Of all of the different tools we have to evaluate the effectiveness of a website, eyetracking is probably the most misunderstood and underutilized.
Eyetracking is the mechanism we use to observe and measure what people actually look at on a page. For individual users, they show what the order in which various elements caught their attention and how long they looked at a specific area.
Figure 1: This example from the Universtity of Minnesota shows in what order and for how long a single user looked at different objects on this page.
Typically they also produce heat maps that demonstrate what everyone in the test looked at while they were on the page.
Figure 2: This example shows the areas where a group of users fixated their gaze most often (shown in red).
What people look at and consequently do is directly tied to what they came to the page to do in the first place. However, people don’t keep seeking until they are 100% certain they found the right answer. They typically stop at the first reasonably plausible one.
In general, the better your design is able to both 1) draw peoples’ attention to the area of the page that will enable them to complete their task and 2) enable them to recognize it as the solution to their problem, the better the page will perform at helping them accomplish their goals and make them happy customers.
So how do you know for certain that that they’re looking where you want them to look so that you can improve your design?
You could ask them what they look at. User interviews, focus groups and properly constructed surveys will help discover what people think. But for more reasons than can be discussed here, they are inadequate measures of behavior.
Site analytics measure behavior, but they don’t explain why that behavior occurred.
Professional usability lab studies explains the “why” question to a great degree – and I recommend at least a quick, inexpensive informal study (often several) for most projects – but it still requires interpretation. Eyetracking can help the design team understand, contextualize, visualize and interpret these problems.
How to Get Started
There are 3 general approaches to getting started with eye-tracking studies. Which one you choose depends on your goals, expertise, capacity, deadlines, margin for error and budget.
- Outsource
Outsourcing is the ideal option for organizations looking to manage the performance of a high-value project that eyetracking can measurably help improve, if your team does not have equipment, time or expertise to conduct them. - Bring it In-House
Organizations that regularly build and refine websites should consider whether training and hiring in-house experts makes sense. The equipment and software can be obtained at a fixed cost (systems sell for over $20k), and in many cases incremental costs can be relatively low. - Simulate
If it could be shown that the human eye is typically drawn to certain objects with defined characteristics in specific contexts, accurately predicting what people would look at on a page is a matter of putting the right algorithm in a screen interpretation engine. Eyetracking simulation engine AttentionWizard is said to be able to do just that for static images. Its creators claim 75% correlation with actual eyetracking studies. This is partially because it cannot interpret the context of a specific task, but with prices for testing each image far lower than traditional studies, accuracy at that level may be worthwhile.
Limitations
Eyetracking doesn’t measure peripheral vision. Just because someone’s eyes did not fixate on an area, it doesn’t mean they didn’t see it or weren’t affected by it. Nor do they read minds. Just because it appears as though someone looked at something, it doesn’t mean they comprehended it.
Figure 3: This example from useit.com shows that users looking for the current U.S. population looked and fixated directly at the number that answered their question. However, as Jakob Nielsen reports, only 14% of users successfully identified it for what it was. A closer look shows that users fixated on only the left part of the number, implying that they did not really comprehend what they had seen.
To answer questions you have about a Web product (be it a site, application, or some hybrid of both), make sure that the test actually measures what it is you need to study. Just as you would not use a stopwatch to measure the temperature in Hawaii, nor should you ask analytics, surveys and usability lab studies to measure what areas of a page draw peoples’ gaze.
No single research method measures everything, but in many circumstances eyetracking can be a good supplemental tool in your design arsenal.
Related Links
Eyetracking: Is it Worth It?
First 2 Words: A Signal for the Scanning Eye
Mock as you will Apple’s new “magical” device, but the iPad – and soon-to-be derivative products – presents several new opportunities for brands as the mobile tablet space takes shape.
Even though it may not be the perfect device some critics expected, the iPad takes a new perspective on the tablet. Yes, it looks and feels like a hormone-injected iPod Touch, after all it has those exact same application icons, but this is a major change for the tablet space for several reasons:
- It’s not a laptop, it’s a tablet – Rather than cutting the keyboard from a regular OS, as most tablets are wont to do, the iPad instead uses the iPod Touch functionality proven to work for touch-screen users’ big, ugly fingers.
- A real display, and real speed to match – Most tablets have big, ugly, slow processors to match low resolution screens. With a full HD display, an efficient processor and a touch screen that feels organic, the iPad has the hardware advantage.
