How Eye Tracking Can Optimise Website Design & UI

How Eye Tracking Can Optimise Website Design & UI

Every second your website fails to convert is costing you money. Not just pennies—we're talking thousands, sometimes millions in lost revenue.

But here's what most people miss: visitors aren't reading your website—they're scanning it with predictable eye patterns that determine whether they stay or bounce within milliseconds.

The difference between a 1% and a 3% conversion rate isn't just triple the revenue—it's often the line between struggling and scaling.

Eye-tracking technology has revealed what captures human attention, not what we think should work. And the gap between assumptions and reality is where most websites haemorrhage money.

I've analysed hundreds of websites and found that understanding exactly where eyeballs go isn't just interesting—it's profitable. Companies implementing these eye-tracking insights have seen conversion increases of 200-400% with zero additional traffic.

In this article, I'll show you the exact patterns determining whether your visitors convert or bounce and the scientific method that positions your most valuable elements where the eye naturally gravitates.

How Does Eye Tracking Work?

Our eyes are sensitive to light and colour. We use this sensitivity to help navigate the world around us, but sometimes that sensitivity can cause problems.

For example, if your eyes see something bright, they can react by focusing on it and ignoring other things happening around them. In severe cases, this causes eye strain and headaches.

Eye tracking technology uses infrared light to measure how much light your eyes are exposed to and determine which colours are the brightest and darkest.

This information is then used to create a custom screen filter for your computer or mobile device that automatically adjusts the brightness, contrast, and colour settings.

There are a few different ways to use eye tracking technology. One of the most popular applications is seeing what people look at when they use your computer or smartphone.

Using software that tracks and analyses your eyes, the computer or device can tell what parts of the screen or document are being looked at and adjust the settings accordingly.

Another application of eye tracking technology is in the field of gaming.

By monitoring and analysing how players move their eyes while playing video games, companies can adjust the graphics and gameplay to look more realistic.

The Science Behind Eye Tracking Technology

Eye tracking technology hinges on its ability to precisely determine where a person is looking.

This is achieved through the use of infrared light. The infrared light reflects off the pupil, allowing the device to capture this reflection and track the eye's movements.

The focus is on aspects such as saccades and fixations, which are crucial for understanding viewing patterns. Saccades are rapid movements of the eye that shift the focus from one point to another.

In contrast, fixations occur when the gaze stabilises on a single point. By analysing these movements, eye tracking devices provide insights into how users interact with different elements on a screen.

Furthermore, modern eye tracking systems can process and interpret these data in real-time, providing immediate feedback that can be used to alter online content dynamically.

This capability is being increasingly utilised in fields like digital marketing and online education, where engaging and retaining viewer attention is of great importance.

Best Eye Tracking Technology for Gaming

Gamers often complain about playing on a low-resolution screen, so it's not surprising that companies are trying to make games more immersive by improving their graphics and creating realistic environments.

In addition to enhancing the game experience, you can use eye tracking technology to track the movement of a player's eyes while playing and then create animations that follow their movements.

While measuring how much time a player spends looking at different game areas is complex, the technology can still be helpful to optimise graphics and gameplay.

When you're playing a video game, you can't help but notice that the background is often black and white or the character sprites are monochrome. Eye tracking technology can help make these elements look more realistic.

In addition to using eye tracking to improve graphics, companies are also applying technology to the design of interfaces. These days, most computers and mobile devices use a touchscreen interface, which usually has very little text.

You can use eye tracking technology to give the appearance of a more “realistic” text without needing a stylus or mouse.

Best Eye Tracking Technology for Productivity

You can use eye tracking technology to increase the effectiveness of the software, such as productivity tools.

For instance, it's been shown that people who use a computer for work spend less time looking away from the screen than people who use the same computer for social media.

By monitoring eye movement and adjusting the settings to reduce screen distraction, eye tracking technology helps users focus and perform their tasks more effectively.

Several eye-tracking technologies are available, but the two most common are Tobii and Eyefluence.

Tobii's eye tracker is the most well-known and featured on several television shows, including Shark Tank and The Doctors. It is an infrared camera attached to your head and calibrates before you use it to track your eyes.

Eyefluence is a newer eye tracker that doesn't attach to the head but sits on top of the screen. It is also a wearable eye tracking device that measures eye movement and activity while working on your computer.

The most affordable eye tracking technology is the EOG or electrooculography. The EOG is a simple tool that measures eye movement by attaching a small, wired electrode to the surface of your cheek.

The EOG works with any computer but is not as accurate as the other technologies and is generally not used in high-end applications.

What Does Eye Tracking Tell Us about Web Design?

