Mar 26, 2023 734 reads

Website Design from an Analytics Perspective

A website’s UX compatibility and healthy analytics measurement require the site design and technical infrastructure to be structured according to the following points: The GTM (Google Tag Manager) snippet must load before the dataLayer. This ensures that the data needed for analytics and tracking is collected and recorded correctly. If the GTM snippet loads after the dataLayer, it can lead to missing or inaccurate data. Therefore, loading GTM before the dataLayer is essential. Technically, the page structure should not be a single-page application. Single-page sites often cause problems for Analytics measurement and GTM setups. Single-Page; i.e., one-page websites that present all content on a single page. Users scroll or search within that single page to find the content they need. Why Your Site Shouldn’t Be Single-Page Content Density: If a site has a lot of content, cramming it all onto one page makes searching and scanning harder. Splitting content across multiple pages helps users find what they need more easily. SEO Improvements: A multi-page structure allows unique meta tags, titles, and descriptions per page, making it easier for search engines to crawl and index each page. Load Time: Too much content on one page slows down loading. Multiple pages reduce load time and improve user experience. Management Ease: Managing and updating content is simpler when it’s organized across several pages rather than all on one. Content Focus: Multi-page sites let you optimize each page for a single topic or purpose, making messaging clearer and helping users find relevant content. Of course, every site has different needs, and some cases may suit a single-page design. But generally, multi-page sites organize content better, enhance UX, and are more SEO-friendly. Follow Jakob’s Law in your site design to give users a familiar, efficient experience. Instead of reinventing the wheel, integrate standard interaction patterns and refine your design accordingly. When positioning elements, remember user attention decreases from header to footer. Critical conversion-driving components should be placed where they will get the most visibility. The menu should reflect a clear category hierarchy and serve users efficiently, in line with UX best practices. A site’s category hierarchy organizes content and guides users to find what they need. It shows relationships between topics and improves navigation. For example, an e-commerce store uses nested product categories, while a news site groups articles by topic and subtopic.Category hierarchies also help site search engines surface relevant results within a selected category, making content discovery easier. Add a breadcrumb trail made of subcategories so both users and search engines can understand and navigate the site structure. Breadcrumb is a navigation element that shows a page’s position within the site. It typically appears near the top of the page as a series of links like “Home > Section > Subsection”. Pages should load ideally in under 2.5 seconds. Page speed is critical for Analytics and CRO, so optimize technically for fast performance. Use the brand colors and typography defined in the brand book consistently across all elements. Keep URLs as short and meaningful as possible. Append paths that follow the category hierarchy. On an e-commerce site, structure the funnel so users start their conversion path as quickly as possible, offering a straightforward, fast, practical experience. Optimize images: product image files should be under 100 KB to maintain speed. Banner sizes may vary. Also ensure filenames and alt text match the image and page content for better crawling. Downloadable links (e.g., PDFs) should not open in a new page. Serve them directly so tracking treats them as downloads. Avoid “ghost search” in-site search implementations. They hinder tracking and analysis of search terms. Ghost Search automatically shows results before a user types in the search box. While meant to help discovery, it can surface irrelevant results and hurt performance. It’s better to implement a simple, user-friendly search that returns accurate results without extra resource usage. Minimize click depth: users should reach content in as few clicks as possible (ideally 2–3). Deep hierarchies hurt UX; design to keep navigation shallow. On an e-commerce site, prevent “dead clicks” by prompting users when they miss an action (e.g., “Add to cart” or login). This reduces drop-off and improves conversion rate. Banner images linking to listing pages should include clickable links so users can initiate the conversion journey directly. On product pages, add a related-products slider (“You might also like”) to increase engagement and conversion.

