Heat maps for market researchers

Researchers in marketing are constantly in a fix on how to make their data more interesting and easily understandable to their audience. They try graphs and charts and diagrams and histograms so that the mass of data that they have been working with makes sense to those they count as their target group.

One of the techniques that they can use is the heat map. The heat map uses different kinds of colours to create different categories so that analysis becomes easy. The heat map basically lends a certain degree of homogeneity to a region. It is commonly used along with maps of the world where different regions are identified as having certain characteristics. Sometimes contrasting colours are used while at other times different shades of the same colour are used. With the use of graphics it is also possible for the readers to click on that particular area and get more information. This technique is particularly useful when the researcher is representing the data on a computer screen.

It is also possible to use this map with large grid like boxes of information. A certain heading can be given to each box and on clicking that heading more information can be made available. The heat map shows its true value when displayed on a computer screen. It can also be shown on a piece of paper, but it will not quite possess the same features.

Researchers are often in a bind when they have to show the results of several variables. A line graph or a bar diagram can become very confusing for the reader. A line graph with too many lines can be a mess, while a bar diagram looks good only when there are a few bars. But with the heat map, the analyst can show the results of many variables.