Let's say you are a web designer, and you are given the task of creating a new website, a new online store, or a new app.

How do you know which pages and elements are the most appealing to your audience? You may use any analytics data to measure which pages are visited the most, but you may not realise that eye tracking provides us with more detailed information.

Eye tracking software lets us capture eye movements as users interact with websites, apps, and other digital media. This software lets you know what users are looking at, what they are clicking on, and why they are interacting with certain parts of the design.

One of the most important things to consider when designing a site or app is the “user experience.” What does this mean exactly? How should the site or app work? Do people feel engaged or frustrated while using it? Can they navigate it efficiently?

Eye tracking can help us understand the answers to these questions. This is one of the reasons why eye tracking is used to analyse user experiences.

Eye tracking can tell us which design elements work and which ones don't. It can help us understand which pages are more attractive to users. It can also tell us which sections or features are not engaging enough and, thus, which we should remove to give the user a more positive experience.

Eye tracking can show us where the site or app needs improvements, like a better navigation menu, more content, or easier-to-use features. It can also reveal confusing, unprofessional, or downright annoying elements.

It can tell us how to improve the user experience and the chances of getting more customers.

Case Study: Eye Tracking in E-Commerce Website Optimization

One notable example of eye tracking in action is its application in optimising e-commerce websites. A study by the Baymard Institute revealed that by using eye tracking, a large online retailer was able to enhance their product page layouts.

The analysis helped identify key areas where visitors' attention was being lost.

Adjustments were made to elements like product descriptions and call-to-action buttons, which increased engagement and conversion rates significantly. These concrete results demonstrate the effectiveness of eye tracking in refining web design to boost user interaction and sales.

How to use Eye Tracking To Improve Usability

As you begin exploring the web, you may notice that many websites you visit are difficult to navigate.

One recent study estimated that the average person spends only 2 minutes of every ten on a website before abandoning it. The problem with this statistic is that users spend more time in front of the computer than ever before.

With all this online time, a website's design needs to be optimised to ensure that users stay engaged and generate leads. So, what can you do to make your site more attractive and increase user retention?

Eye tracking software is an excellent tool for testing the usability of a website. If you haven't tried eye tracking, this is an excellent opportunity to give it a go.

With eye tracking, you'll see which elements on the screen capture attention, where people spend the most time looking, and how quickly they complete tasks on your website.

Once you've gathered this information, you'll understand your user's needs better, enabling you to create a more effective site.

For example, you can determine whether people are distracted by a button or link, or by too much text on the page. By identifying these site areas, you can adjust the design to make your site more efficient.

You'll also be able to determine how long people spend on a page, which could indicate your site's conversion rate. You can adjust your website based on these results to focus on what matters most.

Eye Tracking vs. Traditional A/B Testing

Traditional A/B testing and eye tracking offer distinct advantages and can serve different purposes. A/B testing is excellent for comparing two versions of a page to determine which performs better in terms of conversion. It relies on metrics like click-through rates and user engagement data.

Eye tracking, however, provides deeper insight into user attention. It reveals where users actually look and for how long, offering a more granular analysis of user interaction.

This can be particularly valuable when fine-tuning visual elements, as it highlights what truly catches the user's eye beyond just interaction metrics.

Integrating eye tracking with A/B testing can yield even more robust outcomes. By combining these approaches, businesses can not only gauge which elements drive user actions but also understand why some elements succeed while others do not.

This synergy provides a comprehensive view of both user intent and behaviour, enabling more informed design decisions.

Furthermore, eye tracking can complement A/B testing by clarifying why certain design changes affect user behaviour, aiding in hypothesis development for further tests.

So, How Can Eye Tracking Improve Your Website Usability?

By collecting eye tracking data, you'll learn what type of content your users find engaging and compelling. You'll also learn what elements distract your users and what buttons or links they tend to ignore.

This is precious information to have. It lets you make critical decisions about the layout and content of your site. For instance, you may discover that some pages require more copy than others or that some information is more critical than others.

Eye tracking can also inform the design of your website. For example, if you discover that people spend much time clicking on your company logo, you may want to consider placing that section of your site toward the bottom of the page. Visitors are less likely to leave when they click on the logo.

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How Do I Get Started Using Eye Tracking?

You don't need any special equipment to collect eye-tracking data. Download an app or plug into a browser extension to record your participants' eye movements.

If you're using a smartphone, you may be interested in the free version of Tobii, which is compatible with iOS and Android. You can also use the Tobii EyeX device. If you want to learn more about Tobii, check out the official website.

Application: Analysing Web User Experience & Behaviour

When the data is analysed, the eye tracker can tell you where the eyes were looking (and for how long) at specific points of interest on the screen.