- A pre-loaded App Store – As with most Apple products, the magic of the iPad is in the software. It will leverage the 130,000-app App Store built for iPhone and iPod Touch users, and made it simple for app developers to upgrade their apps to the tablet space.
The iPad’s main benefit, particularly for marketers, is that it has laid ground for a new world of mobile applications, ads and websites that can display large, intricate brand experiences.
As we’ve seen happen with iPhone and other slate smartphones, on-the-go will become the primary surfing space for iPad users. These users will need much deeper, more functional websites than those we tend to think about for on-the-go users; they’ll be built for extended web usage, while still needing to live in the touch-screen world.
All this isn’t to say that iPad users should be treated exactly like normal desktop users. With the lack of file storage, Flash, and propensity to be on the go, we still need to consider use cases specific to users of the iPad and other tablets that are surely to emerge upon Apple’s success.
A few rules on how brands might ease into this space:
Be location aware
With devices connected to cell towers, we have the ability to target any mobile users’ location within a reasonably tight range. Marketers should build location-specific messaging into their content to improve the iPad users’ experience.
Include long-form content
Without the limitations of the small screen, iPad users will be more likely to engage and stay engaged with an experience on the web.
Remember, it’s touch screen
Lists of small links, long text fields on websites that work with a mouse and normal keyboard won’t work here. Consider new and innovative ways to cater your features and functionality to touch-screen users.
While it’s still in its early stages, most of the influence of the iPad is still yet to be seen. What else do you think the iPad means for mobile?
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And The Grammy Goes To…. Interactive Media!!!
Jill Krumsick
Digital and social media were used to breath new, interactive life into the old age award show format. This year the Grammy’s live streamed red carpet and backstage events through YouTube, used the website to measure social interaction, crowd sourced part of Bon Jovi’s performance and introduced a Grammy trivia iPhone app.
Who’s Going to Be Buying the New iPad?
Jeff Whang
Despite all the general distaste being directed at Apple’s new tablet, the iPad, one blogger thinks he has an idea of who’s in the crosshairs as the target for this new device and why they might put the Geek Squad out of business.
Mobile Ads You Can’t Escape
Karen Sznajder
Crisp Wireless has introduced “Adhesion ads” for mobile, being the first company to offer the new technology. Adhesion ads stay on the mobile screen as the user scrolls through a page with features such as expandable, location-aware, tap-to-video, tap-to-call, data collection and link to social media.
8 Key Factors Behind Online Video Consumption
John Keehler
Part 3 in a great series of posts on TechCrunch about the future of advertising in online video. From media fragmentation to “deportalization”, to questioning if content is really still king, spend some time with this series of blog posts to get a firm idea of where online video is at right now, and where it’s headed.
Product Reviews Accepted on Mobile
Brian Kress
A survey by ChoiceStream found that two thirds of mobile shoppers say they’d buy more if they had easy access to reviews. As smart phones grow in market share, consumers are beginning to see them as a legitimate shopping channel, a finding which brings major implications for how we build mobile ads and websites.
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As seen from the recent Google-China controversy, operating a multi-national business presents many challenges. Google understands more and more what these challenges mean and is learning about the decisions a company must make to operate on a global scale. Here we’ll take a look at the current crisis in China and discuss some takeaways from Google’s response.
Google.cn
In 2006, Google made an agreement with the Chinese government to offer a censored version of their site, feeling this would help Google better compete with leading Chinese search engine Baidu. A Google spokesperson argued at the time that, “while removing search results is inconsistent with Google’s mission, providing no information (or a heavily degraded user experience that amounts to no information) is more inconsistent with our mission.” After a December 2009 security breach targeting the Gmail accounts of Chinese human rights activists, Google re-evaluated its position and in January 2010, Google began running a full, uncensored version of the search engine.
This business decision has started a wave of controversy delving into culture clashes, politics, human rights and appropriate business practices – China has denied allegations about involvement with the cyber attack, Hilary Clinton has spoken out about foreign policy concerning internet rights and Bill Gates has voiced opinions against Google’s decision. The world has many opinions they’re willing to share, as seen by the buzz surrounding Google China in the last month.
Lessons from Google
This breach of security created an interesting situation between two world powers. We are now witnessing a standoff between economics and ethics, between political ideologies, between government and enterprise. Here are a few things businesses can learn from Google’s reaction to this crisis.
1. Respond Quickly – By responding to this breach within a matter of weeks, Google addressed the severity of this situation and added a level of transparency necessary in managing public opinion.
