I see a rising trend for computer generated heatmaps of websites, used for landing page optimization and conversion rate optimization. I am updating an older post regarding such tools.

If you’re using services like feng-gui or attention wizard you should be aware of the following:

• computers are machines and even if they can detect skin, faces, smiles or eyes within pictures, they can’t create heatmaps for emotions associated with the image. Be honest, are you looking at the picture below exactly like computers do?! (scroll to see how a computer will look at Pamela Anderson).

Pamela Anderson

Computer Generated Heatmap on Pamela Anderson

And here is how real people will look at the same image: (images and video courtesy of Peter Hartzbech from imotionsglobal.com):

Real Human Heatmap Gaze

Real Human Spotlight Fixation

Real Human Spotlight Gaze

Here’s the video:

• human eyes (the direction they point at) and smiles (large, white teeth smiles) also play an important role on where your visitors will look at. An image depicting model’s eyes looking directly at the user will attract his eyes on the model’s eyes, while an image with the eyes of the “hero” pointing to a product (looking to the left or right) will “heat up” the product image. From GrokDotCom, here’s a real (made on humans) eye tracking heatmap:

Model looks at you (left) and at the product (right)

• a website seen on a 1024×600 resolution will have a different heatmap compared with the same website seen on  1920 x 1200. What’s above the fold still matters, not matter what anyone will say. You need to analyze and optimize the website for most used resolution of your audience. Below are screenshots for the same website taken at different resolutions:

The heatmap at 1024x768 res

Same website heatmap taken at 1920x1200.See the differences? Not sure if it's even technically correct

• foveal and peripheral vision can also affects the eye movement and generate heat maps. The way you place elements on a page (headlines closers to an attractive image) will play a difference and I doubt current computer algorithms are taking this into consideration (via entrepreneur.com)

The hotspot seen by human eyes as per foveal view

• banner blindness also has some influence (how would a computer know that an image is actually a banner and take banner (via useit.com)

Banner Blindness Eye Tracking Study

• animation will change the hot spots

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