Instead, the eye tracker records the pattern of where the eyes go concerning the text. This means that the eye tracker measures the physical distance from the reader's eye to a given point of interest on the page.

The software analyses this information and visually represents what that user was reading at that moment.

Regarding web experience and behaviour, eye-tracking technology helps you identify problems in how a website is designed or how people interact with content.

For example, the eye tracker can tell whether someone skips, clicks randomly, or follows links. This data can be used to make improvements to a website or app, and by identifying problems, you can improve the user experience.

Eye tracking technology is also helpful for websites where the audience is mobile-based. It's a great way to understand how people use your website but can also be a valuable tool for mobile application development.

As technology advances, eye tracking is becoming increasingly accurate and less intrusive. The development of systems that can be integrated naturally into everyday devices, like mobile phones and laptops, is transforming how we collect and utilise user data.

One emerging trend is eye tracking in virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) settings. This application not only enhances user experience but also aids in creating more immersive environments by adapting real-time responses to user focus.

Such advancements indicate a growing potential for eye-tracking technology to redefine user interfaces across multiple platforms.

As we move towards a more mobile-centric world, eye-tracking technology will become increasingly crucial for businesses looking to optimise their mobile experiences.

You can use this data to inform your design decisions. Are users clicking on things, or are they just zooming past? Is the content relevant, or do they need to read much before getting to the point?

The power of eye-tracking technology lies in that it's more objective and accurate than any other form of analysis. If you've questions about your website or mobile apps, try a free trial of the eye-tracking software below.

How Does Eye Tracking Software Work?

Eye tracking works by placing an infrared light on the screen. This light reflects off the surface of your eye, and the eye tracker picks up the reflection.

Once the eye tracker has recorded your eye movements, the data is analysed and visualised to determine your viewing preferences.

This is done by analysing your eye movements, measuring the distance between your eye and the screen and determining what part of the screen you were focusing on.

The eye-tracking software provides a visual display of this data, which allows you to see exactly where your eyes were focused during the browsing session.

So, How Can I Use Eye Tracking Software for Website Analysis?

The critical thing to remember is that eye-tracking software only works when you're sitting still. It's no good watching a video of yourself while you're browsing. The software needs to be able to record your eye movements as they happen, so it needs to be stationary.

To work around this, several ways ensure your eye movements are captured. You can:

• use a tripod
• set the camera on a desk or table
• keep the camera still, but turn your head
• sit in a chair and keep your head still
• wear a headset that has an inbuilt eye tracker

A basic eye tracker cannot track all your eye movements, but it's an excellent place to start. You can use eye-tracking software to see if visitors engage with your content or pass by.

If your users spend too much time on the homepage or other areas of the site that aren't critical to your business, then you can alter the content to be more inviting.

You'll find that the eye-tracking software will give you insights into how your customers interact with the website, which helps you make informed design decisions.

How Can I Use Eye Tracking Software for Mobile Application Analysis?

Mobile applications are becoming increasingly popular, but it can be tricky to know how your users are interacting with them.

Eye-tracking software can provide fantastic insights into how people interact with your mobile app, but it has several limitations.

First, it's best used on desktop platforms – so if you're working with an Android or iOS app, you won't be able to use the eye-tracking software.

Second, eye-tracking software is pretty expensive. However, a trial will provide exciting insights into how people interact with your app. If you're interested in learning more, try one of the trials below:

• expoze.io
• Loceye
• iMotions
• Hawkeye

Ethical Considerations in Eye Tracking

When implementing eye-tracking technology, it's important to consider ethical aspects such as user privacy and consent. Regulations like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the EU have set standards for collecting and using data.

Users should be informed about how their data is recorded and used per these guidelines. Respecting privacy not only aligns with legal requirements but also enhances user trust.

Developers and organisations must ensure that eye-tracking deployments adhere to these ethical standards to maintain integrity and user confidence.

Additionally, organisations must adopt transparent practices, providing clear opt-in and opt-out options. This ensures users have full control over their data and understand the implications of participating in eye-tracking studies.

Transparency and user consent are fundamental to ethical technology use, especially in an era where digital interactivity is expanding rapidly.

Highlighting these considerations fosters a user-first approach, potentially increasing participation and the quality of insights gathered.

Conclusion

Eye tracking software is an excellent tool for measuring user behaviour online. It's a way to monitor where people look on a page and how long they spend looking at specific elements.

The technology is relatively new, but it's already widely adopted by companies like Facebook and Google. As such, knowing what you're looking for when choosing an eye-tracking solution is essential.

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Last update on 2025-05-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API