heatmap software products are designed to interact with other analytical and content delivery systems and can correlatively combine data.
- Mobile Compatibility: Requirement for some extent of a heatmap that integrates with mobile-influenced interfaces.
10 Best Heatmap Software Tools
1. Hotjar
Hotjar is one of the most popular heatmap and behavior analytics tools to reveal visitor behavior using heatmaps, recordings, and feedback. The tools of the platform provide an overall picture of where the users are clicking, scrolling, and navigating around. The key feature of Hotjar is the ease of its usage combined with the simplicity of installation, so it can truly be used by both small and big businesses.
Key Features:
- Interaction heat maps of mouse clicks, scrolling, and movements.
- Session recordings for a live view of the users’ engagements
- Feedback polls and surveys to receive feedback from the users.
Pros:
- The subcategory includes a highly usable, and highly satisfying, interface that doesn’t require any prior knowledge to be used effectively.
- Provides a list of interaction visualizations by types of interaction
- Gives feedback tools in conjunction with heat maps
Cons:
- Restrictions on the use of customer data on the Free Plan
- Could use even more comfortable customization satisfying the needs of professional users
- may be expensive for the large websites with large traffic numbers
Ideal For:
The main clientele base has to be small to medium business companies, eCommerce businesses + UX designers.
Pricing:
- Free: $0
- Growth: $40/month
- Pro: Contact
- Enterprise: Contact
Website: https://www.hotjar.com/
2. Crazy Egg
Crazy Egg is one of the most popular heatmap tools, which provides powerful tools for capturing the users’ actions on the website, for example, heatmaps, scrollmaps, and A/B testing. The primary use of this tool is to assist the users in allowing them to easily locate regions of high and low interest on the website. It also has interfaces for performing Split tests and for optimizing changes in the designs based on behavior data.
Key Features:
- Click and scroll heatmaps
- Click the segmentation map for the confetti
- Tools for comparison of changes between two groups to determine the optimal.
Pros:
- Where Users could interact with the product: More detailed information can be provided.
- The Confetti feature divides the clicks by the source of the referral.
- An implementation of A/B testing is built right into the product.
Cons:
- It should be noted though that on-screen analytics customization is quite limited.
- Generally, a lower-priced device has fewer features while a higher price point will provide that extra set of features.
- There is the bad news that no session replays are provided in basic plans.
Ideal For:
Such users are marketers, UX researchers, and eCommerce entrepreneurs who seeking changes in conversion rate.
Pricing:
- Plus: $99 /mo
- Pro: $249 /mo
- Enterprise: $499 /mo
Website: https://www.crazyegg.com/
3. FullStory
FullStory is one of the advanced behavior analytics solutions that include heatmap as well as session replay, funnels, and conversion rate analysis. It has deep indexing and search plus the ability to view by intent which helps users detect the needed sessions and interpret interactions in particular. It is a tool especially suitable for such organizations that want to refine their UX by relying more on data analysis.
Key Features:
- Session replay featuring several carrying out filters
- Advanced search functionality to track some events
- Conversion and analytics of the number of visitors who pass through the funnel.
Pros:
- Multi-purpose behavior tracking software in one package
- The filtering degree of sessions is maximized.
- It integrates with most content-sharing services and productivity and/or analytics tools.
Cons:
- Too expensive for small teams
- Not as user-friendly especially for first-time users
- Only the users with the advanced mobile packages can access the social platforms.
Ideal For:
Business organizations, organizations with dedicated UX design teams, and organizations that involve in-depth data analysis of the users.
Pricing:
- Custom pricing for enterprise plans.
Website: https://www.fullstory.com/
4. Mouseflow
Mouseflow is a user behavior tool that includes click heatmaps, scroll heatmaps, session replays, and funnels and is best suitable for web developers as well as e-commerce companies. Session replay in Mouseflow has keystroke-level logging which can help businesses see the interactions of users. It also provides ways the recognize frustration signs like rage clicks.
Key Features:
- Six heatmap displaying techniques for improved heatmaps and generalization
- Keystroke log with session replay
- Rage clicks and dead clicks – are also considered the sign of frustration.
