Bounce rate, a web analytic, is the percentage of single-page visits your website receives. A normal bounce rate threshold is between 40-60% and a higher bounce rate indicates that web users are not visiting any other pages on your site. There are many reasons why a user might not view additional pages on your site, but if you notice that your bounce rate is high you can take action to reduce it.
1. Improve Usability
Web users’ patience and attention span lessens by the day and website usability can be a big road block. Once a user decides to pursue a search and link to your website, they need to be able to use the site to find the information they are seeking. Things that get in the way are pop-ups, auto-play videos, slow load times, broken links, and general navigation confusion. A clean web design and clear calls to action can significantly improve usability on your website.
2. Enhance Relevancy
Think about what a user wants from your website – what did they search for to get to your site and did they find it once they got there? Search engines use keyword tags and keywords within the content on the site to help users find the information they are seeking. Your site may have a high bounce rate because users are not finding what they are searching for due to poorly selected keywords. Make sure your keywords are congruent to the content topics on your site and that you keep your user in mind when creating new content.
3. Promote Interactivity
Give your users something to do once they get to your website. If someone takes the time to seek out your site and they find the content relevant, give them different options to interact with it. Try offering educational documents to download, a webinar to sign up for, or the option to subscribe to an RSS feed of your blog. Writing blogs and consistently providing new and useful content encourages users to consume resources on your site. Strong calls to action to present other pages within your site will likely lead to a reduced bounce rate.
Simply having an online presence is no longer the purpose of having a website. A website should be a resource for users to learn and engage with. The bounce rate is a valuable analytic to keep an eye on because it indicates if a user finds the information on your website useful. Remember, user preferences will change over time and providing useful content and having strong calls to action on your website help keep your bounce rate within a normal range.