Mar 21, 2023 1348 reads

2023 Trends in the Digital World

The digital world continues to grow and evolve with advancing technology. In order to keep up with innovations driven by leading tech companies like Google, Meta, and Apple, brands and websites must follow the latest trends of 2023 and integrate them into their own practices. In this article, we’ll share the key digital trends for 2023 so you can improve your measurement, stay on trend, and remain competitive in digital marketing.What Awaits Us in 2023?In 2023, the data and analytics driving digital marketing will shift toward a more human-centered approach, with artificial intelligence and machine learning playing an increasingly prominent role. As emphasis on data security grows, analytics professionals will take on ever more critical responsibilities. The practical trends we expect in 2023 are: More Human-Centered Digital Marketing: Delivering personalized, human-centric experiences will be essential. Marketers will leverage customer behavior, interests, and purchase data to craft highly targeted campaigns. Rise of AI & ML Applications: Artificial intelligence and machine learning will become more widespread, enabling deeper data analysis, more accurate predictions, and faster decision-making. AI will help marketers create more effective campaigns by understanding individual interests and purchase behavior. Greater Emphasis on Data Security: With rising data breaches and cyberattacks, companies will invest more in protecting customer data. Privacy regulations like GDPR will guide best practices. Advanced Data Visualization: Comprehensive visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, Looker Studio) will become even more important for rapid, insightful decision-making. IoT Marketing: The Internet of Things will drive new customer insights via device-to-device data collection, allowing marketers to tailor products and services more precisely. The technical and theoretical digital trends for 2023 include: Meta – Conversions API (CAPI) Google – Server-Side Tagging Google – BigQuery ChatGPT UX Laws & Neuroscience Techniques Meta – Conversions API (CAPI)Conversions API is designed by Meta to create a direct connection between marketing data and ad optimization, reducing cost-per-action and improving measurement across Meta technologies. To send website events via CAPI, you set up and configure a server on Google Cloud Platform (GCP), then forward GA4 web tag data to that server and onward to Meta via CAPI.With Conversions API: Brands lower their cost-per-action. Campaigns become easier to optimize. User data is sent directly from your server to Facebook’s, bypassing cookies and preserving privacy post-iOS 14. Ad performance measurement becomes more reliable. CAPI data is less prone to errors than pixel-based tracking. Google – Server-Side TaggingServer-Side Tagging moves measurement tags from the client (browser) to a server you control (e.g., on GCP). This approach offers several advantages over client-side tagging: Fewer tags on your site/app, improving frontend performance. Better data protection by processing user data in a customer-managed server environment. Simplifies manual CAPI integrations via GTM. Google – BigQueryBigQuery, launched in 2012 on Google’s Dremel technology, is an enterprise data warehouse for fast SQL analytics at scale. With GA4 becoming mandatory in July 2023, brands need BigQuery to store data long-term, visualize accurately, and perform deep analyses.Why BigQuery? Secure, long-term data storage and advanced brand-specific analyses are crucial in 2023. GA4’s default data retention is only two months (extendable to 14). BigQuery removes time limits entirely. It captures every custom event and parameter in one table without row limits. Columnar storage and a tree architecture enable lightning-fast queries on massive datasets. Combines online/offline data for advanced analytics (CLV, clustering, association analysis, etc.) and supports built-in ML. Supports cross-platform measurement by joining data from various tools and CRM systems via user ID. Deep analytics in BigQuery lets you—for example—exclude offline purchases from online campaign audiences, boosting conversion rates.ChatGPTUndoubtedly the most talked-about AI of 2023 is ChatGPT. This conversational AI, powered by GPT-3.5, generates real-time, human-like responses—even writing code. Its ability to understand and answer virtually any question places it firmly among the year’s top trends.UX Laws & NeuroscienceNeuroscience studies the nervous system. By integrating physiology, anatomy, maths, developmental biology, and psychology, it explains learning, memory, behavior, perception, and consciousness. UX laws and neuroscience techniques apply these principles to web design to create more intuitive, brain-friendly user experiences. Every user interacting with your design follows certain psychological principles. For 2023, brands will use neuroscience to inform UX analyses and optimize site design for human cognition.For more on UX laws and neuroscience, see UX Laws & Neuro Science. If you haven’t implemented these integrations yet in Q1 2023, act quickly—don’t miss the trend.