Pros:
- Offers very rich session replays
- Usability is very high even for a person with little or no experience in computer use.
- Supports event-based tracking
Cons:
- Not very many elements are included in the free version
- Costly for sites getting high levels of traffic
- Limited customization options
Ideal For:
Small and medium scale enterprises, eCommerce websites, and User experience specialists.
Pricing:
- Starter: $31
- Growth: $109
- Business: $219
- Pro: $399
Website: https://mouseflow.com/
5. Smartlook
Smartlook offers session recording, heatmaps, and analytics features tailored for Smartlook has tools for session recording, heatmaps, and analytics specifically for website and mobile applications. A few features are missing from Smartlook’s heatmaps, such as rage-click detection, and the platform offers great mobile analytics for application-focused companies. The tool is also as efficient and furnishes so much detail as to be perfect for the firms that are looking to put practice and polish on the use they have for the site.
Key Features:
- Conversion tracking for the web and the application
- Rage-click and error-tracking
- Conversion funnel analysis
Pros:
- Categorized as being easier to use with the setup and look is very easy to decode.
- Extremely robust mobile analytics with a key focus for application developers.
- Supplies rage-click and error tracking to enhance the user experience
Cons:
- Only a few practices in the free plan
- It may not be as sophisticated in tracking its Web activities as its buyers do with their competitors.
- Just like with session recording storage, users of lower plans may feel that functionality is quite limiting.
Ideal For:
Software that can be of interest to mobile app entrepreneurs and companies, product managers, and UX designers.
Pricing:
- Free: $0
- Pro: $55/ month
- Enterprise: Custom
Website: https://www.smartlook.com/
6. Lucky Orange
Lucky Orange is an excellent tool that simultaneously works as a heatmap, session replay tool, live chat, and form analysis tool. They like this software for its reasonable prices and simplicity but it works best for starting or small-scale companies. A specific feature of Lucky Orange is a live chat which enables real-time communication with the users and may bring extra information and better customer service.
Key Features:
- Click heat map, scroll heat map and movement heat map
- Frequency of power and backup current live chat
- Per session recording and visitor profiling
Pros:
- Cheap with as many features as appealing to the mass market
- Live assistance through live chat and real-time visitor tracking
- It has special features that include form analytics.
Cons:
- A major drawback of heat maps is that there is very little variation from one to another.
- The live chat can also make it introduce additional layers of difficulty.
- Here, it is possible for the most high-end features of the tools not to be as all-encompassing as might be considered appropriate.
Ideal For:
E-Commerce sites, support teams, and small businesses in search of simultaneous aggregated and real-time interaction.
Pricing:
- Free: $0/mo
- Build: $32/mo
- Grow: $72/mo
- Expand: $184/mo
- Scale: $720/mo
Website: https://www.luckyorange.com
7. Zoho PageSense
Zoho PageSense is a new conversion optimization platform that comes under the Zoho family which has heatmaps, session replay, and A/B testing. Firstly and as would be expected of any new Zoho product, it fits well with already existing Zoho products and applications. Zoho PageSense is centered on improving the performance of a business by analyzing how visitors interact and engage with your website.
Key Features:
- Click, scroll, and fixate on heat maps
- Session recording and replays
- The differences between groups and A/B testing and funnel analysis
Pros:
- It perfectly integrates with other Zoho products.
- Sophisticated statistical tools and rigorous testing reach far above the firm’s specific objectives
- Pricing is quite cheap with the option to sign up for the desired package
Cons:
- May not have as much detail as some other standalone heatmap products
- User Interface in particular can be very steep for a novice.
- These activities’ lack of synchronization with non-Zoho systems
Ideal For:
Customers of Zoho suite and company that operates in small and mid-size markets and has a focus on CRO.
Pricing:
- Analyze: ₹720/month/ billed annually
- Engage: ₹1,044/month/ billed annually
- Optimize: ₹1,764/month/ billed annually
Website: https://www.zoho.com/pagesense/
8. Inspectlet
Inspected is a user behavior tool that targets heatmaps, recordings, and form analysis. It is highly valuable for tracking visitor interactions in detail, including keystrokes, which can be valuable when analyzing form completions and other high-interaction pages. As a result of form optimization, Inspectlet can be applied to data-driven UX design consistently.
