Hotjar Review: The In-Depth Guide for Marketers

Hotjar Review: In-Depth

Those who want to increase their sites’ conversion rates in 2023 should definitely check out Hotjar. This tool helps to spot problem areas that may be affecting the navigation experience. One of its strong points is its analytics, which gives insights about which aspects are underperforming. To see an in-depth analysis of this tool, read on.

Key Features

Hotjar Review: Background Information

This service was created in the year 2014 by David Darmanin. One of the facts that make this company stand out is that it has no specific location. It is run remotely by its team of more than 100 people. Its main aim is to help understand how users interact with a page to improve their experience. And by doing so, one could potentially increase his conversion rates. After its beta tests and its release to the public, the company has received large investments and even won a few awards.

Service Features

The team takes pride in the visual nature of the software, as it claims that this makes it easier to understand the strong and weak points of the user experience that some companies offer. Some of the features they use for this include the following.

Survey Features

This feature is ideal for getting information regarding what clients like about the product or company. It can be useful to know which areas need some improvement, and which ones are fine the way they are. Some of its functions make it super easy to ask the right questions to get the data one needs.

Customer Experience Features

Understanding what clients think about a company and its services or products is vital to stay afloat in the market. To better understand what customers like or not, the program offers the following features:

Customer Journey Mapping Tools

Tools to better understand a customer’s journey through one’s space are essential. This journey is what will decide whether they will want to make a purchase or subscribe to a service. So, to make this experience as smooth as possible, these functions will come in handy:

Customer Satisfaction

Measuring how satisfied users are will aid in determining what parts of the buying journey need some tweaking. This brand aims at helping companies understand how to do this by offering the following:

Heatmap

Having a heatmap will help to see very graphically what it is that most people are interested in. Then, with this info, one can make proper adjustments to see where to place ads, for example. The tools to aid with this are:

Marketing Analytics

Marketing is key to understanding which channels are better to attract new clients. It is also important to track which strategies work best. For this, this vendor offers:

Qualitative Data Analysis

With surveys, it is possible to get all types of data. And while numbers are usually preferred for presentations and stats, qualitative info is also crucial to understand a topic in depth. This vendor aims at helping people with:

UX

It is essential to keep in mind what customers have to go through in order to fulfill the desired action on a space. For this, having access to a wide array of features like this one will be very useful:

Web Analytics

Having info on what happens in one’s space will be helpful to see if one should tweak its design or its code. This app is a bit limited in this regard, as the only tool that is included is:

• Tracking of what users interact with

Website Monitoring

Similarly, keeping track of what goes on on a site will let the user improve how it performs in these matters. For this, this vendor offers:

• Metrics of the site’s performance

Website Optimization Tools

Once a problem has been detected, the brand will need tools to improve on those aspects. It is possible to do this by checking out the:

Key Features in Details

This program is a feature-packed tool. It covers all the important aspects when it comes to tracking user experience and web site performance. To see in detail which its top features are, read on.

Heatmaps: The Most Visual Way to See What Users Like

This type of tool is essential to understand what it is that users do when interacting with a site. But how does it compare against the competition? Though it may seem similar, this brand’s solution offers a great deal more info.

While some vendors only focus on where people click, this app shows this and more. It is possible to see how many clicks visitors did, on what places they did them, and even their mouse movements. And the best thing is that all this info is shown in one place, and not separated into different views.

Visitor Recordings: See Everything from Their Perspective

This brand was actually one of the first providers to offer this type of service. It allows recording what users do in each session to see how they interact with the site. By being able to see how much time they take to read something, or how fast they scroll down, one can learn which are the most interesting parts of the site.

Also, by having the point of view of the customers, people can change their perspective on what their site does and how good it is. Users tend to have a different experience from that of the owners of a site.

Conversion Funnels: See Which Are the Weakest Points

To be able to get more conversions, one needs to know in which stage of the funnel the most users are dropping out. This app gives some useful features to get started in getting info for this, but it is not as thorough as some other competitors.

It offers a very clear graphic that shows exactly the number of sessions in each stage and a percentage of the dropoffs. In this way, if one loses a large number of users in the last stages, he can investigate if the payment process is simple enough, for example.

Form Analytics: Don’t Let Your Forms Scare Users

The function of this tool is to give a general overview of how forms perform when they are put into use. Yet, this feature does not really go in-depth, as while it does give some hints, the report is not detailed enough.

It also lacks in the sense that it is not flexible enough. It would be helpful to have the option to separate data according to different parameters.

Feedback Polls: A Better Insight Into Users’ Minds

This is the area in which this app performs best. The main strengths of this tool are its analytics capabilities and the possibility of obtaining user feedback. This can be done with polls that can be set up to pop up when something happens (or does not).