2. Own Your Mistakes – Google showed integrity by admitting their inconsistent practices and rescinding the previous arrangement to revert to their standard operating procedure. It’s not often you hear a company voluntarily say “uncle.”
3. Take A Stand – Google acted boldly by taking an offensive position to this issue. Rather than pulling service, renegotiating or maintaining service, Google did what it thought was right. Although this could result in losing the business, it’s admirable the company is advocating for human rights on a global level.
The current situation has China on the defense and in a holding position. For the past two weeks, Google has operated their unrestricted search engine in the nation. It will be fascinating to watch how this plays out – whether we see a governmental shift or a company kicked out, it’s obvious Google has made waves. Stay tuned.
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Forrester on the Future of Media Measurement
Brian Kress
According to David Cooperstein over at Forrester, the Conan/NBC fiasco points to problems in the way we measure video content.
A Digitized Look at Life
Jeff Whang
It’s that time again, the 2009 Feltron Annual Report is out. This year, he asked every person he had a meaningful encounter with to submit their version of their encounter through an online survey. Here’s what he found.
30 Tips for Using Social Media
John Keehler
This cheat sheet for social media from Inc. magazine is geared towards small businesses with a shortage of resources and time, but offers some easy suggestions for how to do social media right.
Digital Sundance
Jill Krumsick
Digital distribution models hit Sundance this week. Now you can watch films simultaneous to the premier with On-demand channel Sundance Select or with YouTube’s newly rolled out rental model. Or, just buy it outright. Filmmaker Michael Mohan isn’t hitting the slopes to strike deals, but instead offering his film, posters, even the website and theatrical rights for sale online once the film premiers.
Can Business Schools Keep up with Gen Y?
John Keehler
Social media, virtual classrooms and text messaging are just a few of the technologies that a new wave of Gen Y MBA students will be expecting to see in the classroom. But are business schools equipped to deal with these new business leaders of the future?
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We’re always looking for talented individuals. If you’re one of them, here are our current opportunities: Please send resumes and portfolios to Kelly O’Neill at CH_jobs@clickhere.com.
Interactive Account Management (Junior and Mid-level positions)
• Requirements range from new graduate up to 7 years in marketing communications or agency experience
• Experience with interactive marketing (site development, online advertising, email, viral marketing and search)
• Track record of innovation
• Infectious enthusiasm
• Great communicator, with organization and problem-solving skills
Interactive Analyst
• Requires 1-2 years experience in data analytics
• High level of proficiency in Excel
• Working knowledge of third-party ad serving and data collection tools
• Access, SQL knowledge or web development experience are a plus
• Creative problem solving skills needed to troubleshoot data issues within ad serving, log files, databases and other reporting applications
Brand Planner
• Requires 5-7 years of brand planning experience
• Must not only be passionate about emerging trends and technology, but must be an early adopter who is digitally involved
• Strong presentation skills with experience presenting directly to clients and the ability to generate excitement about your ideas
• Superior analytical and research skills including experience conducting and analyzing quantitative research
Flash Developer
• Intermediate-to-advanced ActionScript 3 programming skills
• Awareness of Web 2.0 trends and APIs
• Excessive love of new media, technology and creative challenges
• Advanced Flash website and application knowledge
• Intermediate knowledge of progressive and streaming Flash video
• Knowledgeable in Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator
• Competency in HTML, CSS, JavaScript and XML
• Ability to accurately translate business requirements into marketing-oriented multimedia design
• Strong oral communication skills/ability to communicate with clients, vendors, partners and staff
• Ability to collaborate in cross-functional teams or work autonomously
• Thorough and highly detail-minded
Mid-level Copywriter
For this position, we’re looking for someone who has demonstrated their ability to:
• Come up with a big campaign idea
• Take that idea and express it in one simple, mind-blowing line for use in an online ad unit
• Then turn around and express it in 20 pages of long-form copy for use on the website the ad is driving to
• Write for all other interactive marketing vehicles in between (search engine ads, direct response, text links, press releases, etc.)
• Follow a creative brief
• Adapt the voice to suit a variety of brands
• Read a site map and wire frames
• Make a good idea great
• Sell that idea internally and externally
• Keep their cool juggling multiple projects and tight timelines
• Work with minimal supervision
• Be a team player
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We’re now in Day 6 since the 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Haiti. All of us have seen the coverage, the images and stories of tragedy in the impoverished nation. We’ve also seen the pleas for help, from former Presidents Bush and Clinton to Wyclef Jean. If you’re having a hard time wading through all the options and want to make sure help gets where it’s most needed, here are some digital tools you can utilize to make your decision for the current crisis in Haiti as well as research on any charitable organization.
