Bounce rate – what is it and how to deal with it?
Have you ever browsed a store and then immediately left? Maybe you didn't like the look of it or realized it didn't have what you were looking for. Whatever the reason, you only briefly popped in and then bounced away. The same thing can happen on your website, and it's not a good thing. A high bounce rate indicates that something is discouraging visitors from your website . They quickly leave to find a better answer to their query.
Fortunately, there are proven ways to reduce this rate. Visitors will not only stay longer on your site, but they'll also be more likely to make a purchase. Before we dive into these methods, let's take a closer look at what bounce rate is.
Bounce rate – what is it?
Bounce rate is the percentage of people who visited your website and left after viewing only one page. They didn't click on any internal links or respond to any calls to action.
In short, visitors "bounce" off the page and don't pay much attention to it. While the definition itself is simple, the reasons behind this phenomenon can sometimes be more complex. So let's take a look at 5 proven methods to help you reduce this number.
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Ways to reduce bounce rate
1. Speed up your page load time
Many people assume that high bounce rates are caused by content issues . In fact, in many cases, visitors don't read the content at all because they leave too quickly. Slow loading times are one of the worst problems a website can face. It doesn't matter how good the content is if no one reads it.
47% of internet users expect a website to load in 2 seconds or less!
Some tips to speed up loading times:
- depending on the type of website, optimize the graphics,
- optimize the website code,
- choose a better hosting – sometimes a weak server can cause problems.
Find more tips here.
2. Use sidebars and widgets properly
It's hard to find a blog that doesn't have some elements in the sidebar – usually, you'll find navigation elements or links to other content there.
However, cluttering your page's margins with unrelated ads, awards, badges, and other unnecessary items can overwhelm visitors and cause them to leave. If you want to highlight content in the sidebar, do it in a way that actually adds value. Include links to related articles that expand on the topic. This will keep readers on your page longer. Similarly, if you include awards, certificates, and honors, make sure they come from reputable sources so they truly serve their purpose.
As for pop-ups, they certainly have their place. Used properly, they can be very effective. However, they can also be distracting and irritating. Give visitors time to explore the site before suggesting they sign up for your newsletter. Don't push too hard or too quickly.
3. Improve content readability
A truly good user experience occurs when the content on a website is clear and easy to read. Poorly formatted content and large blocks of text effectively discourage reading. Of course, a large amount of text benefits SEO, but it's always worth keeping in mind the so-called "golden mean." The preferred text length for a given website also depends on the specific nature of the site.
It is good to follow the following practices when building content:
- use headings frequently to divide the text thematically,
- use bulleted lists when enumerating benefits or providing quick tips,
- whenever possible, post photos, charts and quotes from industry experts,
- bold some keywords and more important fragments.
End your blog posts with a "summary" heading. This will encourage readers to read to the end and tie everything together nicely.
4. Use internal linking
Internal linking is a strategy that can effectively eliminate high bounce rates. An example would be websites written in an encyclopedia format, which contain a large number of internal links. Of course, encyclopedia sites have their own rules. A high density of links on a typical page can be off-putting to readers.
Links should be used strategically – link to other useful articles or to an offer if it's related to the content. It's also a good idea to place links at the end of the article – this way, after reading the entire article, the visitor won't leave the page completely, but will be ready for more content.
Of course, the type of page also matters. On a landing page, any links that aren't a call to action can hurt conversions. In such a situation, it's better to get rid of them to help the reader focus on a single action and stay within the same site.
5. Customize 404 pages
A 404 page appears when a visitor clicks on a link leading to a broken and unremoved page on your website. It's a good idea to customize this page to display internal links and a content search tool instead of the default text. The overall idea is for this page to help the visitor find what they were really looking for or redirect them to other interesting content.
Summary
The tips above can be very helpful in eliminating high bounce rates. Remember, the more time visitors spend on your website, the greater the chance of a conversion.
Want to know more? You'll find a lot about how to properly construct content and websites in our latest SEO guide for online stores – check it out now!
Summary
The above article covers the following topics:
- bounce rate as an indicator of the quality of an online site,
- the importance of bounce rate in the analysis of user behavior,
- methods of reducing bounce rate through actions related to page performance, content structure and user navigation.
