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Originally published on 09/01/2020. Last updated on 03/01/2024.

If you’re concerned about the number of visitors quickly exiting your website, you’re zeroing in on your bounce rate. A high bounce rate can be frustrating, but it’s also a key indicator of where your website may be falling short. The good news? There are actionable strategies to improve your bounce rate and keep visitors engaged. In this post, we’ll focus on how to decrease the bounce rate of your website so that you can improve your site and keep visitors engaged.

Bounce Rate Definition

In simple terms, a bounce means someone landed on your website and left without taking any further action – they didn’t click on another page, fill out a form, or make a purchase. 

To calculate your bounce rate, divide the number of bounces by the total number of sessions on your website. Keep in mind, “average” bounce rates vary by industry and website type. So, it’s essential to benchmark your numbers against similar sites.

High vs. Low Bounce Rate

Generally, it could be inferred that a low bounce rate is good and a high bounce rate is bad. The only problem with this reasoning is that low, high, good, and bad are all objective terms. This is especially so when comparing different industries and websites that serve various and potentially unrelated purposes.

For instance, if customers can get the information they require from your homepage, they may not need to visit any other pages. Thus, the bounce rate would be high (think around 90%). This does not necessarily mean your site is a poor performer.

The problem with a high bounce rate occurs when customers are viewing your website and then hitting the back button or exiting because they could not find what they wanted or the site wasn’t what they expected to see, or for any number of reasons. These are visitors who left and did not return in the same session. A good way to get a sense of whether or not this is happening for the wrong reason is by seeing how long a visitor’s average session lasts. While it’s good to see that customers are exploring your site and interacting with your brand, making sure their expectations for the site are met, and even exceeded, is far more important.

On the other hand, a site could have a low bounce rate (around 30%) and have a poor user experience. A very low score, or anything under 20%, is usually a tracking error.

How to Decrease Bounce Rate: Key Strategies

Although there are no blanket solutions to all bounce rate concerns, there are a few simple steps that can be helpful for steadily decreasing your number over time. Let’s explore some key strategies.

Improve User Experience

Users could be leaving your site because it is difficult or confusing to use. You’ll want to make sure your website loads quickly – ideally within 3 seconds. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to identify areas where you can optimize images, compress code, or make other technical improvements for speed. 

Next, make navigation effortless for your visitors. Your website’s menus should be clear and logical, with descriptive headings that accurately guide users towards the information they seek. A prominently placed, easy-to-use search bar is also essential.  The overarching goal is to let visitors find what they need intuitively, often within a few simple clicks.

Finally, prioritize mobile-first design, as the majority of website traffic comes from mobile devices. Responsive design ensures your website adapts flawlessly to different screen sizes, guaranteeing your content looks great and functions smoothly whether someone is browsing on a desktop computer, tablet, or smartphone. Invest time in clean layouts, optimize text sizes for mobile viewing, and rigorously test your website’s performance on various popular devices.

Use High-Quality Images and Videos

There is no doubt that people today enjoy engaging with images, often more than reading words on a website. If your site is too wordy with not enough media, users may think interacting with your content would take up too much time. Images and videos should always be used purposefully to complement and enhance your written content. They are a great tool for breaking up large sections of text, demonstrating complex concepts with clarity, and infusing your site with a personality that makes it memorable to visitors.

That said, poorly chosen or low-quality visuals will do the opposite of engaging viewers. Make sure the images you use are crisp, relevant, and genuinely add value to the page. Always compress your image files to optimize load times, but be careful not to sacrifice quality too much. Also, take advantage of descriptive file names and alt-text, which not only helps visually impaired visitors understand your content but also provides a boost to your search engine optimization (SEO). 

Implement More Calls to Action

Sometimes people may not interact with your site pages because they feel they have no reason to. Don’t leave visitors guessing about what you’d like them to do next. Clear, compelling calls to action (CTAs) are a crucial tool for lowering your bounce rate and guiding visitors toward specific actions. 

Use strong, action-oriented verbs in your CTAs, with language like “Download Now,” “Start Your Free Trial,” or “Contact Us Today.”  Resist the urge to rely on the generic “Learn More” unless it’s paired with an immediately enticing value proposition.

Strategic placement of CTAs is just as important as what they say.  Include a prominent CTA “above the fold” –  the section of a page visible without scrolling down.  Integrate additional CTAs naturally throughout your content where relevant, and always end your pages with a final, impactful CTA that invites visitors to take the next step. Finally, differentiate those CTAs from the rest of your content by using contrasting colors, eye-catching button designs, and ensuring there’s clear space around them so they stand out as clickable elements.

Target the Right Visitors

One of the biggest culprits behind a high bounce rate is attracting the wrong type of visitors to your website. It’s vital to ensure your marketing and advertising efforts are laser-focused on reaching people genuinely interested in your offerings. When there’s a mismatch between what someone expects to find and what your site actually delivers, they’ll leave without hesitation.

To combat this, invest time in defining your ideal customer. Analyze their demographics, interests, pain points, and online behavior patterns. Tailor your messaging and select your promotional channels based on where this ideal audience spends their time.  For example, if your target market is active on specific social media platforms, focus your paid advertising efforts there.  By understanding who you want to reach and making sure your messaging resonates with them, you significantly increase the odds of those visitors finding value on your site and staying engaged.

Get Expert Help for Your Website

By focusing on user experience, visuals, clear calls to action, and targeting the right audience, you’ll be well on your way to reducing your bounce rate and creating a more engaging website experience.  Keep in mind, that improving your bounce rate is an ongoing process. Regularly analyze your data and continue to fine-tune your website to keep those visitor sessions long and fruitful.

If you need help decreasing the bounce rate of your website or any other website needs, Vervology is always here to help. Schedule a free consultation where we can walk through your website needs here:  Book a Free Strategy Session