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Bounce rate is the ratio that, at first glance, might be misleading.
I’m sure you have a few questions in your mind: Is it good or bad to have a bounce rate near 100%?
Is it like a bounced email?
Would that be a meaningless metric that I still overlook? And what can I do if I want to correct it?
You are not the first. Several more marketers have asked the same questions. But unfortunately, they may not have reached a satisfactory answer.
So, we’re here to simplify the bounce rate by giving an overview of what qualifies as a bounce rate. What doesn’t, and how to improve it.
Bounce Rate
What is Bounce Rate?
A “bounce,” according to Google, is “a single-page session on your site.” The bounce rate of your website is the percentage of visitors that arrive at a page of your website and then leave. They don’t even click on any other links or navigate to another page on the website.
It can also happen if a person is inactive on a website for longer than 30 minutes.
Important to remember that a bounce rate is not the same as an exit rate.
Bounce rates are only considered for each visit, which happens when visitors come. And leave the website without moving away from a potential page.
But, exit rates are somewhat more tricky.
They also consider the percentage of individuals. That exit your website after visiting a specific page. Yet, this isn’t the only page they have viewed on your website.
The page they quit was the last in what seems like a long series of page visits. As a result, the exit rate isn’t usually the bounce rate on website.
So, what exactly is a high bounce rate, and why is it a bad thing?
A high bounce rate is a relative thing. That depends on your company objectives and the type of website you have.
According to RocketFuel research, most websites will have bounce rates from 26% to 70%.
Based on the information obtained, they developed a type of bounce rate grading system:
- 25% or less: Something is most likely broken.
- 26% to 40%: Excellent
- 41 to 55%: Average
- 56-70% on average: Higher than usual. But, based on the website, this might make sense.
- 70% or greater: Something might be broken or has gone wrong.
Bounce Rate vs Exit Rate
Imagine you’re comparing bounce and exit rates for something like a thank-you page. A high bounce rate of website on the same page is about, as it suggests when visitors are only viewing a particular page. And would then click away.
Moreover, they didn’t have to fill out a form to get there. It means you’re overlooking conversions.
But a high exit rate would not be a reason for worry. Then this would imply that the page seemed to be the final in a sequence of visits.
People who left that page most likely came from the prior landing page and received the offer. Somewhat on the thank-you page. And afterward left using the things they recently downloaded.
Consider that this is a hypothetical scenario. And these conclusions may alter depending on other page metrics.
Yet, it gives a quick example of a difference in bounce and exit rates.
What is Bounce Rate Formula?
Since the bounce rate is the number of users who only see one page on your site. You can calculate it by dividing the total number of single-page visits by the total number of visitors.
For instance, if 100 visitors visit your website, and only 5 of those visit only one page, your bounce rate is 5%. The above rate will change.
So, using analytics to track any changes. That can help you understand what’s driving your bounce rate to rise.
What makes a good bounce rate?
If you’ve already analyzed your website’s bounce rate, The number could disappoint you.
But, if you decide to strive for a 0% bounce rate, you will most likely be even more disappointed. The normal bounce is between 26% and 70%, with the ideal range around 26% and 40%.
Reaching anywhere below 20% is unusual. So, if it’s what your numbers show, you might want to double-check a few things.
Wrong-reported bounce rates can be caused by duplicate code. In addition, it may be incorrect integrated analytics and third-party add-ons.
An average bounce rate might also vary based on the device used by the viewer. Mobile devices, for example, have the most bounce rate of any industry, at 51%.
But, while the bounce rate average on a Desktop is 43%, the average for a tablet is 45%. So, consider where all the traffic originates while calculating your site’s bounce rate.
High Bounce Rate
A more than 70% bounce rate is considered above average, although it is not considered high until 56%. If it’s more than 90%, that’s a serious problem. But it’s often easier to reduce when something particular is driving everyone away.
Poor design, problems in your tracking code, and an extensive number of bots. Or browser’s incompatibilities might all be the reason.
