Bounce Rate is important because it is the rate at which a person leaves a website. According to Google Analytics defines a bounce rate as, “when a user opens a single page on your site and then exits without triggering any other requests.”
Most metrics you work to increase, bounce rates are bit different. You want to make adjustments and aim to keep a low bounce rate. A low bounce rate reflects that a user stays on a page or website and makes another action. The range of what qualifies as a “good” bounce rate depends on the type of website. According to CustomediaLabs these are average bounce rates per website type:
- 20% – 45% for e-commerce and retail websites
- 25% – 55% for B2B websites
- 30% – 55% for lead generation websites
- 35% – 60% for non-ecommerce content websites
- 60% – 90% for landing pages
- 65% – 90% for dictionaries, portals, blogs and generally websites that revolve around news and events
If your bounce rate is higher than those averages, then you are doing a great job! And probably don’t need to read the rest of this, but if you are still trying to get into those average ranges, keep reading.
So you worked really hard on an ad campaign, design graphics and start using your hard earned cash to direct people to your website. Only to find out they leave immediately. An important part of digital marketing is to find tactics that will decrease your bounce rate and get people to stay on a website either to:
- Make a purchase
- Watch your video
- Read the information on the page
- Sign up for your newsletter
Tactics to Decrease Bounce Rate
If you are leading all leads to your homepage, chances are your bounce rate is high because the page isn’t congruent with the ad that led to the page. Having multiple landing pages is always best, however, bounce rates may still be high due lack of a clear CTA or poorly laid out page.
We’ve laid out some ways to keep visitors on your page longer and take the actions you want them to because reducing bounce rate will lead to higher conversion rates.
Optimize traffic and content
As always content is king. It’s important to know your audience and create content that resonates with them. This includes high-quality photos and useful information your audience cares about.
Have a clear call to action
Keep the call to action near the top of a page, this is important especially for mobile users who typically won’t scroll far down the page. The CTA should be compelling, no matter the type of conversion trying to be made.
Avoid pop-ups
Pop-ups seem like a good, just not when you want the user to stay on the page. Don’t distract users with another offer. A signup form may be a good idea in this case in a blog post towards the bottom of the blog, asking a user to join a newsletter to read similar blogs.
Write a blog
Having a blog on your website generates more credibility. Companies that blog generate 126% leads than those who do not. 82% of marketers claim that blogging daily has directly helped them generate more customers. Keep content fresh, valuable and entertaining to keep readers intrigued.
Links
Make sure to open external links in a new tab and link internally often. For e-commerce sites it’s great to utilize the “related products” features similarly you can do the same for blogs and content websites hoping to get users to continue through the website funnel.
Readability
The use of bullets and white space are encouraged to keep a user focused. Large headers and easy formats will help the audience skim on mobile and desktop to find what they are interested in quickly. If a site is too confusing to navigate, a user definitely won’t stay for long so take this into consideration when designing.
Site speed
Test your website often to ensure it is loading properly across all web browsers and devices. You don’t want slow load times to lead potential buyers away.
Re-target
Set up a campaign to re-target those who have visited your site to come back with a special offer or general brand awareness campaigns. Since they are already familiar with your brand, it’s easier to hook a returning user.
Need assistance with decreasing bounce rate, creating new landing pages or running advertisements? Contact us to get started!