What is Session Recording?
ELI5 — The Simple Version
Think of your website like a small cafe. You want to know why some visitors leave without buying anything, but you can't ask each one directly. Session recording is like having invisible glasses that let you watch how they move around the cafe. You see where they pause, what catches their eye, and when they decide to leave. It's like being a fly on the wall, giving you hints about what's working and what's not. For example, maybe customers can't read the menu or can't find the sugar packets. With this information, you can make changes—like making the menu bigger or moving the sugar packets to an obvious spot. This helps make your cafe a better place, so more people stay, enjoy, and buy something.
Technical Deep Dive
Definition
Session recording captures a visitor's interactions on a website as a video playback, illustrating mouse movements, clicks, scrolls, and form interactions. This tool provides insights into user behavior by revealing precise points of confusion or drop-off.
How It Works
- 1.A script is installed on the website, which tracks user interactions.
- 2.Data on mouse movements, clicks, and scrolls is collected.
- 3.The collected data is compiled into a video format.
- 4.Marketers review the playback to identify user experience issues.
Key Characteristics
- Captures real-time user interactions.
- Provides visual evidence of user behavior patterns.
- Enables identification of usability issues.
Comparison
| Feature | Session Recording | Heatmaps |
|---|---|---|
| Visual Format | Video playback | Static image |
| Data Granularity | High | Medium |
| User Journey Insight | Detailed | Limited |
Real-World Example
A SaaS company used Hotjar to analyze user behavior and discovered that visitors were frequently abandoning the signup process at a specific form field. By simplifying the form, they increased their conversion rate by 15%.
Best Practices
- Combine with other tools like heatmaps for comprehensive insights.
- Use filters to focus on sessions with specific behaviors, such as drop-offs.
- Regularly review recordings to continuously improve user experience.
Common Misconceptions
- Myth: Session recordings invade user privacy. Truth: Most tools anonymize data to protect user privacy.
- Myth: It’s only useful for large websites. Truth: Any website can benefit from understanding user interactions.
- Myth: All recordings need to be watched. Truth: Smart sampling and filtering can make the process efficient.