Also, keep in mind that high traffic from social media. Or paid advertising and a large number of mobile visitors can all increase your bounce rate.
What are the Ways to Reduce High Bounce Rates?
You now understand what a bounce rate is. Then what are you planning to do something about it?
In practice, high bounce rates signal that the page is ineffective. Or it was misleading to website visitors. Even so, don’t consider taking measures immediately once, such as removing a page or redesigning your website.
Before deciding what actions to follow, you must perform several specific steps.
Notice
Bounce rates state that someone arrived at a web page. And then left without viewing any other website pages. It does not provide information on how someone engaged with your page.
That is why it is critical to take effective measures to check various metrics and attributes of your web presence. And to determine what may be triggering the high bounce rates.
We have outlined a few steps that will help you to reduce high bounce rates.
1. Make sure your website is mobile-friendly.
Almost half of all online traffic worldwide comes from mobile users’ accounts.
It makes it critical “not to create a mobile-ready experience.” But also, to ensure that experience is compelling.
For example, how inconvenient is it to visit a mobile website while being required to zoom out to see its content?
It is no longer enough to have a responsive website. Interaction with the mobile version will be user-friendly and engaging.
Video is an intriguing kind of content. It can more often describe complex topics than in written form. That might convey that 4X as many consumers may want to watch a product video rather than read about it.
So, long videos consume a considerable amount of bandwidth. And may thus hinder the user experience when viewed on a mobile device. Also, it causes the visitor to leave the site.
As a result, consider removing such larger videos from the mobile version. Or making shorter versions that still convey the essential critical issues.
This type of advancement, thus, is not limited to video. Instead, consider the mobile experience and figure out how you’ll set it up like these.
2. Analyze your bounce rate from different sources.
The traffic sources pointing to a certain page may have anything to do with its bounce rate. As a result, Google Analytics allows you to breakdown the bounce rate of each source:
Now let us assume your bounce rate from direct traffic is super high. Take a glance at the URL to confirm it’s direct to comprehend, learn, and type in.
Then, verify that the visitor is not met with a 404 error or an unpleasant home page. The title should be pretty clear and communicate to the visitor that they may have arrived at the desired place.
Irrespective of nature, you must exceed the visitor’s expectations.
3. Avoid any additional disturbances that may harm the user experience.
We’ve before covered the significance of a positive mobile user experience. That also needs to apply to all platforms. For instance, full-screen pop-ups are inconvenient. But they will also lead to search penalties from search engines like google.
The user is the most important factor to consider. You should attract visitors to your webpage and continue to stay for as long as it takes to convert, even though some pop-ups are beneficial.
Such as well-crafted inbound messages which make it relevant to a site. Avoid anything which interrupts the user experience and may drive visitors to quit.
4. Identify what keywords a certain page ranks for and whether your content covers those topics.
Remember how we guide you not to confuse visitors about your site’s content through social distribution? Keyword rankings are the same way.
“Matching keyword intent to your content is critical to ensuring organic users receive the right content they desire.”
Suppose someone is looking for “marketing automation software solutions.” Such types of search queries in search results. That person is most searching for software to guide nurturing prospects into customers.
So, if someone searches for “What is marketing automation?”. That means searchers will most likely not look to buy a product. Instead, a person is seeking more informative content than anything else.
So, while evaluating those search terms your page ranks, ensure they are relevant. Once you do that, then have a look at a topic-cluster framework.
The type that organizes your site’s pages into specific topic clusters guides. And directs organic traffic to the appropriate pages.
Take Away
When looking into bounce rates, remember you’re taking the long view.
Check how much time visitors stay on your website, where they’ll be arriving from, what device they’re using whether your content and experience are in tune with all those criteria.
You may discover trends that explain how to resolve the bounce rate issue.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution for bounce rates. But understanding what they can be. How they might guide your marketing strategy will help ensure your website’s success.
