Dead Clicks Guide 2023: How to Find and Fix Them to Supercharge Conversions

While elusive, conversion killers are ubiquitous and can make a serious dent in your bottom line. For businesses that rely on websites (e.g., SaaS, e-commerce stores) to generate revenue, this could be a matter of life or death.

Identifying the cause of high bounce rates or abandoned carts is imperative. But with thousands of elements to test across dozens of pages, where do you even begin?

A good starting point is to optimize user experience (UX). According to a study by GoodFirms, 73.1% of survey contributors attributed non-responsive websites as the primary cause of site visitors leaving.

In other words, dead clicks are killing your conversions and ruining your life! But what exactly are dead clicks, and how can you fix them? 

Don't worry. In this article, you'll learn what they are and many more: 

• Causes of dead clicks
• How to identify and reduce dead clicks (free tool provided below!)

What are dead clicks?

Dead clicks are clicks on a website that do not result in any action or outcome, such as a page load, form submission, or purchase. They are also known as "useless clicks" or "clicks to nowhere."

Everyone has encountered dead clicks before. For instance, clicking on a "Buy Now" button on an online shop but the button doesn't work, or trying to login to a site, but nothing happens after inputting your password.

Common causes of dead clicks

Dead clicks are a common problem for websites, and they can have a significant impact on website performance and user experience. Some common examples include:

• Non-functional buttons: A user clicks on a button that doesn't work, such as a "Submit" button that doesn't submit the form. Various factors, such as coding errors, conflicts with other plugins or tools, or design flaws, can cause non-functional buttons.
• Server errors: A user clicks on a link or button, and the server returns an error, such as a 404 or 500 error. Root reasons behind server errors include incorrect server configurations or database issues. 
• Slow loading pages: A user clicks on a link, but the page takes too long to load, and the user gives up. Large images or videos, unoptimized code, or server issues are the main culprits behind slow-loading pages. 

Naturally, dead clicks can negatively impact website performance. Most notably, dead clicks can lead to a high bounce rate (single-page session) which can harm search engine rankings and result in potential loss of revenue. 

How to address dead clicks and improve website performance

As a website owner, identifying dead clicks is crucial for improving website performance and user experience. Here are some effective strategies to help you pinpoint and fix those pesky dead clicks.

Conduct user testing

One of the most effective ways to identify dead clicks is through user testing. It involves observing how users navigate through your website and getting their feedback on their experience. By analyzing the user testing data, you can identify design flaws and usability issues that may be hindering user experience.

Optimize page load speed

Optimizing page load speed can help reduce dead clicks and improve website performance. You can optimize page load speed by reducing image and video file sizes, using a content delivery network (CDN), and minifying code.

User behavior tracking 

You can glean insights into how users are experiencing your website via user behavior tracking tools such as heatmaps and visitor recordings. They visualize where users are clicking, scrolling, and interacting on your website, thus allowing you to pinpoint problem areas and make the required changes. 

Key Areas to Fix Dead Clicks

Dead clicks can occur anywhere and can be a headache to eliminate, especially when your site has hundreds of pages. The goal is to focus on key areas that move the needle regarding conversion rates and sales. 

Landing pages

Landing pages are the first point of contact with your website and serve as a critical introduction to your brand. As such, it is crucial to ensure no broken elements or buttons on your landing page. Some areas to hone in on are the headlines, subheadlines, interactive images, and CTAs. 

Product pages

Product pages are where visitors learn about your products or services and make the decision to purchase. Prospects spend a lot of time evaluating product features and alternatives from other brands. To ensure your product pages are completely functional, you should conduct extensive user testing or analyse heatmaps. 

Checkout pages

Checkout pages are the most important part of any conversion funnel, and a poorly designed checkout page can result in cart abandonment. Key areas to consider when identifying dead clicks on checkout pages include the form fields, payment options, and CTAs. You want to make sure that these elements are easy to use and understand, so prospects can complete their purchase with confidence.

Call-to-actions (CTAs)

CTAs are the buttons or links that prompt visitors to take action, such as "Buy Now" or "Sign Up." Most mouse interactions occur on CTAs which are the most common places for usability issues. Unsurprisingly, broken buttons are the main source of user frustration and rage clicks, and should be the crux of your user testing focus. 

By focusing on these key areas, you can strategically eliminate dead clicks and bad user experience, ultimately increase your website's conversion rates.

Tools for Identifying Dead Clicks

In this section, we will discuss some of the most effective tools for identifying dead clicks, including both free and paid options. 

Google Analytics

Google Analytics is a free tool provided by Google that can help website owners track website traffic and user behavior. It can help identify dead clicks by tracking website engagement, bounce rate, and conversion rates. 

Heatmap and click-tracking software

User behavior tracking software with heatmaps and click-tracking tools visually represents how users interact on a website. They show marketers where, how often, and what site visitors click on. 

Free options: Howuku, Microsoft Clarity 

Paid options: Optimizely, CrazyEgg

Conclusion

By reducing dead clicks, website owners can improve their website performance, increase conversions, and ultimately generate more revenue. One tool that can help website owners achieve these goals is Howuku, which offers a suite of user behavior analysis and optimization tools, including heatmaps, click tracking, and conversion rate optimization.

With Howuku, website owners can gain valuable insights into user behavior and identify areas of their website that may be causing dead clicks. They can also make data-driven design changes to improve the user experience and increase conversions.

In conclusion, reducing dead clicks should be a top priority for website owners who want to improve their website performance and generate more revenue. By implementing the tips and best practices provided in this article and by using tools such as Howuku, website owners can create a more user-friendly website that will result in higher conversions and revenue.

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