Mar 21, 2023 982 reads

What is GDPR? Is GA4 GDPR Compliant?

Data privacy has become increasingly important in recent years. This is due to consumers’ and users’ concerns about protecting their personal data and governments enacting various laws to safeguard that data. In this article, we’ll focus on Google Analytics 4’s (GA4) data privacy features and examine whether these features comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).What Is GDPR?GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) is a data privacy regulation that came into effect in 2018. It governs how organizations in the European Union collect, process, and store personal data. GDPR adopts a user-centric approach to privacy, requiring organizations to explain what data they collect, how they use it, and with whom they share it.Whom Does GDPR Cover?GDPR sets standards for processing personal data in the EU and the European Economic Area (EEA), establishing principles of transparency, fairness, purpose limitation, accuracy, integrity, and confidentiality.All companies operating within the EU or EEA must comply with GDPR when processing personal data. Moreover, any company outside the EU/EEA that handles personal data of EU/EEA residents must also adhere to GDPR rules.For example, an EU citizen visiting Turkey as a tourist falls outside GDPR’s scope while abroad. Conversely, a non-EU citizen in an EU country is protected under GDPR. If a U.S. citizen visits Germany, German organizations must handle that person’s data in compliance with GDPR, even though the individual is not an EU citizen.Does GDPR Apply in the U.K.?GDPR took effect in the U.K. in May 2018. After Brexit, the U.K. incorporated GDPR into its own Data Protection Act, maintaining equivalent protections for personal data.History of Privacy Fines Against Google AnalyticsGDPR has empowered data subjects with greater control over their personal information. Since its enforcement on May 25, 2018, Google has faced significant fines under GDPR. In March 2020, Sweden fined Google LLC €7 million for violating Article 17(1)(a) by not removing search results upon request. Then in December 2021, France’s CNIL fined Google €150 million because users could not refuse tracking cookies as easily as they could accept them. Google Ireland was fined €60 million, and Google LLC €90 million for the same issue.French regulators also rejected GA4’s IP-anonymization as insufficient to protect data transferred to the U.S. The EU Court of Justice in July 2020 invalidated the Privacy Shield framework governing EU-U.S. data transfers, further complicating Google’s ability to move EU data to its U.S. servers.Other data protection authorities in Austria, the Netherlands, and Norway have similarly found Google Analytics non-compliant with GDPR, threatening fines or restrictions.What Is Personally Identifiable Information (PII)?PII refers to any data that can identify an individual—name, address, birthdate, phone number, email, national ID, passport number, etc. Protecting PII is critical because its exposure can reveal someone’s identity and personal details.GA4’s User Privacy FeaturesGoogle Analytics 4 offers several privacy-focused settings, allowing site owners to honor user consent while still gaining useful insights. Two key areas under Data Settings are Data Collection and Data Retention. Let’s explore them.Data Collection SettingsYou can access Data Collection under Admin > Data Settings > Data Collection:Google Signals Enabling Google Signals allows GA4 to link signed-in users’ site/app data with their Google accounts, provided they’ve consented to ad personalization. Signals lets you use location, search, YouTube, and partner-site data in aggregate, anonymized reports. Users can manage this via myactivity.google.com.Location & Device DataTurning on these options lets Analytics collect geographic and device information, with the ability to exclude specific countries.User Data Collection ConsentHere, you confirm that your site/app informs users how their data will be collected and shared with Analytics, and that you’ve obtained their consent accordingly.Data Retention SettingsData Retention lets you choose how long user-level and event-level data are kept (2 or 14 months). You can also reset user data on each new session. Your choice should reflect your industry’s needs and the sensitivity of the information collected.IP AnonymizationGA4 anonymizes the last 8 bits of each user’s IP address by default, fully embedding anonymization in its data model. This protects users’ privacy while still providing geographic and device insights needed for analysis.Consent ModeWhen users deny cookie consent, your Analytics data will be incomplete. Consent Mode uses machine learning to model those users’ behavior based on similar consenting users, preserving privacy while retaining useful insights in your reports.Server Location & Data Transfer Restrictions in GA4Under GDPR, transferring personal data from the EEA or U.K. to outside jurisdictions without adequate safeguards is restricted. GA4 users cannot choose where their data is stored—much of Google’s infrastructure is in the U.S. If you process EU/U.K. personal data in GA4, you must ensure compliant transfer mechanisms are in place, often requiring legal consultancy.