For example, if a client visits the site regularly and reads it all but never buys, one can ask them why this is. By just giving them a few options that they can complete in a few seconds, it is possible to learn which are the main cons of the funnel through their review.

Incoming Feedback: Ask For Comments on the Site

This feature allows users to add a widget on the site. With it, people will be able to leave a review or feedback on the overall experience they had. This tool is really easy to use for visitors and webmasters alike. And it is very useful to know what is the impression that people have of a page to know if there is something to worry about or not. Usually, this tab takes the form of a row of faces, and people have to select the one that better describes their feelings towards the webpage.

Surveys: Hotjar’s Strong Point

Getting comments and reviews from people is essential for any business to grow without wasting time or energy. And surveys are the best tool for this. Hotjar allows business people to send polls to their clients to get this info.

This system is complete in the sense that it has a strong analytics tool. One can learn at which point most users quit completing the form if they do. Or if the app is not well-designed to be used on phones. On the negative side, this tool is not very flexible regarding how the forms can be designed.

Recruit Test Users: Encourage Users to Speak Their Mind

This feature is awesome to entice users to take part in a survey. It shows a small tab that is collapsed on the lower part of the screen. It shows a message written by the owner of the page. Some great use of this section is to offer something in exchange for those who take part in the survey.

Then, if they click on it, users are taken to the second view: the poll itself. Now, if they click on the little arrow on the top of the widget, it is minimized, and no message can be seen. Just by using this, the number of reviews will increase greatly.

Hotjar Plans & Pricing

Hotjar is a tool that can be used by all types of sites. The team knows this, and that is why they have prepared different plans for each different need. Whether one is a beginner blogger, a large multinational company, or an agency managing hundreds of clients, there is an option for everyone. Here go each of them and whether they will be enough for each need.

Personal Plan

This package was designed with personal blogs and startups in mind. It is ideal for pages with low traffic. There are two options in this category: Basic and Plus. While the first one is completely free, the second one is paid. But bear in mind that the basic package has some limitations, like supporting only 2,000 visitors. The other one is more complete and supports up to 10,000 more views for $29.

Business Plan

This type of plan was thought out for companies that receive a large number of visitors daily. The lower package starts at 20,000 views per day at a price of $89 per month. And it goes up to 800,000 daily views for $989. The reports for this category are more complete. And the Hotjar logo on the widgets can be replaced by the company’s own. It is possible to get a customized plan for those who need to process more views.

Agency Plans

The way this plan works is different from the others. It is aimed at people with many clients. In this way, there is a central account that can contain different sites. And if the owners of the site want to have access to the reports too, for example, they can be invited by the agency. One can have as many clients as he wants. And it is even possible to customize the tool for each one of them. On top of this, there usually is a 10% discount for those that add more than one site.

Price & Key Features Comparisons Table

Each of the plans was created with a specific type of client in mind. Which should every person get? Read this chart with all the info to decide which one is more suitable.

Terms and Conditions

In their Terms and Conditions, the Hotjar team outlines the rights and obligations of each of the parties involved. On the one hand, the provider has to make sure that the service is delivered without any issues. Yet, they take into consideration that problems may arise and, unless they are directly its fault, they will not be responsible for them. Users, on the other hand, have to respect the original intent of the platform and use it according to what these terms say.

Privacy Policy

This section of the site states what it is that Hotjar does with the info it gathers from the surveys, from its site, and from its users. This vendor allows people to be in control of what happens with their data. In this way, they can choose which info they will allow the company to have. This is done in their settings. The company also makes it clear that it is not in the business of selling info, so this should not be a worry.

Refund Policy

Though it is possible to cancel a plan with this vendor at any time, they will not provide any type of compensation or money back for this. In other words, there is no refund policy in place. Yet, on the positive side, canceling this service if one is not happy with it is quite simple.

Customer Support

Hotjar is a pro in the field. As such, the company tries to provide customers with the best experience possible. A big part of that is the support that clients get. Either when they have an issue or when they want to know more before buying a product. Let’s examine each one of the channels for communication below.

Telephone

No phone number is available. Either to US clients or other countries. Only those who pay for a premium option will have personalized attention. And will get immediate answers to their queries. If not, they have to submit them through the contact form on site.

Email

It’s also not possible to get in touch with Hotjar via email. If clients need help, they have to enter the Submit a Request section. Leave a comment, and the provider will get in touch within 48 hours.

Online Chat

The online chat is the only way to truly reach out to Hotjar. First, clients need to access their section on the site. There, they will find a lot of options related to different issues. Some of them are related to billing, other to tech issues, and so on. Finally, buyers have to enter their personal details and describe the issue to get an answer within 24-48 working hours.

