Eye-tracking: What are consumers actually seeing?

Cutting-edge eye-tracking technology lets you learn what consumers look at and for how long. While eye tracking technology is familiar to academic research, it has only recently made its way into the commercial sector. Commercial studies typically present a target stimulus to a sample of consumers and record their eye movement with eye-tracking technology.

Target stimuli may include Web sites, television programs, films, commercials, magazines, newspapers, packages, shelf displays, consumer systems (ATM, checkout systems, kiosks), software, etc. The resultant data can be statistically analyzed and graphically rendered to identify specific visual patterns. By examining fixations, pupil dilation, blinks and a variety of other behaviors, researchers can determine the effectiveness of a given medium or product.

Is your Web site intuitively navigable?

Web usability is the most prominent field of commercial eye tracking research. While traditional usability techniques provide powerful information on clicking and scrolling patterns, eye tracking analyzes user interaction between clicks, providing valuable insight into which features are most eye-catching, which features cause confusion and which features are ignored altogether.

Specifically, eye tracking can be used to assess search efficiency, branding, online ads, navigability, overall design, etc. Comparative analysis can be done by using a prototype or competitor site in addition to the main client site. The Poynter Institute for journalistic studies has performed comprehensive eye-tracking studies of Web sites. To read more, click here.

Ever-widening applications of eye-tracking

Eye-tracking is used in the evaluation of a variety of advertising media. Commercials, print ads, online ads and sponsored programs are all amenable to analysis with current eye-tracking technology. Advertisers can quantify the success of a given campaign in terms of actual visual attention prior to campaign roll out. Package designers can analyze distinctiveness and attractiveness of packaging, as well as likelihood of purchase. To read more about eye-tracking applications click here.

Eye-Tracking at The Blackstone Group

For more information on The Blackstone Group's expertise in eye-tracking research, please click here.

To explore the implications, please call me:

Mike Burmester
Senior Vice President
The Blackstone Group
360 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60601
312.423.4028
trendwatch@bgglobal.com
www.bgglobal.com