Feb 22, 2023 2394 reads

What are the differences between UA and GA4?

In this article, we examined the working principles of Universal Analytics and Google Analytics 4, which will soon completely replace it, and the most notable differences. Happy reading.A Brief Historical Overview of Google Analytics Urchin was the most popular tool for monitoring website traffic in the early 2000s. Google couldn't remain passive in the face of this popularity and made the move that would directly affect our present by acquiring Urchin Software Corp. in 2005. The naming, which was initially “Urchin from Google”, was later named “Google Analytics”, which we still use today, and it has evolved a lot since Google first acquired it in 2005. Over the years, as the internet became widespread and people's shopping habits evolved, Analytics has become one of the most important tools for us to keep user data online and make sense of it. 2005 → GA1: Google Analytics (urchin.js) 2008 → GA2: Google Analytics Classic (ga.js) 2012 → GA3: Google Analytics Universal (analytics.js) 2020 → GA4: Google Analytics 4 In our upcoming headings, we will first examine Google Analytics 4, which was announced as APP+Web.When is Universal Analytics Being Phased Out? What to Pay Attention to? Google has postponed the shutdown of UA several times, but we are getting closer to the inevitable end every day. Although GA4 has not yet exited the beta phase, it has been announced that Google will stop collecting data after July 2023 and will not allow new processing. You can find the latest announcement here. Important point: You need to export your data within 6 months, because Google does not guarantee access to this data. 360 Universal Analytics properties are granted an additional year of use, until July 1, 2024.Key Points * UA shuts down on July 1, 2023. * The shutdown date for 360 properties is July 1, 2024. * Data will be accessible for 6 months. * Exporting your data is very important to avoid data loss.What Does GA4 Offer Us? What Does It Aim For? Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is the latest version of Google Analytics. It is largely different from the old Universal Analytics (GA3) platform in terms of its features and data collection method. GA4 prioritizes user privacy when collecting data and performs tracking based on events, not sessions.With these changes, Google is adding AI-powered analysis to its reporting systems. Although it does not yet provide the desired accuracy, we think that AI-supported reporting will be used frequently in Analytics in the future. In addition, GA4 has opened a new window on user privacy with many innovations related to cookies and GDPR. In short, GA4 aims to better protect user privacy by offering less personal data collection, more data control, and a shorter data retention period.How Do UA and GA4 Measure Users? The most fundamental difference between UA and GA4 is in their measurement model. Universal Analytics tracks users based on sessions, while GA4 tracks users based on events. Universal Analytics uses a model that focuses on sessions and pageviews. GA4, on the other hand, implements an event-based model. While sessions connect specific user interactions, event data is anonymous and focuses on "what was done." In web analytics, an event is an interaction performed by the visitor on the site or application: click, pageview, scroll, file download, purchase, etc. GA4 evaluates all these interactions as events. In Universal Analytics, special setup with GTM was required to measure such interactions; GA4, on the other hand, offers some automatic tracking features. Still, the popularity of GTM continues.What Are the Changed Metrics from UA to GA4? One of the critical differences between UA and GA4 is how metrics are calculated. For example, metrics like Total Users or Bounce Rate, although they exist on both platforms, give different results. You can see the UA and GA4 metric comparison in the table below.MetricUAGA4Total UsersThe most basic user metricActive UsersNew UsersPeople visiting the site for the first timefirst_open (web), first_visit (app)Active UsersN/APrimary user metricUnique PageviewsUnique pageviewsN/ABounce RateSessions ending without an eventSessions shorter than 10 seconds and with a single eventSource: Google HelpThere may be inconsistencies in UA-GA4 comparisons as GA4 does not yet fully support filters.View and Data Streams The concept of View, which was indispensable in Universal Analytics, does not exist in GA4. In GA4, a website or application is configured as a “Data Stream”, and each property can contain a maximum of 50 streams.Cross-Device Tracking GA4 tracks and reports user behavior across devices thanks to multiple data streams added to the same property. Device-level data (browser, device) and user-level data are combined to provide multi-faceted analysis.Enhanced E-commerce Events For e-commerce sites, the Enhanced E-commerce events of UA and GA4 events are used with different names. You can see their counterparts below:EventUAGA4Product Impressionsimpressionsview_item_listProduct ClicksproductClickselect_itemAdd to CartaddToCartadd_to_cartRemove from CartremoveFromCartremove_from_cartCheckoutcheckoutbegin_checkoutPurchasepurchasepurchaseProduct Detail ViewsproductDetailview_itemPromotion ImpressionspromoViewview_promotionPromotion ClickspromoClickselect_promotionData Collection and Privacy DifferencesData Collection While UA relies on cookies, GA4 can track across devices with an event-based model even if cookies are disabled. UA primarily collects web data, while GA4 collects both web and application data.Privacy GA4 allows you to choose which data to collect and behaves according to user permissions with "Consent Mode". If consent is denied, modeling is done with machine learning. Data is deleted after 14 months; in UA, the period is unlimited.Cookie Policy GA4 abandons third-party cookies and focuses on first-party cookies. Google will change the way data is collected by removing third-party cookies from Analytics and Chrome. We will detail this topic in our next article.

