It takes more than good web design to build an awesome site—it takes understanding how people interact with it. Heatmaps are one of the most valuable tools in your box if you’re looking to see what’s hot, what’s not, and where you’re losing steam.
This beginner’s guide tells you what heatmaps are, why you should be interested, and how to use them to build smarter, more effective digital experiences.
What Is a Heatmap?
A heatmap is a graphical report showing the way users interact with a web page. Using a color scale from cool (blue) to hot (red), heatmaps point to regions of high or low interaction—e.g., clicks, scrolls, or mouse movement.
They render raw user activity interpretable at the click—so you can see where attention travels, what users ignore, and how they navigate through your site.
Types of Heatmaps
Each type of heatmap offers a different layer of insight:
Click Maps
Watch where people click—on links, images, buttons, or even on blank space. Click maps are useful to identify CTA location and intent.
Scroll Maps
Expose how far users scroll down a page. If people drop off in the middle of your homepage or skip important content at the end, you’ll know immediately.
Mouse Movement Maps
Expose where users are placing their cursor, which generally tracks where they’re focusing their attention. This will make it more straightforward for you to spot visual hierarchy issues or distractions.
Why Heatmaps Matter
Make design choices based on real user behavior—not assumptions. Heatmaps give you a definitive picture of how users interact with your site, so you can:
- Improve navigation and layout
- Simplify content hierarchy
- Improve CTA placement
- Find friction points
- Increase conversions with better UX
They’re especially useful when auditing sites, A/B testing, or pre/post redesign analysis.
How to Use Heatmaps to Improve Your Website
Here’s how to get value out of heatmaps right away:
Audit Key Pages
Start with high-traffic or high-conversion pages—homepages, landing pages, product or service pages. Look where users are engaging most and least.
Re-evaluate CTA Placement
Are your primary calls-to-action even being noticed and clicked by users? If not, redesign or rethink them.
Identify Frustrating Elements
Click maps typically reveal “dead clicks”—when users click on something that isn’t clickable. That translates to confusion and how to streamline your UX.
Streamline Long Pages
Scroll maps inform you if valuable content is being ignored. If users rarely scroll to the bottom of the page, condense content or reorganize it.
Confirm Design Decisions
Merge heatmaps with conventional analytics to confirm layout decisions, headlines, image position, or button color choices.
Tools to Get Started
Below are some of the most well-liked heatmap tools that you can use right away:
- Hotjar – Easy to use and perfect for session recording + feedback.
- Crazy Egg – Offers click and scroll tracking with A/B testing capabilities.
- Microsoft Clarity – Free version with powerful heat mapping and session recording.
- Lucky Orange – Real-time analytics with heatmaps and live chat.
These tools are easy to integrate with Google Analytics, WordPress, Shopify, and more—easy to get started.
Design Smarter, Not Harder
Heatmaps are not just nice pictures—they’re a direct line to how users feel about your site. By observing patterns and activity, you can make adjustments that aren’t necessarily pretty, but work.
At Big Drop Inc., we harness tools like heatmaps to support data-driven design strategies that drive performance, engagement, and conversions—on every screen and every path.
Want to see how heatmaps will enhance your site? Let’s talk. Contact us to begin optimizing with insight.