Eye tracking
Eye tracking (or eyetracking) is an advanced usability testing technique that pinpoints exactly where users look and for how long. Eye tracking is particularly used with websites and marketing emails as it:
- Showcases the very best way to design, lay out and position key page items
- Explicitly shows you whether users notice key content or not
- Highlights how quickly users notice on-page features and for how long they look at them
Webcredible rapidly understood our complex service constraints, applying their expertise to produce powerful yet practical usability improvement recommendations.
Anthony Bowyer-Lowe, Yamaha (see more testimonials)
Deliverables from the eye tracking
Eye tracking studies often take place at the same time as regular usability testing. Along with any reporting you receive from this you'll also receive specific eye tracking analysis to include:
- Heatmaps A heatmap is an amalgamation of where participants looked and for how long. The 'hotter' the area the more it was noticed and looked at by users.
- Gaze trails A gaze trail shows the order in which participants cast their eye over the page. It also shows for how long they looked at each section.
We'll analyse the eye tracking data and prepare a report summarising the key findings and recommendations. We'll also come to your offices and present these findings to you.
Why do eye tracking?
IDeA improves online service
The IDeA has significantly improved its website service offering, ensuring it offers the highest levels of usability and accessibility.
Read the Webcredible IDeA case study.
Eye tracking allows you to see your website literally through the eyes of your users. Eye tracking is great for outlining:
- Whether or not users notice adverts and/or key calls to action
- What users pay most attention to and what they don't notice
- The order in which users notice items on the page
- Where users look for navigation links to take them to another page
Eye tracking is particularly good at:
- Choosing a design - You create a set of criteria against which to test and then see which design is most effective. This will put an end once and for all to internal design arguments.
- Proving what people say - Whilst people may say they didn't notice something eye tracking will prove this. For example, users generally don't notice the navigation until they're lost.
- Checking whether brand elements were noticed - Eye tracking proves whether or not someone actually looked at the buy button, promotions and/or adverts.
Our process for eye tracking
The eye tracking itself takes place in our purpose-built usability lab, complete with microphones and cameras. Using state-of-the-art software we're able to capture what the user is doing on-screen, together with audio commentary and a video of the user carrying out the test. There's a viewing room next door with a large one-way mirror between the two rooms so you can see the eye tracking live, in real time.
Prior to the eye tracking we'll work with you to define the objectives for the eye tracking along with profiling the participants we'll recruit (i.e. your typical/desired users). We'll then run the eye tracking study, ideally with you watching live next door. We strongly advise you come watch the eye tracking live from the observation room - it's truly an eye-opening experience.
Eye tracking explained: How it works
Eye tracking basically tracks people's eyes as they look around web pages. It clearly shows you where both eyes are looking and for how long. Webcredible uses advanced eye tracking technology meaning that it's totally non-obtrusive for participants. It takes just 5 seconds for the infra red cameras (hidden in the computer monitor) to pick up participants' gazes and then they use your website like they normally would.
The eye tracker is essentially invisible - there's no helmet or 'special' glasses required.
What next?
Please contact us by phone on 0870 242 6095 or by e-mail at info at webcredible.co.uk. We'll discuss your eye tracking needs and requirements with no pushy sales pitch and no obligation to you.
Other usability services
- Usability testing
- Mobile & handheld usability testing
- Usability website evaluation
- Usability testing training
Read our article, Eye tracking: Eye candy vs. I can do and learn more about eye tracking right now!
