Hey there, eCommerce champion.
If you’re here, chances are you’re hungry for real growth.
And I don’t mean more likes or vague impressions — I’m talking about more actual, paying customers who love your store so much they keep coming back for more.
Now, let me ask you something super simple: Do you really know what your visitors do when they land on your site?
If you’re nodding “Sort of…” — I’ve got news for you: you might be flying blind.
But don’t worry, you’re about to fix that.
Today, I’m revealing one of my favorite secret weapons for growing an online store: Hotjar.
And if you’ve never heard of it, buckle up — because by the end of this, you’ll wonder how you ever ran your store without it.
Oh, and before I forget — We’ve also put together a free eCommerce toolkit with our absolute must-use tools (Hotjar included, of course).
If you want to fast-track your growth, grab it here — it’s free, and it’s got some gems you’ll wish you had yesterday.
Let’s start with the basics — because I promise, this is NOT “just another tool.”
Hotjar is like your online store’s security camera, customer whisperer, and growth detective — all rolled into one.
In my experience, most store owners think they know why visitors don’t buy… until they see what actually happens on their site. Hotjar makes that possible.
At its core, Hotjar shows you how real people use your site:
Where they click
How far they scroll
Which pages they rage-quit
And exactly where you lose them
In other words: instead of guessing what’s broken, you’ll see it with your own eyes.
And when you see it — you can fix it.
How Hotjar Works
If you’ve never touched Hotjar before, here’s the quick and simple version:
Heatmaps: Visual maps showing where users click, tap, and scroll the most.
Session Recordings: Actual replays of what individual visitors did on your site — mouse movements, clicks, hesitations, you name it.
Surveys & Feedback: Let your visitors tell you — directly — what they love or hate.
Sound basic? It’s not. I promise you, watching someone get frustrated on your checkout page is a whole different reality than imagining it.
This great video shows how to use Hotjar:
Why Hotjar is an E-commerce Store’s Best Friend
Okay, let me tell you why I recommend Hotjar to literally every online store owner I meet (and why it’s in our free toolkit):
1) It Shows You Exactly Why People Don’t Buy
I know — you probably already look at your analytics. You might even check Shopify or Google Analytics every day. That’s awesome! But here’s the catch:
Analytics tell you what is happening. Hotjar shows you why.
You might know your product page has a 70% bounce rate.
But why? Maybe:
The “Add to Cart” button is buried too far down.
Your images are too small on mobile.
Visitors can’t find sizing info.
Hotjar shows you these hidden conversion killers in minutes.
2) It Helps You Test (and Fix) Pages Faster
Ever wonder which hero image works better? Which CTA text gets more clicks? With Hotjar, you don’t need to guess or wait weeks to A/B test.
You can literally watch how people interact with both versions. From my experience, this saves time and money. You’ll make confident tweaks that boost conversions instead of blindly hoping your changes work.
3) It Boosts Trust — Because You Listen
Here’s one thing I wish more store owners knew: people love when you listen. Hotjar’s feedback polls let you ask your visitors questions like:
“What stopped you from checking out today?”
“Was anything confusing on this page?”
“How likely are you to recommend us?”
Simple questions. But the answers? Pure gold. Sometimes you’ll discover game-changing tweaks in 24 hours.
How to Use Hotjar to Actually Grow — Step by Step
Alright, enough theory — let’s get into the fun stuff: How to use Hotjar to grow your store. Here’s how I do it (and what I tell every store owner who asks me for advice):
Step 1: Install Hotjar on Your Store
First things first — install Hotjar. It takes five minutes, tops. Most eCommerce platforms (Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce) have plugins or super-simple installation instructions.
Step 2: Set Up Heatmaps for Key Pages
Next, create heatmaps for your:
Homepage
Top product pages
Cart page
Checkout flow
These pages make or break your sales. The heatmaps will show you:
What people click that isn’t clickable
If important CTAs are being ignored
Where people scroll and drop off
From my experience, you’ll get “aha!” moments immediately.
Step 3: Watch Real User Recordings
This is where the magic happens — seriously.
Set Hotjar to record sessions. Watch a few recordings each day. (Yes, this takes time — but trust me, it’s worth every second.)
Pay attention to:
Where users hesitate
Where they get stuck
Where they abandon their carts
One store I worked with found out that 40% of users were trying to click an image thinking it would zoom — but it didn’t. Adding an image zoom increased their conversions overnight.
Step 4: Run a Quick Feedback Poll
Put a tiny feedback widget on your checkout page. Ask a simple question:
“Is anything stopping you from completing your purchase today?”
From my experience, this one tip alone can uncover hidden bugs, trust issues, or last-minute buyer doubts that cost you real money.
Step 5: Take Action — Fix, Test, Repeat
Finally — use what you learn! Don’t just watch visitors rage-click a broken link.
Fix it. Test tweaks. Repeat.
Hotjar is powerful, but only if you act on what it shows you.
A Real-Life Hotjar Win (Because Everyone Loves Stories)
Want to know how powerful Hotjar can be? Let me share a quick story from my own circle.
A friend ran a small jewelry store online. Sales were decent but stuck.
We added Hotjar, watched a few recordings, and found that mobile users were missing the “Add to Cart” button because it was hidden below a huge Instagram feed widget. 🤦
One quick fix — moving the CTA higher — and sales jumped 25% in a week.
No new ads. No fancy funnel. Just seeing the problem and fixing it.
That’s the Hotjar magic.
Pro Tip: Combine Hotjar with Other Winning Tools
Before you run off to install Hotjar (you should!), let me remind you — it’s just one piece of the puzzle. Growing a store needs more than heatmaps and recordings. You need the right stack of tools, working together.
That’s why we created The Free eCommerce Toolkit — it’s got Hotjar plus other powerful tools that help you:
Track traffic
Optimize your store’s speed
Manage your email list
Boost repeat purchases
And yep — it’s 100% free. If you’re serious about growing your store, you’ll love it.
Final Thoughts — Is Hotjar Worth It for Your Store?
If you’ve read this far, I’ll be blunt: If you’re not using Hotjar, you’re guessing. And in eCommerce, guessing costs money.
Hotjar shows you what’s really happening — no crystal ball required.
You’ll see what works, what’s broken, and what makes people say “no thanks.”
Once you see it, you can fix it. And that’s how real growth happens.
Your Next Move (Don’t Miss This)
So here’s what I think you should do:
1️⃣ Install Hotjar on your store this week.
2️⃣ Grab The Free eCommerce Toolkit — because you’ll want the other tools too.
3️⃣ Start watching your visitors today.
Trust me — future you will thank you.
More clarity, more conversions, and less money left on the table.
Now go make it happen. 🚀
Your store is ready for its next big growth leap — and you’ve got the tools to get there.
Read next: 29 SEO Tips to Grow Your Organic Traffic
