The Eyes Have It
How can you be sure that people are finding the information on your site?
One of the best ways to find out this information is through Eye Tracking. It has come a long way since it’s introduction in the early 90’s. No longer do you have to wear a cumbersome headset which impacts on the results. Now you can sit at your desk, and look at a normal monitor. Infra red panels at the top and bottom of the screen can detect your eyes (even through glasses) and report on what you look at. And it works.
I have been the test subject for eye tracking, and it’s one of the easiest things I have ever done. You can even have a video recording so you can see the users facial expressions while they complete the task in front of them. I’ve also employed eye tracking for our websites, and the information you receive is vital for the success of your website.
For a video detailing how eye tracking works, check click the following image:
If you think you want to give it a go, then just follow these simple rules:
- Get in touch with a company who specialises in eye tracking such as Real Eyes. Organise a time for them to come in and demo the Tobii equipment.
- Before the meeting, list about five tasks that you would like you subjects to complete. This can be anything from ‘register on the site’, to ‘order the HJ500 Sony product’
- It’s vital that you define your audience. If you don’t do this, then the results are as good as worthless. If you’re after the interaction of 18-25 year old men in higher education, then they can use only those for testing.
- You’re done. All that remains is for you to wait for the results.