First, what are the options for online giving? The traditional methods of giving by phone and mail are still widely available, we’re seeing more charitable organizations experimenting with new ways of making it an easier, faster and smoother process. Giving through websites for charities is now a standard that no charity can go without. But one particular method of giving that has received a lot of attention in recent days has been through text messaging. If you haven’t heard, organizations like the Red Cross have partnered with a text message intermediary called mGive. To donate via text message to the Red Cross, you text the word “HAITI” to the number “90999” and you’ll automatically get a $10 line item added to your next cell phone bill. Other charities get other keywords to text to that same number. For the Red Cross alone, this method of giving has raised over $22 million (as of Monday).
One thing to note about donating via text messages is the delay that occurs because the money has to pass through middlemen before actually getting to the charity. This is less of an issue for big charities like the Red Cross which has an emergency fund and can get the financing they need in times of crises, but may be more of an issue for smaller, less-established charities.
For all those who have given via text message, here’s what the Red Cross has to say: “The processing delay doesn’t mean we’re waiting,” said Jonathan Aiken, spokesman for the Red Cross. “Our policy is always to work in good faith and assume people will make the contributions they pledge.”
Another innovative method of giving that is gaining traction is directly through iTunes – again, the Red Cross has taken the lead here and has become the beneficiary of choice for users of Apple’s Tunes software. Here’s the link to donate via iTunes (this will open up iTunes)
How do you decide who to give to? How do you know an organization is legitimate and will have a positive impact in Haiti? Established charities like The Salvation Army, Oxfam, Red Cross, UNICEF and Doctors Without Borders are safe and effective bets here. But if you have a desire to give to one that isn’t as well known, the key is to do your research; the good news is, there are lots of online resources that make it easy to learn about the legitimacy of the organization you are thinking about supporting. One excellent online resource is Charity Navigator, which is an independent evaluator or non-profits and aid organizations. They’ve put together a page on their site on charities providing relief, their overall rating and descriptions of what the organizations are doing on the ground there. To take it a step further, you can even look up the charity group’s most recent tax filing and non-profit status.
So what has the crisis in Haiti taught us about the age of digital donations? First, text message donations have to be taken seriously. With the huge impact it has had on the Haiti relief effort, it should strongly be considered for any future giving campaigns. Another lesson is to explore even more ways in which organizations can make it as easy as possible for people to give their support: consider platforms like social networking and mobile apps that are increasingly being adopted by a wide audience. And finally, if you are a reputable charitable organization, tout your presence on independent, third-party sites that have deemed you a worthy aid organization. In today’s world, being transparent about your ratings by third-parties can go a long way in establishing trust with the audience you’re trying to impact.
I hope this cleared up some of the questions you may have been asking about giving to help the people of Haiti. Remember, there are lots of different ways to give (some as easy as sending a text message or clicking on a link in iTunes), but do your research and make sure the organization is a legitimate one. And go do some good.
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The Golden Globes, Live on Facebook
John Keehler
You didn’t have to be in front of the television to watch the Golden Globes this weekend. The complete show, including the red carpet and after-party activities were broadcast live on Facebook, including the ability for Facebook users to chat live with one another.
The Republic of Google
Jill Krumsick
Four years ago, Google made concessions with China to provide a government censored version of the search engine. After a cyber attack targeting information about Chinese human rights activists compromised Google in December, Google found itself at an ethical crossroad – maintain status quo or uphold its otherwise global standards and risk losing the China market? Last week the hegemony deployed full, uncensored search capabilities to the nation.
Checking In Using Your Mobile Gets Crowded
Jeff Whang
With its latest version of its iPhone app, Yelp has joined the “checking in” fray, allowing users to let their friends on the network know where they’re at, and perhaps encourage more meet-ups. As the article states, “it will be interesting to see if with this feature, users start transferring their more traditional social graphs over to Yelp.” With features like checking-in, more robust profiles and easier ways to add friends, Yelp is beginning to look a lot more like a “traditional” social network.
4 Simple Design Elements Behind a Good Call to Action
Cam Beck
You’ve gone through all the trouble of redesigning a website. It’s beautiful, but are people doing what they’re supposed to be doing? If not, it may be because they don’t recognize the call to action for what it is. Here’s how to minimize some problems before they happen.
