Heatmaps and session recordings answer the question analytics can't: why people didn't convert. They are qualitative tools, useful for generating a hypothesis, not for proving a result. This guide shows how to use them without jumping to conclusions.
The four types of heatmap and what each one shows
| Type | What it records | Good question to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Click map | where people click | are they clicking something that isn't clickable? |
| Scroll map | how far down the page gets seen | is the CTA below the drop-off point? |
| Move map | the cursor's path | is there hesitation on any block? |
| Attention map | time spent per area | what's stealing attention from the offer? |
How to analyze without fooling yourself
- Separate by device. A desktop map and a mobile map are different pages, mixing them produces a useless conclusion.
- Make sure you have a sample. Below a few hundred sessions per segment, the map shows noise.
- Compare segments. People who converted versus people who didn't reveals the behavior that actually matters.
- End with a hypothesis. Every reading should become a testable sentence, not a direct change to the site.
Session recordings: what to look for
- Repeated clicks ("rage clicks") on elements that don't respond.
- Back-and-forth between the price and the description: a sign of unresolved doubt.
- Abandonment partway through a form, field by field.
- Layout bugs that only show up at certain screen resolutions.
- Use of internal search as a symptom of poor navigation.
What shows up in recordings usually explains the drops measured in the store's funnel, the topic of the guide to ecommerce conversion rate.
Privacy and LGPD
Mask sensitive fields (documents, card numbers, passwords), disclose the collection in your privacy policy, respect the consent banner, and limit the retention period. An unanonymized recording is a legal liability.
A practical routine
Weekly
Watch five sessions from critical pages and note three observed points of friction.
Monthly
Review the heatmaps of your highest-traffic pages and feed the hypothesis backlog of the CRO cycle.
Qualitative analysis checklist
- Segments separated by device and traffic source.
- Minimum sample defined before drawing conclusions.
- Comparison between who converted and who didn't.
- Sensitive fields masked in recordings.
- Consent respected and retention limited.
- Every finding turned into a prioritized hypothesis.
Conclusion
A heatmap is the microscope, not the verdict. Use it to find out where to look; use experimentation to decide what to change.
Frequently asked questions about website heatmap
What is a website heatmap for?
It's for observing behavior: where people click, how far they scroll, and what they ignore. It's a hypothesis-generating tool, not proof of a result.
How many sessions do I need to analyze a heatmap?
Work with at least a few hundred sessions per device segment. Small samples show noise and lead to the wrong decisions.
Does a heatmap replace A/B testing?
No. The heatmap tells you where to look, and A/B testing decides what to change, because only a controlled experiment measures the real effect on conversion.
Are session recordings allowed under LGPD?
Yes, as long as sensitive fields are masked, the collection is disclosed in the privacy policy, consent is respected, and retention has a defined timeframe.
What are rage clicks?
They are repeated, rapid clicks on the same element, usually signaling that something looks clickable but doesn't respond, or that the page is slow.
About the author
Yara Iencius
Partner and Head of Design & UX, KCLOCK
Conversion designer. Responsible for UX/UI, interfaces, landing pages, and e-commerce sites that turn strategy into a high-converting experience.
- #data
- #cro
- #usability
Want to apply this to your funnel with people who do it every day?
KCLOCK builds high-converting funnels, landing pages, websites, and e-commerce stores. We diagnose your current funnel and show you where the revenue you're leaving on the table is hiding.
