Evaluate your CTAs using website heatmaps
Evaluate your CTAs using website heatmaps
1. Open a heatmap on three different pages that have the website's primary CTA.
While you may have more than one CTA, for this exercise use the one you care about most, such as start trial, content download, or email signup. The areas of the page that receive the most attention will be highlighted with the most color. If your CTA isn’t in one of these areas, look for page elements that might be distracting the user away from that spot on the page.
2. Filter heatmaps by traffic source to compare performance.
Look for large differences in hot locations between traffic sources, specifically in the areas around your CTAs. Avoid including traffic sources with a lower than average amount of traffic as they may skew results in one way or another. Make note of any traffic sources that tend to focus more on your CTA than others and spend more marketing budget on this source.
3. Use a scroll heatmap to judge CTA visibility.
A scroll heatmap will show how far down your visitors are scrolling prior to leaving the page. Look for the effective fold on each page to see how far down the page 50% of visitors reach during their time on page. If your CTA is below the effective fold, add a second appearance of your CTA higher on the page to increase visibility.
4. Watch session recordings for visitors who convert on the three pages you chose.
To filter this segment, set a behavior tag to identify visitors who complete your desired action. This could be as simple as add to cart or a more complex setup involving a checkout page or viewing more than one blog post. If your conversion turns a visitor into a customer, set up a CRM event tagging them as a new customer and pass this back to your session recordings tool to allow segmentation. Note which content sections on the page they engage with just before navigating to your CTA. Pay attention to the amount of time they spend lingering before clicking to judge how simple it is for them to understand the CTA.
5. Watch session recordings for visitors who do not convert on the three pages you chose.
Visitors who do not convert are likely still seeing your CTA, but it doesn’t resonate with them enough to encourage a conversion. See which content sections these visitors engage with before abandoning the page. Note what happens if the visitor’s mouse travels near the CTA and if they’re pausing, immediately scrolling away, or trying to engage but having technical issues.
6. Test different wording and locations for your CTA.
If you found that your CTA is below the effective fold, A/B test new locations higher up the page to increase visibility. If visitors who abandoned your page without converting seemed to hover near your CTA, test new, simpler language to encourage more clicks. Re-evaluate heatmaps and session recordings once your test reaches statistical significance or a specific traffic level goal.