Why users abandon your app: eye-tracking insights that will change your UX approach
No doubt most interfaces are quite usable and preppy OR! you just think so? Your brain may think different!
TL;DR
We tried eye-tracking to see how people really use our app – what catches their eye, what confuses, and what makes them close it :). Found 20+ ways to make the app better, some super simple but crazy effective. Turns out, looking through the user’s eyes changes everything!
Why we Ran this experiment
I’m Greg, part of the R&D team at CherryPick Agency. I work on outsourced projects as a product manager and analyst, plus dive into research to make products better.
One of the latest projects was from “Digital Petersburg”, a team that makes city data useful and accessible. They build digital services for everything – from finding free spots in kindergartens to checking planned hot water outages. Over time, the number of services grew so much that navigating the app became tricky. The issue? We didn’t realize it until users started saying things like, “I can’t find where to check kindergarten spots,” even though the service is literally called Kindergartens and sits on the homepage.
Here’s the kicker – as product creators, it’s hard to look at your product objectively. Everything seems logical… until users prove otherwise. Complaints piled up, and we knew it was time to act. Problem was, resources were tight, and building A/B testing features wasn’t an option. Chatting directly with users wasn’t ideal either – people rarely know what they actually want.
Setting up the eye-tracking study
So, my teammate Anastasia and I remembered an ITMO lab we’d heard about – they use eye-tracking to analyze even subconscious user behavior. We booked two days, brought in ~20 participants, and dove in.
Our goal: figure out what works in the interface and what pushes users to close the app in frustration.
Prep was key – we listed hypotheses about potential pain points:
• Users are wary of entering their address.
• Navigation is unclear (how to go back, switch between services, etc.).
• Onboarding feels too long.
Then, we designed scenarios to test them. For example: “Find and share a walking route with friends.” This tested the “Beautiful Places” service, which offers hidden gems and ready-made routes. Armed with similar scenarios, we felt ready.
How the eye-tracking test worked
The test setup was simple but powerful:
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A participant sits in a room, interacting with the app while their gaze is tracked.
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In another room, a researcher guides them through tasks, watches their eye movements, and helps if needed.
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The result? A recording of the user’s screen with gaze paths and fixation points – a direct map to the subconscious.
Key takeaways: what we learned
We learned a ton. Which elements catch attention immediately, which texts get skipped, which icons confuse, and which leave a lasting impression. Beyond that, we ran usability tests too – watching real users try to solve problems in the app.
The post-research meeting was electric! We brainstormed 20+ features, many simple but game-changing for usability. Honestly, this experience felt like unlocking a whole new level of user understanding.
Final thoughts: why this matters for any product
The main points we got are:
- If you’re building an app, you need an outside perspective – creators are too close to see the flaws.
- Don’t just listen to what users say, watch what they do. Actions speak louder.
- Eye-tracking is a game-changer for real user insights.
So is your app really user-friendly, or are hidden UX issues costing you users?
At CherryPick Agency, we help businesses uncover usability roadblocks and turn them into seamless experiences. Whether it’s eye-tracking research, UX audits, or full-scale product improvements, we make sure your users stay engaged—not frustrated.
Want expert insights on how to optimize your product without costly redesigns? Let’s talk! Book a free consultation, and let’s find growth opportunities together.