Many Australian SMEs leave money on the table because of hidden problems on their websites. These aren’t massive, glaring errors – they’re ‘conversion leaks’: small friction points that stop potential customers from becoming paying ones. Fortunately, tools like heatmaps and session recordings give us a powerful way to identify and fix these issues. We’ve seen firsthand how effective they can be for businesses looking to maximise their return on investment.
Heatmaps visually show where people click, move their mouse, and scroll on your webpages. Session recordings, on the other hand, let you watch real user visits – it’s like having a silent observer in your analytics. Combining these two gives us a complete picture of user behaviour. Here’s how we use them to find those conversion leaks:
- Rage Clicking & Confusion: Heatmaps highlighting areas of ‘rage clicking’ (repeated clicks in one spot) immediately signal frustration. This often points to broken elements, unclear calls to action, or confusing form fields.
- Dead Clicks: If people are clicking on something that *isn’t* a link, that’s a dead click. Session recordings will show us *why* they thought it was clickable. Perhaps the design implies interactivity, or the information is presented in a link-like format.
- Scroll Maps & Important Content: Scroll maps reveal how far down the page people are actually scrolling. If crucial information – like pricing or key benefits – is below the fold and nobody is seeing it, we know we need to reposition it.
- Form Abandonment: Session recordings are invaluable for understanding why people abandon forms. Are they getting stuck on a particular field? Is the form too long? Are they unsure what information is required?
It’s important to remember that data needs context. Don’t just react to every click. Look for patterns across multiple sessions. For example, if several users hesitate before submitting their details, it suggests a trust issue or concern about data privacy. We often recommend segmenting recordings by traffic source – are users from Facebook behaving differently to those from Google?
Implementing these tools is the first step, but the real value comes from analysing the data and making informed changes to your website. Start with your most important pages – product pages, landing pages, and checkout pages – and focus on removing friction. By addressing these conversion leaks, you’ll see a noticeable improvement in your website’s performance and, ultimately, your bottom line. The insights gained now will continue to pay dividends well into 2026 and beyond.
The next step? Install a heatmap and session recording tool on your website and start observing. Even a few hours of observation can reveal surprising insights.