Feb 10, 2023 914 reads

UX Laws and UX Analysis in Light of Neuroscience - AnalyticaHouse

Your brand and its website being discovered, and measuring your users’ thoughts and emotional responses on the path to conversion, is vital for analyzing your customers’ journey.Whenever your users interact with your brand’s website—regardless of platform (app or web)—the sum of their experiences is called user experience, or UX. Many factors influence user experience. In this article, we’ll show you how to identify those factors through UX laws designed with neuroscience in mind, and how to conduct a UX analysis to derive actionable insights.What Is Neuroscience?Neuroscience is an interdisciplinary field that studies the nervous system. It aims to expand our understanding of the brain and nervous system.By combining physiology, anatomy, mathematics, developmental biology, and psychology, neuroscientists work to explain learning, memory, behavior, perception, and consciousness. Researchers in this field study brain functions, neuronal behavior, and how neurological foundations underlie various diseases.As the most complex organ in our body, the brain regulates everything that keeps us alive—from emotions, thoughts, and memory to breathing, touch, motor functions, vision, and hunger. Neuroscience techniques have evolved from molecular and cellular studies of neurons to imaging sensory, motor, and cognitive functions in the brain.UX Laws Through the Lens of NeuroscienceCognitive and psychological factors most strongly shape user experience. UX laws describe general principles for designing and using interactive systems like websites and mobile apps.Designs must anticipate how users perceive their surroundings, empathize with them, and guide them swiftly toward their goals. In short, UX design grounded in neuroscience is essential. If a design hasn’t followed these principles, analysts should use neuroscience-based UX laws to assess and improve the site to align with best practices.Every user interacting with your site is subject to basic psychological principles. A user-centric design that delivers great experiences requires understanding human psychology and applying established laws—developed not only by UX experts like Don Norman and Jakob Nielsen but also by psychologists like Bluma Zeigarnik, who studied human behavior extensively.Neuroscience-Based UX LawsTo enhance user experience and make your site more pleasant and efficient, apply these neuroscience-informed UX laws when conducting your analysis:Aesthetic-Usability EffectUsers often perceive visually appealing designs as more usable. Attractive aesthetics trigger positive brain responses, making users believe the design works better. As a result, aesthetic designs mask usability issues by making users more tolerant of minor flaws.Jakob’s Law"Users expect your site or product to follow familiar interaction patterns."Jakob Nielsen’s principle emphasizes leveraging users’ existing mental models rather than reinventing the wheel. Meeting established expectations ensures a smoother experience. For example, e-commerce sites use a shopping cart icon—deviating from such conventions hurts UX.Hick’s LawThe time to make a decision increases with the number and complexity of choices.Hick and Hyman found that decision time grows logarithmically with the number of options. To reduce cognitive load, limit choices, break complex tasks into smaller steps, highlight recommended options, and introduce features gradually for new users.For instance, Ipekyol’s product listing shows 2–4 items at a time to make decisions easier:Miller’s LawOur working memory can hold only about 7 (±2) items at once.If overwhelmed, the brain struggles. Grouping information into chunks eases processing. Netflix’s menu uses clear category headings, aligning with Miller’s Law:Gestalt PrinciplesHumans will interpret complex visuals in the simplest way possible with minimal cognitive effort.Gestalt laws explain how we group elements by similarity, proximity, continuity, and closure. Visually link related items with color, lines, or frames, but avoid over-cluttering, which can be mistaken for ads.Von Restorff EffectDistinctive items stand out and are more memorable.To highlight critical information or actions, use isolation carefully—don’t overuse contrast, and combine color with motion to ensure accessibility.Peak-End RulePeople judge experiences largely by how they felt at the highest point and at the end.Kahneman et al.’s classic study shows that adding a more pleasant ending makes people prefer longer, not shorter, experiences. In UX, focus on peak moments and the final interaction to leave a positive lasting impression.Zeigarnik EffectUnfinished tasks are better remembered than completed ones.To motivate users, show clear progress indicators. For example, Duolingo’s onboarding uses a progress bar to leverage the Zeigarnik Effect:By applying these neuroscience-based laws, you can design experiences that are both enjoyable and conversion-friendly. As Jakob Nielsen said, you don’t need to reinvent the wheel—just refine it.