Monitoring Buzz Monitoring
Shannon Haydel
As more consumers express their opinions about brands online, more issues arise with how to collect, interpret and react to the information. Integrating buzz monitoring into an already established research department can be difficult, but it is possible – and beneficial. This article explains the challenges and opportunities marketers face with the new outlet of feedback.
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Google’s New Ad Formats Boosting ROI for Retailers
John Keehler
According to a recent firm’s dive into the latest numbers, the new Google product ad format appears to be resulting in higher conversion rates, but also increased competition for those running standard Google ads.
Noughtie Is Nice
Jill Krumsick
Bloggers Jenni Leder and Jason Kottke recently teamed up to create a list of all lists. Really. The Noughtie List is a compilation of “best of’s” and “top tens” looking back at the past decade. With over 350 lists indexed by categories, this is a comprehensive resource delivering a well rounded, high level view of the first ten years of the 2000’s.
Hulu Adds Closed Caption Search Option
Cort Gorman
Hulu is now making it possible to search content within its video using closed caption. Now you can search for those famous phrases within your favorite shows and go directly to them.
Google’s Latest Plan to Insert Itself Into Media Mix
Jeff Whang
Google has been granted a new patent that may subtly, but effectively change the way advertisers are represented in the world of Google Maps. The patent secures Google’s ability to identify buildings, posters, signs and billboards in their Google Maps Street View images and replace those individual ad placements with more up-to-date ads, even if the actual Street View image is out of date.
CES 2010 Wrap Up
Brian Kress
3D TVs, tablet PCs, and mobile handsets galore. CES this year seemed to be drifting ever-towards wireless and touch(-less) tech. Take a look for yourself at the trends in technology for 2010.
Google’s Favorite PlacesC
Derek Louden
Google recently selected 100,000 businesses and sent them QR code decals to place in their storefront windows. With the proper smartphone app, passersby can scan the barcode with their phone and view pages where they can read reviews, mark the location on a map for review later, or find coupons offered by the business. This is a great example of how Google is starting tie online, offline, and mobile together into a seamless user experience.
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New Years has come and gone, and you’ve likely made a decision to work out more, or eat healthier… it’s always the things we know we should be doing, in the name of self-improvement. Why not consider the same for your brand? Here are three things all brands should be doing in 2010:
1. Create a Mobile Version of Your Website
We’ve been talking about mobile for a while, yet a surprisingly small number of brands have created mobile versions of their websites. With the iPhone pushing up mobile Internet usage dramatically, and new phones following the lead, 2010 will be a critical year to get your mobile website up and running. Here are a few things to consider:
Who’s trying to access you via mobile now?
Check out your website traffic statistics. You’ll be able to see the current number of visitors accessing your site via iPhone, Android and Blackberry. This is a good way to figure out which devices and platforms you should optimize towards.
What would a mobile visitor want?
Simply reformatting your website into a mobile-friendly version isn’t the right approach. Ask yourself what kinds of features and content would visitors find most useful if they were on the go?
2. Launch Your Facebook Page
Facebook Pages are free to set up in their most basic form, and even without customization allow your brand to provide a community for your most loyal fans. If you haven’t already set up a Facebook Page, 2010 is the year to start. You can always start free, and customize based on what your fans want. Here are a couple things to keep in mind:
Secure a Facebook URL
You must have 100 fans before you can secure a branded URL for your page, but it’s an important step towards driving traffic directly to your fan community from other media.
Cross-Promote Through Other Digital Channels
Use your existing digital channels to drive traffic first. Put a prominent link on your website and send an email to your customer database letting them know you’ve set up a Facebook Page.
Before You Promote…
Be mindful of how you conduct promotions. Remember Facebook just updated their promotion guidelines, and some of the “do-it-yourself” approaches others have adopted aren’t allowed.
3. Start Monitoring Buzz Around Your Brand
There are some simple ways to begin buzz monitoring without breaking the bank. If you find there’s a good amount of conversation around your brand, then 2010 might be the year to take the next step and build out a more robust buzz monitoring strategy.
Utilize Free Tools
There are many great free tools that can help you easily begin to monitor brand buzz. If you haven’t already, set up Google Alerts for your brand terms.
Twitter Buzz Tools
One of the best free sources to monitor brand buzz is Twitter. It can be as simple as setting up alerts for your brand name through a third-party app like Tweetdeck, or more thorough analysis through the use of a tool like Trendistic.
These three simple resolutions will help keep your brand relevant throughout the year, and on top of the new digital resolutions that are sure to come from whatever technology has in store for us this year.
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