Behavioral Analytics: What Prevents Customers from Placing an Order
Many entrepreneurs mistakenly think analytics is all about numbers and mathematics. However, in many cases, analytics is about understanding processes. For some tasks, behavioral analytics combined with other approaches can be far more effective.
What Is Behavioral Analytics?
Behavioral analytics is the process of analyzing user actions on a website. It is used in e-commerce, gaming, social networks, and other industries to achieve specific business results.
To make informed decisions, you may analyze click maps and review video session recordings. Since the volume of data can be overwhelming, it is segmented by traffic channels, events, and other parameters.
For example, scroll depth analysis might show whether visitors are reading the entire page or stopping at the first two sections. Based on this data, you can rearrange website blocks or remove unnecessary content to improve engagement and prompt action.
Popular Behavioral Metrics
- Bounce rate
- Number of pages viewed
- Scroll depth
- Mouse movement patterns
- Number of actions per session
- Time spent on the site (less than 15 seconds indicates low engagement)
- Users who perform no actions during a session
- Clicks on dynamic elements
The main goal of behavioral analysis is to identify anomalies affecting the user's conversion path. Ultimately, the aim is to increase both micro and macro conversions.
Example of Behavioral Analytics in Action
Imagine your website is generating less revenue than before. You analyze metrics from previous years and notice the following trends:
- Increased bounce rate
- Decreased conversion rate
- Fewer pages viewed per session
- Reduced average session duration
- Increased mobile traffic but reduced desktop traffic
You then investigate the root causes of these changes. Common reasons might include:
- Growing competition
- Shift toward mobile traffic
- Usability issues and conversion funnel errors
- Lack of updates to the website structure
Using behavioral analytics tools, marketing and UX specialists can help identify specific issues affecting your site’s performance.
Why Is Behavioral Analytics Important?
Behavioral analytics reveals what needs improvement on your website to boost conversion rates. For example, online visitors are often impatient, so their path to completing an action should be simple and intuitive.
This type of analysis reveals which elements of your site drive conversions and which do not. From experience, the following elements often hinder conversions:
- Unclear calls to action
- Confusing or repetitive design elements
- Unintuitive icons
- Homepage banners that rarely receive clicks
Example: A webpage featuring multiple floating icons might confuse users unfamiliar with the site. Simply adding labels like "Menu" or "Filter" can clarify navigation and improve usability.
Benefits of Behavioral Analytics
Behavioral analytics often highlights gaps between desktop and mobile website experiences. For example:
- Desktop versions of a site may provide detailed product information (e.g., pricing and specifications), but mobile versions often lack hover effects or intuitive navigation aids.
- Behavioral analytics identifies usability issues that lead to poor user experiences.
Additionally, behavioral analytics can uncover errors in the conversion path. For example:
- A site may repeatedly ask users to select their language and region during each visit, even after preferences have been saved.
- This repetitive process frustrates users and wastes time, reducing the likelihood of conversion.
Common Usability Errors
To ensure your site is user-friendly, test it regularly using behavioral analytics tools. These tools can reveal hidden pain points and highlight areas for improvement.
Recommended Tools
Conclusion
Behavioral analytics is essential for anyone with a website. By analyzing user behavior, you can uncover why visitors leave without converting, identify usability issues, and improve the overall user experience. Leveraging behavioral analytics tools gives you actionable insights to optimize your website and boost results.