What is a heat map?

Heatmaps are used to visualize data. Mostly warm and cold colors are used to contrast different values.

In online marketing, heat maps visualize areas on websites that need to be highlighted. For example, those that are in the special focus of users. They are mainly used to improve user experience and conversion rates.

Types of heatmaps

Depending on the tool used, there are usually several types of heat maps to choose from. We would like to introduce the most important ones here.

Scroll map

A scroll map shows how far users scroll down a page. Often there is a certain position where they stop scrolling because their interest wanes. Such a heatmap can help to determine this position.

Mouse Movement Map

This heatmap shows which areas of page users move their mouse over. Consequently, only desktop users are considered. It can help to arrange content more intelligently.

Click map

This heatmap is also called click map and shows where the left mouse button is clicked. Consequently, only desktop users are taken into account. It can help to arrange content more intelligently or to link elements.

Overlay Map

The Overlay Map visualizes the number of clicks on the different hyperlinks on a page. It can help to design and arrange hyperlinks more intelligently.

Confetti Map

This heatmap is an extension of the Click map. It visualizes where the left mouse button is clicked. In addition, information about different segments is provided. A Confetti Map can help to arrange content more intelligently.

Attention Map

The Attention Map is most comparable to the Scrollmap. It shows those areas that are in the user’s field of vision the longest and consequently receives more attention. This heat map can help to arrange content more intelligently.

Gaze Plot

Gaze plots visualize the user’s eye movement and are therefore not easy to create. They are usually the result of elaborate eye-tracking studies. This heatmap can help to arrange content more intelligently.