Key Features:
- Heatmaps for click, scroll, and mouse move.
- Skills sessions recording, as well as typing tracking
- From analytics for form interaction data
Pros:
- Strong form analysis features
- Session recording and full keyboard logs
- Low cost for small business purposes
Cons:
- No A/B testing features
- Some level of integration with other tools
- Keystroke logging is sometimes alarmingly legal and can lead to privacy invasion issues.
Ideal For:
Those websites that focus on form-based interactions, product managers, and the members of the UX designing field should.
Pricing:
- Free: $0/per month
- Micro: $39/per month
- Startup: $79/per month
- Growth: $149/per month
- Accelerate: $299/per month
- Enterprise: $499/per month
Website: https://www.inspectlet.com
9. Glassbox
Glassbox is a powerful solution for large companies to analyze user actions: heatmaps, session recordings, and conversion funnels. As a scalable and highly segmented software, Glassbox is most appropriate for big businesses that require complex data on users’ behavior. It also has the intelligence capability for error identification to enable rapid UX problem-solving.
Key Features:
- To classify the kinds of error detection of the AI mechanism, the conversion analysis is stored in the database.
- Enhanced features in session recording and heat maps
- Converting analysis for the user flow tracking
Pros:
- Suitability for large-scale businesses
- AI as an instrument for gaining insight into errors and conversion rates
- Analysis for more detailed reports according to one’s wants.
Cons:
- Costly mainly for teams with few people
- Large numbers of steps and phony intelligence
- Some of the features will be inaccessible in lower-tier plans
Ideal For:
Business, commercial businesses of various scales, immense B2B stores, high-level UX departments, and teams.
Pricing:
- Custom pricing based on business needs
Website: https://www.glassbox.com/sessioncam/
10. Ptengine
Ptengine is a heatmap and analytics tool that is said to offer slicing and dicing so that heatmaps are readily available depending on user segments be it geographical location, device, or referring source. This is used to provide the business with improved ways of delivering more customized user experiences that better match the behaviors observed in certain segments of the audience.
Key Features:
- Heat maps segmented by,
- Of these constituents, click-through and scroll depth as well as attention heat maps.
- Campaigns such as A/B testing and accurate analytics tools
Pros:
- Well-limited strength in segmentation
- Useful for that specific idea of focusing on seven directions of UX improvement by users’ segments.
- Able to effectively operate with a simple monitor or display.
Cons:
- Not as packed full of features as some of the other professional-level programs out there.
- It is missing some sophisticated tracking and session replay functional features.
- The higher-tier plans may also be expensive
Ideal For:
Marketers adopting only demographic segmentation targeted small and mid number of businesses.
Pricing:
- Free plan available
- Custom Pricing
Website: https://www.ptengine.com/
How to Choose the Right Heatmap Software Tools
Picking the most suitable heatmap software tools involves the following factors:
- Business Goals: Do you want to increase converting users, better understand how users engage with your content or enhance the experience of users on mobile devices? The peculiarities are that each of the tools has some advantages: some of them are oriented to the segmentation of the users, others – to the session replay, A/B testing, etc.
- Budget: The prices of heatmap tools also differ a great deal… Some of these are free or affordable for small businesses; however, FullStory and GlassBox which have enhanced features are best for the big organizations.
- Ease of Use: The tools that are easier to implement such as Crazy Egg or Lucky Orange are good if used by someone with no technical background, while on the other hand, tools like FullStory that have more analytical capabilities might need technical solutions to be implemented to the fullest.
- Integration Needs: Most of them like Zoho PageSense can be easily integrated with other tools in their suite, which is important if you already use their solutions. If you use platforms such as Google Analytics and alternatives of Google Analytics, CRM, or CMS, then consider tools with a well-developed integration.
- Data Security and Compliance: That is the reason why websites that deal with, for instance, personal information or operate in the sphere of clearly defined rules – GDPR compliance or adherence to other high-class security protocols is critical.
