Have you ever wanted to know what is the most popular area of your website or blog? Or where people click? Well, you can with the SumoMe heat map.
From what I have seen in the past most heat map software is not free, but now you can use the SumoMe plugin for WordPress which allows you to use their heat map software for “free!”
(Although, like most of these Plugins, you can pay a monthly subscription to remove the branding and to unlock a few extra features.)
You can see below that we use it for MakingYouAware.com – the more red the spots, the more clicks that section is currently getting.
SumoMe also allows you to use a reading “heat map” to show you where most of your readers are going. It is so cool!
How to get the most out of the heat map? Here some tips from SumoMe:
“Step #1: Pick your first page to test
Don’t test everything right away — that will lead to analysis by paralysis. Instead, focus on one or two of your most important pages to set up a Heat Maps campaign. If you have a blog, focus on your homepage. If you have an ecommerce store, set up a heat map on your best selling product’s page.
Step #2: Picking an objective
Your first step is to choose a goal for each page. Let’s use your homepage as an example. What is the #1 thing you want every visitor to do on your homepage?
Examples of your #1 thing might be:
Sign up to an email list
Download an App
Schedule a meeting
Subscribe to a trial period
Write your goal down on a piece of paper. If you are setting up heat maps on multiple pages, pick an objective for each page. You probably want to start off with one page until you get the hang of it.
Step #3: Use your Heat Map to get more conversions
Run your heat map for at least one week. (If your site receives fewer than 10,000 visits a month, allow your heat map to run for 3 to 4 weeks.) Now it’s time to look at the Heat Map to make the information as valuable as possible. That way, you can transform the design, flow, and layout of your website for better results.
Questions to ask for analysis:
Is my #1 objective the most clicked / hottest spot?
What 3 areas are being the most clicked?
What hot spots were unexpected?
What type of medium received the most clicks (images, video, text, buttons)?
Which images received more clicks than others on the same page?
Taking action:
How can I re-purpose the hot spots to achieve my #1 objective?
What hot spots / links can I remove that distract from my objective?
How can I add more of the content (images/video/text) that my audience engages with?
Now, what should you do with the heat map information after you’ve let it run and analyzed it?
Begin by making small changes that are within immediate reach. For example, remove underperforming images and links in the sidebar or menu.
While the data from your new Heat Map may seem obvious, it can help you see what needs to change. The most powerful way to use a Heat Map is to use an existing “hot spot” on your heat map to achieve your objective. If an area is already receiving a high number of clicks, leverage it to point to the content or action you want your visitor to take.” – SumoMe