Hotjar

Definición Rápida

Hotjar is a behavior analytics tool that helps you understand how users interact with a website. Unlike [[Google Analytics]], which focuses on the “what” (the pages they visit), Hotjar focuses on the “where” and the “how” (where they click, how far they scroll, how they move the mouse). It combines visual analysis tools with user feedback tools.

What Is Hotjar?

If [[Google Analytics]] gives you a city map with the busiest streets, Hotjar gives you thermal satellite images and traffic camera recordings. It lets you see behavior, not just measure it.

Hotjar is a suite of tools that answers questions like:

• Where on the page do users click the most?
• How far do they scroll before leaving?
• Which page elements do they completely ignore?
• What was the session like for a user who abandoned the shopping cart?
• What do users think of this particular page?

Why Is It Important for UX?

• It visualizes interaction: Heatmaps and session recordings turn abstract data into concrete, easy-to-understand visualizations, which is very persuasive for stakeholders.
• It identifies “rage clicks”: It lets you see if users repeatedly click on an element that looks like a button but isn’t – a clear sign of frustration.
• It validates information hierarchy: Scroll maps show you whether users are seeing the important content you placed “below the fold” (in the lower part of the page).
• It collects feedback in context: On-page surveys and feedback widgets allow you to ask users questions at the exact moment they are experiencing something.

Key Features

• Heatmaps:
  • Click Maps: Show where users click.
  • Move Maps: Show where users move the mouse (an indicator of where they are looking).
  • Scroll Maps: Show how far down the page most users reach.
• Session Recordings: Anonymous recordings of real user sessions that let you see their navigation, clicks, and mouse movements.
• Feedback and Surveys: Small widgets you can place on your site to ask users specific questions (e.g., “Did you find what you were looking for?”).

Mentor Tips

• Don’t watch all recordings: That would be a waste of time. Filter recordings to watch interesting sessions. For example, watch sessions from users who abandoned checkout, or sessions that lasted less than 30 seconds.
• Heatmaps are not absolute truth: A heatmap shows you where clicks happen, but not why. A “hot” area can be because it’s useful or because it’s confusing. Combine the data with other forms of research.
• Ask short, direct questions: In on-page surveys, be brief. Users are in the middle of a task. A question like “Is there anything preventing you from signing up today?” on the registration page can give you golden insights.

Resources and Tools

• Resources:
  • Hotjar Blog: They have very comprehensive guides on how to interpret the data they collect.
• Complementary Tools and Competitors:
  • Complements [[Google Analytics]] perfectly.
  • Competitors: FullStory, Crazy Egg, Microsoft Clarity (a very powerful free alternative).