Support Center

The support center is quite useful for those who are not sure of how to use the platform yet. There are some articles that explain how heat maps work, for example. Then, clients will not need so much external help. These people can also find data about billing and other aspects of using the service.

Quality of Service

In terms of social media mentions, comments are mostly positive. They praise the customer support they receive. And the low prices for all the specs. For example, behavior logics and heat maps seem to work very well. That is why reviews are nice about the company. On the grey side, some clients complain about the lack of integrations. At times, it would be great for the platform to work with other software without so much hassle.

Customer Types

Of course, anyone can access this service and use it. But who is the main public for these products? Let’s examine those groups below and define who’s the best audience for Hotjar.

Small Business

The personal plan can be suitable for a small business. Why? Mostly because the price is affordable. And the rest of the perks are enough for a business with 1-5 employees. For example, the number of daily visitors supported is not of a large website or a very popular one.

Large Enterprises

Large companies can hire a premium plan to cover their needs. Hotjar does not disclose the price for its Agency package. Mainly because they will discuss with the client which features they want to include. Anyway, the number of reports is unlimited. And so is the number of daily visitors to the site.

Medium Business

Medium agencies have a business plan to hire. The prices vary a lot. That’s because the owner can decide on the add-ons to put into their package. And the number of visitors allowed is quite decent for a medium-sized website.

Freelancers

Freelancers can also choose the personal plan if they desire. It has some very cheap options for those who don’t have a large budget. In case they are in doubt, they can always resort to the free trial. 15 days is enough to see if the plans are useful.

Top 6 Best Hotjar Alternatives

1. Crazy Egg

This is Hotjar’s main competitor. And that is so for a reason. Crazy Egg has been helping websites monitor their visitors since 2005. It has a lot of types of heatmaps and replay tools to keep track of everything that happens on the site.

2. Mouseflow

This provider focuses mainly on analytics. And it has a very good price for all the perks that it offers to users. Session replays and funnels are also available for those who want to use them. And it beats Hotjar in terms of integrations with other software, like WordPress or Joomla.

3. FullStory

FullStory is a platform with more integral services. It has special features for product development and marketing. And it strives to help support teams deliver a better experience. Those looking for perks related to funnels will also find them here.

4. Google Analytics

Google Analytics is a classic everybody knows. It offers all the basic functions most people will need for free. This tool allows people to know the number of visits, their origin, and more. Yet, it does not have some advanced features like session recording and heatmaps.

5. UserTesting

This is more suitable for companies who want to track down their customers. And who want to improve their satisfaction scores. The data UserTesting provides is useful to make informed decisions in the future. And to obtain quality customer feedback.

6. Dynatrace

Dynatrace makes use of AI to gather information about users, transactions, and more. It works both on websites and in apps for mobile. IT operations are easier than ever with this model. On the grey side, no pricing or other details show on the page.

Main Competitors’ Comparison Table

Even though Hotjar is very strong in the field, there are other competitors to consider. In this table, readers can find the main features and specs of each one of them. This can help them to decide better.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Hotjar Safe?

Hotjar has experience in the field and many satisfied customers in 2023. Plus, their privacy policy is very clear and neat. This means that they comply with US law in protecting sensitive info. That’s why they are very safe. It’s also easy to use secure payment methods. As clients can choose to use Paypal if they do not want to enter their credit card details.

What Is VC Hotjar IO?

It is a malign website that should be ignored. It is not the site of Hotjar. So, clients should not even enter the page because they will find a scam. This is very common practice with reputable companies. People create spaces or email addresses that look similar to the original ones. But they are not, and they end up infecting the pc or mobile device of the person.

How Do You Use Hotjar Effectively?

There are some tips to make use of the platform in a better way in 2023. The first one is to analyze heatmaps and recordings in an in-depth manner for the key website sections. Then, creating a poll to get more feedback about activity in those spaces is crucial. Surveys can also be helpful (internal and external). Last but not least, don’t forget about setting up a funnel analysis. This is useful to know when and why future clients drop out.

How Does Hotjar Record Work?

The provider uses heatmaps with clicks and other actions that users take on the site to create recordings. And it records them for the future. It also considers the session duration. Plus, it can take important info from surveys, polls, and other forms. Such info is crucial for decision-making later. For example, it can influence the launching of new products. Adding other features to existing ones. Or even changing the way customer support teams work.

Hotjar: The Final Word

There are many features that make Hotjar stand out, like its ability to record users’ screens and its advanced heat mapping capabilities. Yet, there are some areas that need further improvement. Such is the case of their analytics features, which could offer more accurate and detailed insights. In spite of this, Hojar overall performs very well and can be a profitable investment if used right.