Welcome to the heatmap
Glossary.

A/B testing compares two versions of a webpage, ad, email, or other asset to determine which performs better against a defined goal. It’s a method for making data-driven decisions.

Above the fold content is the portion of a webpage that is visible to a user without scrolling. It is the first section of the page that visitors see when it loads.

Ad frequency is the average number of times an individual sees your ad in a set period.

Add-to-cart rate is the percentage of sessions where at least one product is added to the shopping cart. It measures the effectiveness of your product pages and merchandising in generating buying intent.

Adoption Rate measures how quickly users begin using a new product, feature, or service after it becomes available. It reflects customer acceptance, engagement, and the overall success of a launch or innovation effort.

An announcement bar is a horizontal banner, usually at the top or bottom of a webpage, that displays important information or promotions.

An API (Application Programming Interface) is a set of rules that allows software applications to communicate with each other.

An assisted conversion is a sale in which a channel or campaign played a role before the final interaction that drove the purchase. It measures supporting contributions in the conversion path.

An attribution model is a method for assigning credit for a sale to the various marketing channels, campaigns, and touchpoints a customer engages with before purchasing. In ecommerce, it answers the question: “Which parts of our marketing actually influence conversions?”

Average order value (AOV) is the average amount a customer spends each time they place an order. It’s calculated by dividing total revenue by total number of orders in a given period.

Average session duration is the average amount of time visitors spend on your site during a single visit. It signals how engaging your content is and whether shoppers are exploring or bouncing. Longer is not always better, but very short can flag relevance issues.

Bounce rate is the percentage of sessions that start and end on the same page with no further interaction. It reflects whether the initial experience met the visitor’s expectations. Lower bounce rates create more chances to convert.

Brand Awareness measures how well consumers recognize and recall a brand’s name, logo, or products. It reflects how familiar the public is with a brand and plays a foundational role in influencing consideration and purchase decisions.

Breadcrumb navigation is a secondary navigation system that shows a user’s location within a site’s hierarchy, typically displayed as a horizontal list of links.

A call-to-action (CTA) is a direct instruction that prompts your audience to take a specific action, such as “Add to Cart,” “Sign Up,” or “Shop Now.” In ecommerce, CTAs are the link between attention and conversion, moving shoppers from interest to action. They appear across ads, landing pages, emails, and product pages, and are essential for guiding customer behavior toward business goals.

A call-to-value is a type of call-to-action that emphasizes the benefit or reward the user will receive for taking action, rather than only stating the action itself. In ecommerce, this helps make the decision to click or purchase more compelling.

Cart abandonment rate is the percentage of shopping carts created that do not result in a completed purchase. It shows how often customers start the purchase process but leave before checking out.

Checkout completion rate is the percentage of customers who start the checkout process and finish it with a completed purchase. It reflects how well your final purchase steps are optimized.

‍Click-through rate (CTR) is the percentage of people who click on a link, ad, or call-to-action after viewing it. It measures how effectively you capture interest and drive engagement.

Click-to-open rate (CTOR) is the percentage of email recipients who clicked a link after opening the email. It shows how effective the content inside the email is at driving engagement once you’ve won the open. CTOR isolates content performance from open performance, giving you a clearer view of message relevance.

Cohort Analysis is a method of studying user behavior by grouping customers who share a common characteristic or experience within a defined time period. It helps businesses understand how different segments perform, retain, or spend over time.

A collection page, also called a category page, displays a curated group of products organized around a theme, category, or attribute.

Collection page conversion rate measures the percentage of visitors to a category or collection page who make a purchase. It evaluates the effectiveness of category-level merchandising.

Color psychology in CTA buttons refers to using specific colors to influence user emotions and behavior. In ecommerce, it involves choosing button colors that draw attention and encourage clicks.

Content personalization is the practice of customizing website content based on visitor data such as location, behavior, device, or past purchases.

Conversion rate (CR) is the percentage of visitors who complete a desired action, most commonly a purchase in ecommerce. It shows how effectively your website and marketing turn traffic into paying customers.

Conversion-focused copywriting is the practice of writing website content specifically designed to persuade visitors to take a desired action, such as purchasing or signing up.

‍‍Cost per acquisition (CPA) is the amount you spend on marketing to acquire one paying customer. It’s a key metric for understanding the efficiency and profitability of your paid campaigns in ecommerce.

