We have been studying where humans look for centuries but the technology we have today allows us to gain much more insight from this. Where our gaze travels to, and how long it lingers, are key indicators when it comes to visual attention and have a lot to offer in terms of revealing subconscious behaviours. Using this in the context of marketing can generate some unique consumer insights.
What is eye tracking?
A combination of high-definition cameras and near-infrared light are projected into the eye in order to be able to record its movements. This is done by focusing on the direction that the light is reflected off the cornea. Algorithms are then applied to data to calculate the precise position of the eye as well as where its attention focus is. There are a number of different eye trackers available today, including screen-based trackers that can be attached either to a laptop or a PC screen, wearable eye-tracking glasses and virtual reality headsets, and webcam eye-trackers that are built into a computer.
Why use eye tracking software?
If your goal is to track and analyse visual behaviour then eye tracking software is really the only way to do this. It provides the opportunity for researchers to track the movements of someone’s eyes during a range of targeted activities and to draw insights about cognitive processes from this. These insights could range from social interaction methods to learning patterns and such have a huge amount to offer when it comes to generating completely unique consumer insights.
What are the benefits?
Working with eye tracking software has a number of unique benefits, including:
- Revealing subconscious behaviours that are otherwise hard to track and access. These are the things that we do instinctively, which can be vital insight for understanding consumers.
- The right kind of data. Eye tracking software removes the need for the person being tracked to explain where they looked and reduces the risk of incorrect information or assumptions affecting data. Instead, the data generated is unbiased and objective.
- Versatile and unobtrusive. This kind of software is simple to use without disruption to the person being tracked. It can also be used almost anywhere and will provide an intense level of detail.
- Real time data. Eye tracking insights are delivered in real time so are not just accurate but also very relevant.
- Adds value. The use of eye tracking software generates ‘heat maps’ and other tools to show where someone has been looking, and how long. It can also be combined with other biometric data to enhance it.
Using eye tracking to generate consumer insights
Eye tracking software enables you to see what process consumers go through when choosing a product, as well as the elements of that product that drew someone’s attention and those that were ignored. This is much more authentic data than can be generated by surveys and is useful for everything, from advertising design to product placement. It also delivers unique insight into user experience, whether services achieve their goals and how any design flaws might be affecting this.
Eye tracking research is a unique opportunity to gain genuinely useful insights into customer habits and behaviours in real time.
