Customer journey mapping is often based on assumptions—what we think users do on our websites. By using session recordings, you can replace guesswork with visual evidence, allowing you to see exactly where Brisbane locals are getting stuck or why they are abandoning their carts before reaching out.
Why This Matters
Most Australian small businesses rely on Google Analytics to see what is happening (e.g., a high bounce rate on a service page), but session recordings show you why it is happening. By watching real users navigate your site, you can identify hidden technical bugs, confusing navigation, or content that simply isn't resonating, allowing you to create a smoother path to conversion.---
Prerequisites: What You’ll Need
Before you begin, ensure you have the following ready:- A Session Recording Tool: Popular options include Hotjar, Microsoft Clarity (free), or Lucky Orange.
- A Live Website: You need active traffic to generate recordings.
- Defined Goals: Know which journey you want to map (e.g., the path from a blog post to a contact form).
- Privacy Compliance: Ensure your Privacy Policy mentions the use of analytics tools.
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Step 1: Install Your Tracking Code
First, you need to add a small snippet of JavaScript to your website. If you use WordPress, many tools have plugins to make this easy. Alternatively, you can use Google Tag Manager to deploy the code without touching your site's backend. Screenshot Description: You should see a unique tracking ID or a block of code in your tool's settings dashboard, usually under a 'Setup' or 'Installation' tab.Step 2: Define Your High-Value Journey
Don't try to watch every recording; you’ll get overwhelmed. Decide which journey matters most right now. For most Australian service businesses, this is the path from the Home Page > Service Page > Contact Page. For e-commerce, it’s Product Page > Cart > Checkout.Step 3: Set Up Filters to Save Time
Once your tool has collected a few dozen recordings, use filters to narrow the field. Filter by:- Device Type: Mobile users often behave differently than desktop users.
- Location: Filter for 'Australia' to ensure you are watching your target audience.
- Duration: Ignore sessions under 5 seconds (likely accidental clicks).
Step 4: Identify 'Rage Clicks' and 'Dead Clicks'
Look for the 'Rage Click' filter. This identifies users clicking rapidly on an element that isn't responding. This is a massive red flag in journey mapping, indicating a broken button or a confusing UI element that looks like a link but isn't.Step 5: Watch for 'Backtracking'
A smooth journey is linear. If you see a user constantly hitting the 'Back' button or jumping between your 'Pricing' and 'FAQ' pages, your journey map has a gap. They are looking for information that isn't where they expect it to be.Step 6: Map the 'Friction Points'
As you watch, keep a spreadsheet open. Note down every time a user pauses for a long time, scrolls up and down rapidly (searching for something), or abandons the page. Pro Tip: If you see users highlighting text with their mouse, they are likely reading closely. This is a sign of high engagement—make sure your CTA is nearby!Step 7: Compare Mobile vs. Desktop Experience
In Australia, over 50% of web traffic comes from mobile. Watch 10 mobile recordings specifically. Is your 'Book Now' button getting cut off by a chat widget? Is the text too small to read on an iPhone? These 'micro-frictions' break the journey mapping you've carefully planned.Step 8: Segment by Referral Source
Check if users coming from Facebook Ads behave differently than those from organic Google searches. Often, ad traffic is more impatient. If they land on a page and don't see an immediate answer to their query, they leave. Use this to refine your landing page journey.Step 9: Observe Form Interactions
The 'Contact Us' page is the most critical part of the Australian small business journey. Watch how users interact with your forms. Do they start typing and then stop at the 'Phone Number' field? This might suggest your form is asking for too much personal info too early.Step 10: Update Your Journey Map
Take your findings and update your visual journey map. Replace the 'Assumed Path' with the 'Actual Path.' For example, you might find that instead of going Home > Services, users are going Home > About Us > Services. This tells you that your 'About' page is a vital trust-building step that needs more attention.Step 11: Implement Changes and 'Before/After' Testing
Once you've identified a fix (e.g., moving a button higher), make the change. Annotate your recording tool so you know when the change occurred. Watch new recordings to see if the 'Rage Clicks' have stopped.---
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Watching too many recordings: You don't need to watch 1,000 videos. Usually, watching 20–30 focused recordings will reveal 80% of your UX issues.
- Ignoring the 'Boring' parts: Sometimes the most insightful recordings are the ones where nothing happens—they show you exactly where the user lost interest.
- Forgetting to mask sensitive data: Ensure your tool is set to 'Mask' keystrokes so you aren't recording people's passwords or credit card details (most modern tools do this by default).
Troubleshooting
- No recordings are appearing: Check that your ABN-registered domain is correctly whitelisted in the tool's settings and that your caching plugin (like WP Rocket) isn't stripping out the script.
- Recordings look 'broken' or unstyled: This usually happens if your site uses a complex firewall or if the CSS didn't load properly during the session. Try clearing your site cache.
- Too much 'junk' traffic: If you see hundreds of 1-second sessions from overseas, use a filter to exclude non-Australian IP addresses to keep your data clean.
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Next Steps
Now that you've identified where your users are struggling, it’s time to take action.- Prioritise Fixes: Fix broken links first, then move to layout improvements.
- A/B Test: If you're unsure about a change, run an A/B test to see which version performs better.
- Review Monthly: User behaviour changes with the seasons (especially around EOFY or Christmas in Australia). Make recording reviews a monthly habit.
Need help interpreting your data or fixing the friction points on your site? The team at Local Marketing Group can help you optimise your conversion rate. Contact us today for a strategy session.