Heatmap Usage

Heatmaps are visual representations of user behavior on your website, generated by the QA ZERO analytics server. They help you understand where users click, how far they scroll, and where they move their mouse on your pages.

Accessing Heatmap Functionality

Since QA ZERO is an independent analytics server that uses WordPress as middleware, heatmaps are accessed through the Analytics interface:

1. Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard
2. Navigate to QA ZERO > Analytics in the main menu
3. Select the Heatmaps tab in the analytics interface

Types of Heatmaps

The QA ZERO analytics server processes visitor data to generate several types of heatmaps:

Click Heatmaps

Click heatmaps show where users click on your page. Areas with more clicks appear "hotter" (red/orange), while areas with fewer clicks appear "cooler" (blue/green).

Use click heatmaps to:

• Identify which elements attract the most attention
• Discover if users are clicking on non-clickable elements
• Optimize the placement of important links and buttons

Scroll Heatmaps

Scroll heatmaps show how far users scroll down your page. The color gradient indicates the percentage of users who reached each part of the page.

Use scroll heatmaps to:

• Determine if users see important content below the fold
• Identify the optimal placement for key information
• Improve page layout to encourage deeper scrolling

Move Heatmaps

Move heatmaps track mouse movement patterns, showing where users hover their cursor.

Use move heatmaps to:

• Understand what content attracts user attention
• Identify areas that users find interesting but may not click on
• Optimize the placement of important information

Configuring Heatmap Analysis

To configure which pages to analyze with heatmaps:

1. Navigate to QA ZERO > Analytics in the main menu
2. Select the Heatmaps tab
3. Click Configure Tracking
4. Select the pages you want to track:
   • Specific URL
   • URL pattern (using wildcards)
   • Page type (homepage, posts, pages, etc.)
5. Set the data collection period
6. Click Save Configuration

The analytics server will then begin collecting and processing data for the specified pages.

Viewing and Analyzing Heatmaps

To view and analyze your heatmaps:

1. Navigate to QA ZERO > Analytics in the main menu
2. Select the Heatmaps tab
3. Choose the page you want to analyze from the list
4. Use the date range selector to filter data by time period
5. Use the device filter to view data for specific devices (desktop, tablet, mobile)
6. Use the visitor segment filter to analyze behavior of specific user groups

Interpreting Heatmap Data

When analyzing heatmaps, look for:

• Hot spots: Areas with high user engagement (red/orange)
• Cold spots: Areas with low user engagement (blue/green)
• Unexpected patterns: Clicks on non-clickable elements or unusual scroll patterns
• Fold line: The point where users need to scroll to see more content
• Engagement drop-offs: Points where user engagement significantly decreases

Comparing Heatmaps

The analytics server allows you to compare heatmaps to identify changes in user behavior:

1. Navigate to QA ZERO > Analytics in the main menu
2. Select the Heatmaps tab
3. Choose the page you want to analyze
4. Click Compare Periods
5. Select two different time periods to compare
6. Use the comparison view to see differences between the two periods

Exporting Heatmap Data

To export heatmap data for reporting or further analysis:

1. Navigate to QA ZERO > Analytics in the main menu
2. Select the Heatmaps tab
3. Choose the page you want to export data for
4. Click Export
5. Choose your preferred format (PNG, PDF, CSV)
6. Click Download

Best Practices

• Collect data for at least 1,000 page views to ensure statistical significance
• Create separate analyses for desktop and mobile users
• Compare heatmaps before and after making changes to your website
• Use heatmaps in conjunction with other analytics data for a complete picture
• Regularly review heatmaps to identify optimization opportunities