Jan 5, 2023 1402 reads

Next Generation Behavioral Analysis Tool: Microsoft Clarity

To analyze the users visiting your site and make your current site compatible with user experience (UX), you need next-generation behavioral analytics tools.At this point, Microsoft Clarity comes into play as a next-generation behavioral analytics tool. If you haven’t heard of Microsoft Clarity before, don’t worry. In this article, we will answer the question “What is Microsoft Clarity?” in detail and share the nuances of how you can use Clarity to perform analyses and make your site UX-compliant.What Is Microsoft Clarity?Microsoft Clarity is a free behavioral analytics tool launched by Microsoft in 2020 that transforms user data into visual insights and shows which parts of your website receive the most interaction. It offers features such as dashboards, heatmaps, session recordings, rage clicks, and dead clicks to help you easily analyze issues that frustrate users.Microsoft Clarity tracks users’ movements on your website to measure and analyze site performance. By measuring every user interaction, it guides you to improve your site’s quality and eliminate errors.In addition to being free, Microsoft Clarity has no traffic limits and is optimized not to slow down your site, making it more advantageous and preferable compared to other behavioral analytics tools.Thanks to its lack of traffic limits, even sites with very high traffic (e.g., 1 million daily visits) can easily use Clarity. Because it is optimized not to slow down page load times, it has less impact on page performance than other tools, ensuring that users don’t have to wait and thus positively impacting user experience. With its intuitive interface, detailed filtering options, heatmaps, and session recordings, you can perform a detailed UX analysis of your site; detect dead clicks, rage clicks, and JavaScript errors on your platforms, and improve the current situation.What Are the Features of Microsoft Clarity?The most critical and important feature of Microsoft Clarity for brand and UX analysts is its control panel.In addition to the control panel, with Clarity you can see which page visits users have made on your site (via the Recordings section) and exactly where each visitor clicked (via the Heatmaps section), and from that you can refine your UX analyses.If we look at each page, first let’s see what greets us on the Dashboard:DashboardAs you can see in the image below, once you create your site project in the tool and complete the necessary setup, a dashboard appears where you can easily view all detailed parameters. The control panel provides a general overview of your site visitors’ performance and behavior, allowing you to analyze site traffic in detail and perform aggregate measurements. You can track users’ page movements and view any errors they encountered during their session in detail.In summary, the control panel provides a series of website metrics, which can be described as follows: Sessions: The number of sessions users have on your website, shown as Total Sessions on the dashboard. Pages per Session: The average number of pages per session that users view on your site. Scroll Depth: The percentage of the page that users scroll down on your site. Time Spent: Displays how long users spend on your site actively and inactively. While metrics like Sessions and Scroll Depth inform us about session counts and durations, the metrics below use click data to reveal errors users encounter and the clicks that caused them: Dead Clicks: When users click on an element on your site but get no response. Dead clicks often indicate broken links or JavaScript errors. Rage Clicks: When a user repeatedly clicks in one area, usually due to frustration from dead clicks. Rage clicks can point to insufficient target sizes or misleading visual design. Excessive Scrolling: When a user scrolls up and down a page more frequently