Do you wonder where your audience looks when they read your website?
Are your brand’s packaging elements in the right size and order based on priority?
Could your email blast results be improved with the use a different subject line or photo?
If these are questions you’ve pondered, it may be the time to consider the measurements of your marketing efforts using an eye tracking study. Sometimes it isn’t practical to do a split test or wait weeks or months to see how your marketing program will fare.
What is Eye Tracking?
Wondering “what is eye tracking?” (No, it’s not the type of eye tracking software used for speech generation in the AAC devices.)
In 2007, I wrote about the use of eye tracking in market research with the Information Architecture and Knowledge Management (IAKM) program and the Kent State eye tracking lab. You may want to watch the video available on that site about eye tracking. In the four years since then, many companies use eye tracking study improve marketing results. Here are some examples:
EMAIL MARKETING: In an eye tracking study where American Greetings was the client, Metrics Marketing studied three emails from the Webshots marketing campaign, identified effective elements of their email campaign and made recommendations to update to increase conversion.
The sessions included a discussion of emails and brand exploration around the Webshots value proposition. The study also reviewed 3 Webshots emails in detail, along with 3 competitor emails.
Results: Marketing Metrics made 30 findings and recommendations. After updating the email campaign, Webshots saw an immediate increase of subscriptions per mailing rise by 77%.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR: In an interview about eye tracking in general, Cathleen Zapata of Metrics Marketing explained:
“We want to know what they [the customers] are actually doing. At what point are they going to abandon — and more importantly, why? In the typical usability study with eye tracking, we’ll facilitate the study one-on-one, with predetermined scenarios and tasks for the session. It’s very task oriented. Then we sit with them and take them through the typical tasks we are measuring. The most important thing we do is watch their behavior and gather feedback.”
PACKAGING IMPROVEMENTS: In a recent Clorox packaging eye tracking study conducted by EyeTrackShop, five elements were studied:
- Percentage of respondents that fixated on a particular element.
- Average duration of time spent on a particular section of the package.
- Order in which an element on the package was noticed.
- How well the consumers recalled the product recognition as a result of the packaging?
- What is the Customer’s purchase intention?
After reviewing the findings and recommendations, it was determined that the Clorox brand should revisit the packaging as well as label elements. Armed with data, now the changes that they make will have very intentional.
Would an eye tracking study make a difference in your marketing? What would you like to study? Leave your answer in the comments below.