Cost per click (CPC) is the amount you pay each time someone clicks on your ad. It’s a key efficiency metric for paid traffic campaigns, especially in PPC search and social advertising.

Cost per thousand impressions (CPM) is the amount you pay for every 1,000 times your ad is shown. It’s commonly used in display, social, and video advertising to measure brand awareness and cost efficiency.

Coupon usage rate is the percentage of orders where customers applied a coupon or discount code. It tracks how often promotions are used in checkout.

‍CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) is the language used to control the look and layout of web pages.

Customer acquisition cost (CAC) measures the total cost of acquiring a new customer, including marketing, sales, and related expenses. It’s a broader metric than CPA, accounting for all acquisition-related spending.

A Customer Journey is the complete sequence of interactions a customer has with a brand — from initial awareness through purchase and post-purchase engagement. It maps how people discover, evaluate, buy, and stay loyal to a business.‍

Customer lifetime value (CLV or LTV) is the total revenue you can expect from a customer over the entire duration of their relationship with your brand. It predicts how valuable a customer is beyond their first purchase.

Customer retention rate (CRR) measures the percentage of customers who remain active and continue buying from your brand over a specific period. It reflects your ability to keep customers engaged and loyal.

Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) measures how happy customers are with a specific product, service, or interaction. It’s typically gathered through short surveys asking users to rate their satisfaction on a numerical or verbal scale.

Discount redemption rate measures the percentage of distributed discount offers that customers actually redeem. It’s a campaign effectiveness metric.

A Dynamic Product Block is a content element—often used in emails or web pages—that automatically displays product recommendations based on real-time rules, user behavior, or catalog data. Unlike static product blocks, it updates itself to reflect relevant or trending products without manual editing.

Email open rate is the percentage of recipients who open your email campaigns. It’s a primary measure of subject line effectiveness, audience engagement, and deliverability.

Engagement rate measures how actively your audience interacts with your social media content. It includes actions like likes, comments, shares, and saves relative to your audience size or impressions.

An entry page is the first page a visitor accesses in a session, regardless of source. It is the technical analytics term, while landing page is the marketing term. Entry-page analysis shows where journeys truly begin across channels.

Exit link tracking is the process of monitoring and recording when users click on links that lead them away from your website. In ecommerce, it is used to understand which outbound links visitors interact with before leaving.

An exit page is the last page a visitor views before leaving your site. It marks the end of the session and highlights where journeys stop. Exit analysis helps you find friction and dead ends.

‍An F-pattern design layout organizes page content to align with the way users typically scan text-heavy pages, following an F-shaped reading pattern from top left to bottom right.

Faceted Search is a navigation system that allows users to filter and refine product results using multiple attributes, such as price, color, size, or brand. It helps shoppers quickly find relevant products within large ecommerce catalogs.

‍An FAQ section is a page or module that answers common customer questions about products, policies, or processes.

First-time buyer rate measures the percentage of total customers in a period who are making their first-ever purchase with your brand. It’s a key acquisition indicator.

Form abandonment occurs when a user starts to fill out a form but leaves before completing and submitting it. In ecommerce, this often applies to lead capture forms, checkout forms, or account registration forms.

A Free Shipping Threshold is the minimum order amount customers must reach to qualify for free shipping. It’s a pricing strategy designed to increase average order value (AOV) and reduce cart abandonment by incentivizing larger purchases.‍

Funnel drop-off rate measures the percentage of users who exit at each stage of your conversion funnel without moving to the next step.

Gross Margin is the percentage of revenue that remains after subtracting the cost of goods sold (COGS). It measures how efficiently a business produces and sells its products relative to production or acquisition costs.

Gross merchandise value is the total value of merchandise sold through a marketplace or ecommerce platform in a specific time frame, before deductions like returns, discounts, or fees.

Gross profit is revenue minus the cost of goods sold (COGS). It represents the money remaining after covering the direct costs of producing or sourcing products.

Gross profit margin is the percentage of revenue left after subtracting the cost of goods sold (COGS). It measures how efficiently you produce or source products.

Gross Revenue is the total income a business earns from all sources before any deductions, such as returns, discounts, or operating expenses. It reflects overall sales performance and serves as the foundation for measuring profitability and growth.

Gross Sales represent the total revenue generated from all sales before any deductions such as returns, discounts, or allowances. It’s a top-line metric showing the overall volume of sales activity for a given period.

