How to Set Up WordPress Heatmaps for Free - Track Clicks and More

Analytics is one of the most powerful tools  you have to make sense of your users behavior. However, staring at numbers day after day can get tiring, and figuring out what metrics to keep an eye on isnt always easy. Thats where WordPress heatmaps come in.Heatmaps offer you a simple way to track and analyze whats happening on your site. They do this by providing a visual overview of which areas of your website get more attention from users. With that information in hand, you can identify and fix problem areas quickly.In this article, well dig into what WordPress heatmaps are and what makes them so useful. Then well teach you how to set them up using the  heatmap for WordPress plugin.  Lets get started! A heatmap is a visual representation of data that uses colors to represent specific values. If you use a heatmap  to analyze a page of your website, for example, it will show you which areas are receiving the most user interactions (such as clicks).   The warmer the color, the more engagement a section gets:Red sections are the areas that get the most user attention on your site.Heatmaps can be powerful tools for  spotting issues (in design or otherwise), which  means you get the chance to fix problem areas on your site swiftly. Here are a couple of examples of how you might use a heatmap to improve your site:You can determine if your Calls to Action (CTAs) are getting enough attention compared to other elements on your pages. If they arent, you can always take steps to make your CTAs more compelling.Under normal circumstances, your navigation menu should always be a hot area. If that isnt the case, you should probably look into improving your navigation.As you can see, the real value of heatmaps lies in their ability to reveal  specific issues with your design or navigation.Before we move on, its worth noting there are two main types of heatmaps: those that track clicks, and those that analyze scrolling behavior. The first type is the most popular , since it provides you with more precise information  about what your users are interested in clicking on. Scrolling heatmaps, on the other hand, are useful if you want a birds eye view of your sites performance. They show you what areas are catching your readers eyes as they scroll down each page.In the steps below, well be focusing on a click heatmap tool for WordPress. However, you can always opt for an alternative such as CrazyEgg if youre looking for a scrolling map.How to set up WordPress heatmaps (in two easy steps)For this tutorial, were going to use the heatmap for WordPress plugin. Its one of the simplest heatmap tools available, and it comes with plenty of features. heatmap for WordPress Realtime analytics Author(s): HeatMap, IncCurrent Version: 0.5.2Last Updated: February 21, 2019heatmap-for-wp.0.5.2.zip 82%Ratings 79,593Downloads WP 3.1+Requires Heatmap for WordPress enables you to monitor activity on your site as it occurs and see how it changes between mob ile and desktop users. Its simple to set up, and you can get a free plan that supports up to five pages on a single site and an almost unlimited number of interactions. If youre looking to use  the plugin on multiple sites, there are also  premium plans available.Before you can configure the plugin, youll need to install and activate it. Then proceed to  the first step.Step #1: Sign up for a heatmap account and activate the pluginAfter youve installed the plugin, visit  the new heatmap tab on your dashboard. Youll see that it requires you to sign up for an account on heatmap.me before you can access its full features. Go ahead and do that now:The only caveat is that youll need either a Google or a Facebook account to sign up. Dont worry though –  once youre done setting up your account, youll be able to track your WordPress heatmaps from inside your WordPress dashboard.After completing the initial signup process, heatmap.me will ask you for your WordPress sites URL. Make sure you enter it correctly:Fill out the necessary fields and save your changes. Then, go back to WordPress and click on the heatmap tab again. Select  the Check now button, and the plugin should be ready to go.Step #2: Track your user activity with your new heatmap toolYou dont need to worry  about your WordPress heatmaps being difficult to use – heatmap for WordPress makes accessing them  remarkably simple. All you have to do is find the page you want to track and make sure youre logged into WordPress. If you are, youll see a new heatmap icon on your admin bar:Simply  click on that icon, and youll see colors popping up all over your content. Of course, if you just recently set up the plugin, youll need to wait for a while until visitors have  had time to interact with your site. For now, just sit back and let the plugin work its magic!ConclusionHeatmaps have been around for a while, but they arent the kind of tool you see talked about often. Thats a shame be cause they offer a very simple way to analyze whats  happening on your site. Using a heatmap will help you discover  which areas users like and which arent getting enough traction. That information is worth its weight in gold.All you have to do is install the heatmap for WordPress plugin, sign up for a heatmap account  and connect it to your site, and youll be able to access your new tool.