What is Heatmap and Session Recording Software?
Most web analytics tools focus on clickstream analytics or the tracking of visitor movement from webpage to webpage across a site. By contrast, in-page web analytics like heatmaps and session recording software provides users with an analysis of visitor behavior on one particular webpage.
Marketers, analysts, or user experience (UX) researchers and specialists use in-page web analytics tools to identify areas of confusion, technical errors, or barriers to conversion on a particular webpage. For example, visitors might click an area that is not an actual link, or users’ attention might be focused on the least important part of the page. In this way, in-page web analytics tools can help an organization optimize its website's usability and positively impact outcomes like conversion rate.
Heatmap and Session Recording Software Features
In-page web analytics tools often offer capabilities such as:
- Heatmaps that show frequency and depth of click activity on a page
- Mouse-tracking, which shows mouse cursor movement across the page
- Form analytics, which shows visitor behavior in filling out forms even when not submitted
- Eye-tracking, which use either real people or algorithms to show eye movement across a page
- Session replay, which are live recordings of an individual's website session
- Visitor segmentation
Many point solutions offer in-page web analytics, such as Crazy Egg, Mouseflow, and Hotjar. Some web analytics solutions such as Google Analytics include some in-page analytics capabilities, as do some A/B testing products such as Visual Website Optimizer. Adobe Analytics offers integration with ClickTale.
Heatmap and Session Recording Software Comparison
Before purchasing a heatmap and session recording product, consider the following key factors:
- Type of tool: There are some stand-alone heatmap and session recording tools like Hotjar and Mouseflow that primarily provide heatmap, session recording, and intercept and email survey capabilities. However, many user experience platforms include these capabilities along with additional analytics features. Certain A/B testing platforms also prove heatmap and other in-page analytics. Smaller point solutions will be cheaper but offer less functionality than larger user experience analytics or A/B testing platforms. First, determine what level of tool you and your organization are looking for.
- Ease of use: Are the heatmap and session recording tools you're considering easy to install and use? Especially if there will likely be marketing or other non-technical end-users of the tool at your organization, make sure it’s user-friendly enough for all types of users.
- Range of features: Besides heatmap analysis and user session recording, are you looking for any additional features in a heatmap tool? For example, the ability to conduct website A/B testing, run intercept surveys/website polls, send out email surveys, or advanced user behavior analytics? Not all heatmap and session recording tools have the same set of features, so identify which features are important for you and your organization to have before testing out different tools.
Pricing Information
Larger user behavior analytics suites, product analytics software, and A/B testing platforms will likely be more expensive than stand-alone heatmap and session recording tools.
Pricing for stand-alone heatmap and session recording tools can vary based on the number of websites being monitored, the number of pageviews or sessions per day, the number of recordings, the number of users, and the range of features included in the platform. Some tools like HotJar and Mouseflow offer a free version of their product.
Starting prices for paid plans can range between $24 - $40 per month.
The following heatmap and session recording software offer award-winning customer relationships, feature sets, and value for price. Learn more about our Best Of Awards methodology here.
