🔥 Hotjar 101: See What Your Users See (And Fix What They Don’t)

When users visit your website, how do you know what they actually do? Which parts do they click, where do they get stuck, and why do they leave?

That’s where Hotjar comes in.

Hotjar is a behavior analytics tool that lets you visualize user interactions through heatmaps, session recordings, and surveys. It's like watching your website through your visitors’ eyes — no guessing required.

In this post, we’ll cover:

• What Hotjar does

• Key features (and why they matter)

• How to install it on your site

• Tips for making the most of it

🧠 What Is Hotjar?

Hotjar helps you understand user behavior beyond numbers.

It answers questions like:

• Where are users clicking?

• How far are they scrolling?

• Why are they dropping off on a page?

• What do they say about the experience?

Instead of just tracking events like “Clicked button,” Hotjar lets you see it happen.

🔧 Key Features of Hotjar

🚀 How to Set Up Hotjar (Step-by-Step)

1. Sign Up for Free
   Go to hotjar.com and create an account.

2. Add Your Site
   Input your website domain when prompted.

3. Install the Tracking Code
   Copy the JavaScript snippet from your Hotjar dashboard.

   For HTML sites:
   Paste it right before the closing </head> tag:

   html
   KopiërenBewerken
   <script>
     (function(h,o,t,j,a,r){
         h.hj=h.hj||function(){(h.hj.q=h.hj.q||[]).push(arguments)};
         h._hjSettings={hjid:YOUR_HOTJAR_ID,hjsv:6};
         a=o.getElementsByTagName('head')[0];
         r=o.createElement('script');r.async=1;
         r.src=t+h._hjSettings.hjid+j+h._hjSettings.hjsv;
         a.appendChild(r);
     })(window,document,'https://static.hotjar.com/c/hotjar-','.js?sv=');
   </script>
   

   For WordPress:
   Use the Hotjar plugin or inject the code manually via your theme’s header settings.

4. Verify Installation
   Go back to Hotjar and click "Verify Installation" to confirm the script is working.

📈 How to Use Hotjar Effectively

✅ Start with Heatmaps

• Go to “Heatmaps” > “New Heatmap”

• Select pages to track (e.g., homepage, product page, blog)

• Review results after 200–500 visits

Tip: Check mobile vs desktop separately — user behavior often differs!

✅ Watch Session Recordings

• Go to “Recordings”

• Filter by behaviors like “Rage clicks” or “U-turns” (users who quickly back out)

• Watch 10–15 replays to identify patterns

✅ Add Feedback Widgets

• Use the on-site “Feedback” button

• Customize with a question like: “What’s stopping you from signing up?”

✅ Run a Survey

• Launch a pop-up survey on exit intent

• Ask: “What were you looking for today?” or “What made you leave?”

🧩 Best Practices for Hotjar

• Track key pages only – Don’t overload your account with every URL.

• Watch recordings weekly – Especially after launches or changes.

• Segment users – Look at new vs returning users, device types, etc.

• ert5g4rrthzfd;Use insights to guide A/B tests – Hotjar won’t tell you why something works, but it will show you what to test.

💡 Final Thoughts

Hotjar is like turning on a light in a dark room: it won’t fix your UX problems by itself, but it shows you exactly where they are.

If you're running a blog, landing page, SaaS product, or ecommerce site, Hotjar is a no-brainer for improving conversion, reducing bounce rates, and delighting users.

⚡ TL;DR

• Hotjar = heatmaps + replays + surveys

• Easy to install with just a JS snippet

• Ideal for improving UX and conversions

• Start free with up to 35 daily sessions

Want help installing Hotjar or interpreting results? Contact us: https://www.digitdok.com/contact-form

happy to help!