Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Key Takeaways
- WordPress heatmaps visually represent user interactions such as clicks, movement and scrolling behaviour.
- Understanding user behaviour helps financial websites increase engagement and conversions.
- Plugins like Hotjar and Microsoft Clarity make setup easy and insightful.
- Clarity is free; Hotjar is paid for more detailed analysis
- Heatmap data can guide UX design and conversion rate optimisation.
- Ongoing analysis and A/B testing are critical for success.
Table of contents
What is a WordPress Heatmap?
Heatmaps are visual tools that show you exactly how users interact with your website. Hot zones reveal the most popular areas, while cold zones are often ignored. For business sites, this clarity is important and shows what visitors like (and dont like) on your website.
Microsoft Clarity
Microsoft Clarity is a free user behaviour analytics tool that provides website owners with powerful insights into how visitors interact with their sites. Created by Microsoft, this platform offers features including heatmaps, session recordings, and detailed analytics dashboards that help businesses understand user behaviour patterns without any cost barriers.
Clarity stands out for its privacy-first approach, automatically masking sensitive user data whilst providing detailed metrics on click patterns, scroll behaviour, and user journey flows. The tool integrates seamlessly with popular platforms and provides unlimited tracking with no data sampling, making it an attractive alternative to paid analytics solutions.
Its intuitive interface allows users to identify pain points in their website experience, optimise conversion funnels, and make data-driven decisions to improve user engagement. Visit Microsoft Clarity to explore its comprehensive suite of free analytics tools.
Hotjar
Hotjar is a leading user experience analytics platform that combines multiple research tools to provide deep insights into website visitor behaviour and user feedback. This comprehensive solution offers heatmaps, session recordings, conversion funnels, form analytics, and user feedback tools including surveys and polls, all designed to help businesses understand the ‘why’ behind user actions on their websites.
Hotjar’s strength lies in its ability to combine quantitative data with qualitative insights, allowing teams to see not just what users do, but understand their motivations and frustrations through direct feedback mechanisms.
It’s a popular choice and serves over 1.1 million websites globally and is particularly valued by UX designers, product managers, and digital marketers for its user-friendly interface and actionable insights.
While Hotjar operates on a freemium model with paid plans for advanced features and higher traffic volumes, it provides robust capabilities for businesses looking to optimise their digital experiences through comprehensive user research and behavioural analysis. to discover how their analytics suite can enhance your website’s user experience.
Three key heatmap trackers:
- Click: See where users click the most
- Scroll: Understand how far down the page users scroll
- Movement: Track mouse movement and attention areas
Importance of User Behaviour Tracking
Business websites thrive on trust and clarity. Tracking behaviour through heatmaps unveils what your users want, and just as importantly—what they ignore.
- Data-driven design: Adjust layouts to promote key financial offerings
- Improved UX: Remove friction from investment or quote journeys
- CRO gains: Boost sign-ups by refining ineffective CTAs
- Compliance: Uncover user errors in steps relating to personal info
Step-by-Step Setup Guide
No matter your site’s size, setup is simple if done right:
1. Installing a Plugin:
- Use WordPress admin panel
- Search and install plugins like Hotjar or Microsoft Clarity
- Activate and proceed to configuration
2. Configuration Tips:
- Choose key business pages (home, products, bookings, price calculators)
- Run different heatmap types
- Schedule recordings and durations
3. Plugin Specific Integration:
- Hotjar: Sign up, get your Site ID, configure plugin
- Clarity: Embed tracking code or install plugin, start monitoring
Types of Heatmaps
Decode behaviour with clarity.
Click Heatmaps
Business sites benefit immensely from click data:
- Tweak ‘Get Quote’ buttons for higher clicks
- Understand what’s pulling attention away
- Reassess CTA placements based on click patterns
Scroll Heatmaps
Engage users with content that matters:
- Know where readers drop off on pricing tables
- Restructure long mortgage advice guides for retention
Session Recordings
Watch users move through your loan calculators and application steps in real-time.
Data Visualisation
Heatmaps don’t just provide data—they tell stories. Combine them with tools like Google Analytics or CRM insights to paint a complete picture of user journeys and campaign impact.
Use visual cues to present insights to stakeholders: colourful overlays are far easier to unpack than raw tables and numbers.
UX Optimisation
User frustration often goes unspoken, but heatmaps reveal it.
- Improve newsletter signup forms based on click data
- Rearrange homepage priorities to match user intention
- Streamline quotation wizards or financial calculators
CRO (Conversion Rate Optimisation) with Heatmaps
Optimising conversion rates isn’t guesswork, it’s strategy. Heatmaps support broader CRO frameworks with evidence-based insight into what converts.
- Refocus CTAs where attention is highest
- Limit distractions below conversion triggers
- Test different layout versions using insights from scroll and click depth
Plugin Compatibility Tips
Heatmap plugins generally play nice, but take note:
- Always test on a staging environment first
- Monitor page speed post-installation
- Check compatibility with form, cache, and security plugins
Actionable Insights
Use what you learn, don’t just collect data:
- Review heatmaps weekly for trending patterns
- Build hypotheses from anomalies—for example, high click rates on non-clickable items
- Launch A/B tests based on observed behaviour
FAQs
What is a WordPress heatmap?
A WordPress heatmap is a data visualisation tool that displays how users interact with your site through overlays showing clicks, scroll depth, and movement.
Which plugin is better: Hotjar or Clarity?
Both are excellent. Hotjar offers more features, while Clarity is free and powerful for basic tracking.
Will heatmaps slow down my WordPress site?
Most modern plugins are lightweight. However, always test impact on performance after installation using tools like GTmetrix or PageSpeed Insights.
Is heatmap tracking GDPR-compliant?
Yes, if you disclose tracking to users and provide consent mechanisms, you’re on solid ground. Tools like Hotjar have built-in compliance features.
Can I use heatmaps on ecommerce product pages?
Absolutely. In fact, they’re ideal for uncovering shopping behaviours, improving product layout, or spotting friction in checkout flows.