Maximizing the Value of Heatmap Data
Finally, after you’ve decided on which heatmap software tool to use, it is important for you to optimize the results collected. Here are ways to maximize the insights gained:
- Analyze Click Patterns: Determine which of the buttons links or images are more conspicuous to the users. This can show the user interests and thus where important aspects like the call to action button should be positioned.
- Optimize Content Placement: Heatmaps can indicate which parts interest and engage users the most. Ensure content that you want to attract much attention is placed in the areas where users spend most time.
- Reduce Page Abandonment: Use eye fixations to discover where users stop looking. If web users are sk35ipping down the page without reaching certain parts then try positioning the content above the fold.
- Enhance UX Based on Session Recordings: Explore session replays to know what part the user gets annoyed with and performs actions like rage-clicking or redoing an action. Solving these problems can dramatically enhance user interactions as well as the overall experience.
- Conduct A/B Testing: Added to that, or heat map can be used to make adjustments on the webpage after which the efficiency of the change made can be tested via A/B test. Thus, the built-in A/B testing in Crazy Egg and VWO is useful when used for this purpose.
- Iterate and Improve: Weekly heatmap data should be checked to keep making enhancements to your website. Where used, heatmap analysis should be carried out within the framework of a continuous optimization process due to users’ behavior change over a period.
Common Mistakes To Avoid When Choosing Heatmap Software Tools
Here’s a quick summary of common mistakes to avoid when choosing heatmap software:
- Ignoring Goals: Lack of clear objectives can result in selecting not the required tool for your work or project.
- Overlooking Integrations: A tool that lacks adequate integrations with other tools in the workflow will make your data compartmentalized and inefficient.
- Focusing Only on Price: Selecting a product or service based solely on price can lead to you not getting a specific feature that is important to you.
- Neglecting Data Privacy: Some tools do not meet the data privacy laws and this could be risky legally.
- Ignoring Scalability: Selecting the wrong software that cannot accommodate your firm’s growth may be a problem as the business evolves.
- Underestimating User Experience (UX): Selecting a tool that has many features or hard controls will be detrimental to the productivity of your team.
- Not Checking Customer Support: Insufficient customer service means that any time the customer experiences a problem, the problem-solving process takes a long time which is detrimental to running a business.
- Overlooking Customization Options: Not all the tools let you make the necessary changes to fine-tune the insights for specific applications.
Conclusion
The selection of the heatmap software tools depends on the business needs, financial ability, and technical specs. In the same way, it is cheaper for small businesses or start-ups to conduct a user behavior analysis using tools such as Lucky Orange and Zoho PageSense. If a business has a high volume of export data that may need rigorous analysis and profiling, perhaps FullStory or Glassbox would be the perfect fit.
By understanding the click maps, scroll maps, and session replays, one can have a better experience in the positioning of the websites as well as the content being provided. Integrating a heatmap will help the investor to make better decisions with the help of which he will be able to get better responses, better satisfaction levels of the users, and a better conversion ratio.
FAQs
1. What is heatmap software and why is it used?
Heatmap is a software that highlights the areas of a web resource, where the target users click, scroll, or spend time. They can be very helpful in the following ways: insights from the users, establishing the web design, the user experience, and improving conversion rates.
2. Types of heatmaps in heatmap software tools
There are click maps which show precisely where people are clicking; scroll maps, which can let you know how deep in a page users go, and hover maps, showing where a user tends to hover over with the mouse. Certain tools also exist as session replays, which lets businesses follow along with a complete experience of the user.
3. How do heatmap applications assist in adding value to conversion rates on websites?
Heatmap tools that are based on data from user interactions place zones of high and low interest on a webpage. It also helps businesses make decisions about where and when to include calls-to-action, how to design content and content layout, and problematic areas that can result in reduced conversion rates.
4. What are some important factors that I have to look for when selecting the heatmap software tool?
Some of the things to look at are the following: goals, budget, how easy it is to use, and if it easily integrates with other tools and functionalities such as session recording, split testing, and phone optimization.
5. How many free or cheap heatmap software options exist for a small business?
Of course, here are a few: Hotjar, Ptengine, and Lucky Orange. All three of these options have free or low-cost plans, meaning at the bare minimum you will find: heatmaps and at least some analytics.
