Heatmaps + session recordings

Heatmaps and recordings show behavior qualitatively. Where quantitative data says 'users drop here,' recordings show why.

Heatmap insights

• Do users see the CTA? (fold test)
• Are they clicking non-clickable elements?
• Are they scrolling?
• Where attention goes

Recording insights

• Rage clicks (frustration)
• Dead clicks
• Form abandonment mid-field
• Navigation confusion

Tools

• Hotjar, Microsoft Clarity (free), Fullstory, Mouseflow

Time investment

Watch 15-30 recordings per feature. Patterns emerge fast.

What to do with this

• Use heatmaps first to find anomalies (rage clicks, dead clicks, unexpected scroll patterns), recordings second for diagnosis
• Watch 15-30 recordings per feature or page, patterns emerge fast and more than that has diminishing returns
• Prioritize recordings of users who drop off, not users who convert, you learn more from failures than successes
• Tag recordings with observed friction points as you watch, unstructured watching produces no takeaways
• Refresh heatmaps quarterly, user behavior shifts over time and old heatmaps become stale insights