than average. Excessive scrolling can indicate poor discoverability or irrelevant content. Quick Backs: When users quickly return to the previous page after navigating to a page. High quick-back rates may indicate misleading or inaccurate content descriptions. You can also analyze which locations and devices users come from and which pages or products they view most often on your site: Most Viewed Products: On an e-commerce site, shows which product receives the most views. Popular Pages: Displays the most visited pages on your site. Referrers: Shows which external pages users came from to visit your site. Browsers: Displays which browsers users use to access your site, helping segment the audience more meaningfully. Devices: Shows which devices users use to visit your site, aiding audience analysis. Countries: Displays the countries from which users visit your site, allowing you to tailor site design to your audience. The filter at the top of the control panel lets you customize analyses by page, date, or device, making Clarity an exceptional experience for UX analysis.RecordingsThe Recordings page lets you watch recordings of user sessions on your site. Using the Recording section, you can replay each visitor’s page visits and see exactly where they clicked, what they scrolled, paused on, and which other pages they navigated to. By applying filters for dead clicks, rage clicks, or JavaScript errors, you can focus on those sessions and create an action plan to minimize these issues.The Recordings page displays user sessions as a timeline and allows you to play back each session like a video, making Clarity a must-have next-gen behavioral analytics tool for UX analysts. In addition to tracking cursor movements and clicks, recordings also provide details like entry and exit URLs, session duration, date, and device. The “Skip Inactive” button helps you save time by skipping long idle periods when reviewing multiple sessions.Recordings also reveal how long users waited during a session and give insights into page load times, which can inform your SEO efforts. The “More Details” option on each video presents a timeline of user actions, giving you deeper insights into both sessions and users.HeatmapsMicrosoft Clarity’s heatmaps help you easily understand how users interact with a page by visualizing sessions with color gradients from red to blue. Warmer colors (reds) show areas with high click density, while cooler colors (blues) indicate areas with low interaction.This feature lets you see exactly where users clicked and how far they scrolled, offering clues about why and how they reached specific areas. Clarity provides three types of heatmaps for in-depth UX analysis: Click Heatmaps: Shows clicks by desktop, mobile, or tablet users on your site. Scroll Heatmaps: Displays the percentage of the page viewed by users as they scroll down. Area Heatmaps: Indicates regional clicks by desktop, mobile, or tablet users on your site. By filtering click and area click data for specific date ranges, you can identify which areas of your site’s homepage were most engaging. For example, during Black Friday, you might find that users clicked most on “Women > Jeans.” Further analysis may reveal that mobile users most often clicked “Mom Jeans,” size 32/33, in Dark Blue, but encountered dead clicks on the size filter, preventing them from reaching the cart. This indicates a need for quick fixes in that area to improve conversion.Additionally, for future campaigns, you could use remarketing to target mobile users interested in “Mom Jeans,” size 32/33, Dark Blue, thereby improving conversion rates. From these examples and Clarity’s versatile panels, it’s clear that Microsoft Clarity is arguably the best next-gen behavioral analytics tool for UX analysis on your sites.We hope this article encourages you to integrate Microsoft Clarity more into your UX analyses.See you in our next article...