Analysing user behaviour – the key to higher conversion

Understanding how users move around your website is one of the key elements of effective online marketing. Modern web analytics tools let us do more than count visits – above all they let us understand the intentions, needs and obstacles in the buying process.

Why is analysing user behaviour essential?

Without data you are working blind. Even the best site design or the most beautiful product photography will come to nothing if the user:

• cannot find the information,
• gets lost in the navigation,
• abandons the purchase because the form is too long,
• does not feel prompted to act (no CTA).

By analysing behaviour you can:

• identify UX problems,
• shorten the user’s path to conversion,
• tailor content and offers more effectively,
• increase the ROI of your advertising campaigns.

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) – the foundation of any analytics setup

Google Analytics is the most widely used tool for analysing web traffic. In 2023 the classic Universal Analytics was replaced by GA4 – far more advanced, but also demanding better planning when you set it up.

The key features of GA4:

• analysis based on events rather than sessions,
• full integration with Google Ads and Search Console,
• automatic tracking of scrolling, clicks, video and downloads,
• the ability to build your own reports and conversion funnels.

What can you measure?

• which marketing channels bring in the most traffic,
• where users most often leave the site,
• how much time they spend on individual pages,
• which products most often end up in the basket (but are not bought).

At IVN we help clients configure GA4 in line with their business goals, integrating it with advertising and CRM so that it delivers genuine insight.

Hotjar – understanding emotion and intent

Hotjar is a tool that lets you watch how users move around your site – visually. With heatmaps, session recordings and on-site surveys you can discover what visitors are really thinking.

The most important features:

• heatmaps of clicks, scrolling and navigation,
• recordings of user sessions – see where they got stuck and where they clicked to no effect,
• surveys and open questions – feedback straight from the user,
• analysis of the abandoned session funnel.

Microsoft Clarity – free, transparent analytics

Clarity is an analytics tool from Microsoft offering functionality close to Hotjar’s – but completely free. Ideal for small and medium-sized companies that want to understand their users without investing in paid solutions.

What does Clarity offer?

• User session recordings (unlimited),
• Click and scroll heatmaps,
• A frustration score (rage clicks, dead clicks),
• Filters by behaviour, traffic source and device type,
• Integration with GA4 and Google Tag Manager.

Clarity also keeps page loads fast (it does not weigh the site down the way other scripts do) and is fully GDPR compliant.

A practical approach: how do you combine these tools?

Checklist: effective user behaviour analysis

✅ Install GA4 and configure your events.
✅ Install Hotjar and create heatmaps for your key pages.
✅ Watch session recordings and identify points of friction.
✅ Run A/B tests (on buttons, headlines, forms).
✅ Produce regular reports with recommendations.
✅ Implement changes and measure their impact.

Analysing user behaviour effectively is the foundation of any profitable website. Simply counting visits is not enough – today you have to understand the motivations, decisions and obstacles that shape conversion. Tools such as GA4, Hotjar and Microsoft Clarity let you combine quantitative and qualitative data, which gives you the full picture of what is happening on your site.

At IVN we help clients in a joined-up way – from configuring analytics, through analysing user sessions, to optimisation recommendations that translate into real growth in sales and conversion.

FAQ – frequently asked questions

• Is Google Analytics enough for UX analysis? No. GA4 supplies quantitative data but does not show the reasons behind it – that is where Hotjar or Clarity come in.
• Do I need to know how to code to use these tools? No. Most of them offer no-code integrations. For custom events you can get help from an agency (IVN, for instance).
• What data can you collect under the GDPR? The data collected must be anonymous and consistent with your privacy policy. It is worth using cookie banners and IP anonymisation.
• How much do these tools cost? GA4: free. Hotjar: a free plan plus paid tiers from around €40/month. Clarity: free, even for large sites.