A heatmap is a visual representation of how visitors interact with your site, showing clicks, taps, movement, and scroll patterns. Colors represent activity levels, with warmer colors showing higher engagement.

A hero image is the large, prominent image or series of images displayed at the top of a webpage. In ecommerce, it is a highly visible element that communicates the main message, product, or promotion to visitors. It sets the tone for the page and is often the first impression customers have of your store.

HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is the standard language used to structure content on the web.

An impression is counted each time an ad, post, or piece of content is displayed to a user. In ecommerce marketing, impressions measure exposure, how often your message is shown, regardless of whether it is clicked.

JavaScript is a programming language used for creating interactive web pages.

A landing page is the first page a visitor sees in a session. It sets the first impression and should match the intent created by the traffic source. In campaigns, landing pages are often designed specifically for the audience and offer.

Landing page A/B testing is the process of comparing two versions of a page to determine which one performs better against a specific goal, such as conversion rate or click-through rate.

A landing page heatmap is a visual representation of how visitors interact with a webpage, showing where they click, scroll, and focus their attention.

Landing page load time is the amount of time it takes for a landing page to fully load and become interactive after a user clicks a link. In ecommerce, it is a key factor in user experience, conversions, and SEO performance.

Last-click attribution assigns 100% of the credit for a conversion to the final marketing touchpoint before purchase.

A lead capture form is a website element used to collect visitor information such as names, email addresses, or phone numbers. In ecommerce, it is often used to grow email or SMS lists for future marketing.

Loyalty program participation rate is the percentage of your total customers who are active members of your loyalty or rewards program. It measures how effective you are at enrolling customers into initiatives designed to encourage repeat purchases and long-term brand engagement.

A mega menu navigation is a large, expandable menu that displays multiple categories and subcategories at once. It is often triggered by hovering or tapping over a primary navigation item.

A minimalist design approach in ecommerce focuses on simplicity, using clean layouts, limited color palettes, and essential elements only. It prioritizes clarity and user focus over decorative details.

Mobile navigation optimization is the process of designing and refining site navigation specifically for mobile devices to ensure ease of use, fast access to key sections, and a smooth browsing experience.

A multi-step form breaks a long form into smaller, sequential sections. In ecommerce, it is often used for account creation, customization, or checkout processes.

Multi-touch attribution is an approach to measuring marketing performance that assigns conversion credit to multiple touchpoints in the customer journey, rather than a single one.

“New vs. Returning Visitors” compares first-time users of a website to those who have visited before. This distinction helps marketers understand audience behavior, loyalty, and the effectiveness of acquisition versus retention strategies.

On-site search queries are the words or phrases visitors type into your ecommerce store’s internal search bar. They reveal exactly what shoppers are looking for after they’ve arrived on your site.

Order frequency is the average number of orders a customer places within a set period. It measures how often customers return to buy again.

Page layout hierarchy refers to the arrangement of elements on a webpage in order of importance.

Pages per session is the average number of pages viewed during a single visit. It indicates browsing depth and the ease or difficulty of finding products. The goal is the right number of pages that lead to confident purchases.

A pageview is recorded each time a page on your site loads or reloads in a browser. It measures how often content is viewed, not how many people visit. Pageviews help reveal navigation paths and content interest.

Position-Based Attribution, also known as the U-Shaped Model, is a marketing attribution method that assigns more credit to the first and last touchpoints in a customer’s conversion journey. It helps marketers understand how early and final interactions contribute to a sale.

Primary call-to-action (CTA) placement refers to the location of the most important action button on a webpage. In ecommerce, this is often the “Add to Cart” or “Buy Now” button.

A product page, also called a product detail page (PDP), is a webpage dedicated to a single product, providing detailed information, images, and purchase options.

Product page conversion rate measures the percentage of product page visitors who complete a purchase. It’s a key ecommerce metric for evaluating product presentation and PDP (Product Detail Page) effectiveness.

A Product Recommendation Engine is an AI- or rule-based system that suggests relevant products to customers based on their behavior, preferences, or purchase history. It helps personalize shopping experiences and boost sales in ecommerce environments.

Refund rate is the percentage of orders that are returned by customers and refunded. It’s a key measure of product satisfaction, fulfillment accuracy, and return policy effectiveness.

