\r\nWhen I look at session replays, I try to really understand what the visitors are trying to do on a page. It can be very frustrating at first, but you will eventually develop muscle memory as you watch more and more recordings.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nHe also adds:\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\nWhen you develop muscle memory, you will start looking for certain behaviors. You will know how to correlate what you see along with insights.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nAnother thing to think about when looking at session replays is:\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\n- Confirmation bias<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Confirmation bias is when you have preconceived notions about your users\u2019 behaviors, why they behave this way and are biased. So you try to explain data based on your notions with no considerations for the other \u201cwhat ifs?\u201d.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
In this regard, Khalid says:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\nYou have to be very careful because you can mold the data in a certain way and segment it to prove your point. Your job is to come to the data with a question, not an assumption.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nAccordingly, when you reach your data with a question, visitors will start to signal the problem. Then, you have to explore further; You look for other methods (heatmaps, analytics, etc.) to validate your insights.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Another way of countering confirmation bias when watching session replays is to have a team of three to four people analyzing the same sessions from a different room. You will then come together and compare your findings.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
<\/span>Examples of Session Replays Used on Category Pages<\/span><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nTo understand how session replays work, here are some screenshots:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
In the category page for this e-commerce website, which sells all sorts of bags, we found a bug; session replays showed out that there is an element placed in the wrong place.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/lh4.googleusercontent.com\/rhmzpWBg8Swqwf5bwCTYDQpx-lqYEB2xbab0swYycHZ2wiulrYymG5E8pJnhlg_UtvXdclH5B3QxvGhkYO-guUEaAj7DjRRzGGXLW8D7OXBjzyaHeZ-tyNkRX8yGIkl2Ws9kDbxb\")
<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nHere is another example with the Bounce Around Effect:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\n- At first, the visitor started with the first stage of the funnel, \u201cthe category page.\u201d<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/lh6.googleusercontent.com\/CApsgpWwMhrZEDQNvTjgFkqbocjGdgShhjlQZvxA0qmxqcJmYAQoMld3yvwPhvIQ0Z6THXG9sd8Ixfn99ceWkF0m0tJpWDgSSpzy4gx6QOuc_oRKDkz_7X5DyfvASJQkM2WDtG4f\")
<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n- Then he moved to the typical second stage, \u201cthe product page.\u201d<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/lh6.googleusercontent.com\/3-oYwByU4E9qJFL-Jm4bwh1QNizHPEKdO1wAaWHVnetLKnGneC6_QqLLFtvV5VQNHSAb60TJ5lfXVanxml2yKVO68aRJkNJOrBE2JZSW324c7bs3iPcXDjJyJFpUBAeLte4xGCD-\")
<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n- However, he bounced back to the same category page from before, which isn\u2019t the next step with the funnel.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/lh4.googleusercontent.com\/nRbVElgn2386mTPoPe3wasH-pRFuY3PgnwXkq2tAgJ4TyL7tN_q4mGFiz937JpB3FGeRxBsHTf09EP38M-JiFsMa9ym_nTPsHjsLVqkEFz-KJsdaH5RBfQuOafz_8JCunXg6F4h_\")
<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/span>Tips for Successful Session Replay Analysis for Category Pages<\/span><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSession replays can be a bit challenging for marketers.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
What to look for?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Why are the visitors doing the following actions?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
How many session replays should I watch before doing an analysis?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
And so many more\u2026<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
That\u2019s why I asked my boss Khalid to give me some tips on how to analyze session replays; here is what he said:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\n- Look for high interactivity<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
First, don\u2019t just look at one or two session replays; look at as many as possible, but the important thing is to look at ones with high interactivity.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Pages with high interactivity help you get the correct data.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\n- Look for patterns<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Start by making an assumption about what do you think this visitor is doing on this session.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
For example, if a visitor went from the category page to the product page, then instead of clicking on the \u201cadd to cart\u201d button, they went back to the category page then to another product page.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Right here, you might assume that they are doing so because they can\u2019t find the information they are looking for. This may or may not be true.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Then you start watching the second session recording, where you will determine your hypothesis based on the user behavior, whether they repeat the same steps or not.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
When you reach session replay number 20 or 30, you will start seeing very clear patterns of how the visitor is interacting with the website.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
These patterns can be:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\n- Bounce Around Effect<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
The typical funnel flow starts with the category page, followed by the product page, add to cart, the cart, and finally checkout.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
The Bounce Around Effect is when your visitor bounces around instead of going down the funnel. For example, a visitor goes from the category page to the product page and then to the category page again.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\n- Elements visitors interact with<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
These are the elements within your category page or any other landing page that your visitors interact with the most.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
It can be clicking on a specific CTA, hovering around a certain product description, using the search bar, etc.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\n- How often do visitors scroll down the page?<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
How far are your visitors scrolling down your category page?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Do they reach just above the fold area? Or do they go further?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
For example, if they aren\u2019t going down further, this means that there might be a problem there, which you need to check.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\n- Patterns between converters vs. non-converter<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
This means that you monitor activities done by converters and apply them for non-converters.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
For example, if you find out that converters are constantly clicking on images. Then you should launch an AB test to push non-converters to click on images because that is a pattern converters do.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n