Repeat purchase rate (RPR) is the percentage of customers who make more than one purchase from your store over a given time period. It measures customer loyalty and the ability of your brand to generate recurring sales from the same buyers.‍

Return on ad spend (ROAS) measures the revenue earned for every dollar spent on advertising. It’s a direct indicator of paid media efficiency.

Return Rate measures the percentage of sold products that customers send back to a retailer or brand. It’s a key ecommerce metric for tracking product satisfaction, fulfillment accuracy, and the overall health of post-purchase operations.‍

Revenue is the total income generated from sales before any costs or expenses are subtracted. In ecommerce, it includes all completed transactions within a given period.

Revenue Per Click (RPC) measures the average amount of revenue generated each time a user clicks on an ad or link. It combines both conversion rate and average order value to show how effectively clicks translate into sales.

“Revenue Per Element” would measure how much revenue is generated per individual component, unit, or touchpoint (an “element”) in a marketing, product, or sales context. The “element” might be an ad unit, an email, feature, campaign, or product SKU. It’s a way to break down total revenue into smaller attributable parts.‍

Revenue per visitor (RPV) measures the average revenue generated for every person who visits your site. It combines the effects of conversion rate and average order value into a single number, giving you a direct view of how efficiently you monetize your traffic.

SaaS, or Software as a Service, is a cloud-based software delivery model where users access applications over the internet instead of installing them locally. It allows businesses and consumers to use software on a subscription basis, often with automatic updates and centralized data management.

Scroll depth measures how far down a page visitors scroll, usually in milestones such as 25 percent, 50 percent, 75 percent, and 100 percent. It shows whether users reach critical content like price, reviews, and calls to action. This data helps teams place content where it will be seen.

Search conversion rate measures the percentage of sessions that include a site search and result in a purchase. It’s a direct indicator of your internal search function’s effectiveness.

A session is a single visit to your website that begins when a visitor arrives and ends after a period of inactivity, at midnight, or when they leave. It includes all pageviews, clicks, and events during that visit. Sessions measure traffic volume rather than unique people, which makes them a core foundation for ecommerce analytics.

Social proof is the use of reviews, testimonials, user-generated content, and other indicators of customer behavior to build trust and influence purchase decisions. In ecommerce, it reassures shoppers that others have purchased and enjoyed the product.

‍A sticky CTA is a call-to-action element that remains visible on the screen while the user scrolls. It ensures the action button is always accessible, reducing friction in the buying process.

A sticky navigation bar is a site menu that remains visible at the top of the screen as the user scrolls. It allows quick access to navigation options from anywhere on the page.

Subscriber growth rate measures the pace at which your email or SMS marketing list grows over time. It reflects your ability to attract and retain engaged marketing contacts.

Traffic quality score is an internal metric used to evaluate how well incoming visitors match your target audience and convert.

A Trust Badge is a visual icon or seal displayed on an ecommerce website to signal security, authenticity, or reliability to shoppers. It reassures visitors that their data and purchases are safe, increasing confidence and conversion rates.

A trust seal is a badge displayed on a website that indicates security, authenticity, or credibility. In ecommerce, it reassures customers that their data and transactions are safe.

A unique visitor is a distinct person who visits your site during a chosen time period, counted once even if they return many times. It measures audience reach rather than visit volume. Most analytics tools label this as users or unique users.

Unsubscribe rate is the percentage of email or SMS subscribers who opt out of your marketing list after receiving a message. It measures how well you’re maintaining audience interest and relevance over time.

Upselling is a sales technique that encourages customers to purchase a higher-end product, upgrade, or add-on instead of — or in addition to — their original choice. It helps increase average order value (AOV) and overall revenue by enhancing what the customer already intends to buy.

User-Generated Content (UGC) refers to any photos, videos, reviews, or social posts created by customers rather than the brand itself. It’s an authentic form of content that builds trust, drives engagement, and influences purchasing decisions.‍

UX design, short for User Experience design, is the practice of creating products and websites that are easy, intuitive, and enjoyable to use.

A video in the hero section replaces or complements a static image with motion content that conveys a product, brand story, or promotion.

‍A view-through conversion is a sale that happens after a customer saw (but didn’t click) an ad, then later visited your site and purchased. It’s common in display, video, and social advertising where exposure influences awareness without immediate clicks.

A Z-pattern design layout arranges elements along a Z-shaped scanning path, guiding the eye from top left to top right, then diagonally to the bottom left, and finally across to the bottom right.