The bounce rate could be more precise. Do you probably have several questions: A bounce rate near 100%—good or bad? Like a bounced email? Is it vanity? How do I fix it?
Luckily, you’re not alone. Marketers may still be asking those questions. We’ll explain the bounce rate, what causes it, and how to fix it.
What exactly is Bounce Rate?
Bounce rate is the percentage of visitors who leave a page on your website. They don’t click or visit another page.
The bounce rate is not the exit rate. Bounce rates only measure “one-and-done” visits that arrive and leave your website without browsing.
What’s the Difference Between Exit and Bounce Rate?
Compare bounce and exit rates for a thank-you page. A high bounce rate on that page means people are only viewing that page and clicking away. You’re losing conversions because they still need to complete a form.
This hypothetical scenario illustrates the difference between bounce and exit rates. Other page metrics may affect these takeaways.
Bounce Formula
The bounce rate is calculated by dividing the number of single-page visits by the total number of visitors.
If 10 of 100 visitors only visit one page, your bounce rate is 10%. An analytics provider can help you understand how your bounce rate changes.
What is a reasonable rate of “bounces”?
Your website’s bounce rate may dishearten you. You may become even more discouraged if you aim for a 0% bounce rate. The optimal bounce rate is 26%–40%, while the average is 26%–70%. If your data shows under 20%, you may want to double-check. Duplicate code, poor tracking, and third-party add-ons can inflate bounce rates.
Viewer device affects average bounce rate. 51% of mobile devices bounce. Desktops bounce 43% and tablets 45%. When assessing your site’s bounce rate, consider traffic sources.
High rate of bouncing back
Until 56%, a bounce rate over 70% is average. If it’s over 90%, it’s alarming, but it’s easy to lower because there’s something scaring everyone off. Bad design, tracking code errors, bots, or browser incompatibility may be to blame. Social media, paid ads, and mobile traffic can also increase your bounce rate.
Reduce High Bounce Rates
You understand the bounce rate. What can you do?
High bounce rates may mean visitors need clarification on the page. Don’t immediately delete a page or redesign. Before deciding, you must take some crucial steps.
Remember: Bounce rates only indicate that someone visited a page and left without visiting other pages on your website. It doesn’t indicate page interaction. Iterable Director of Product Marketing Jeffrey Vocell advises taking “practical steps” to investigate bounce rates by looking at other metrics and aspects of your website. These steps follow.
Mobile-friendly website.
Mobile users generate half of the global web traffic. Vocell says, “to provide a mobile-ready experience” and make it engaging is crucial. How annoying is it to zoom in to read a mobile site? A responsive site is no longer enough—the mobile version must be user-friendly and interactive.
Video attracts attention. Long videos require many data and may slow the user experience on mobile devices, causing visitors to bounce. Vocell suggests removing longer videos from your mobile site or making shorter versions covering the main points.
It’s not just a video that’s improved. Consider how you’ll handle these situations when assessing your mobile experience.
Check your bounce rate by source.
Traffic sources may affect a page’s bounce rate.
Avoid other user-experience-harming disruptions.
All platforms need an excellent mobile user experience. Full-screen pop-ups are annoying and can hurt search rankings.
Users matter most. “You want visitors to be drawn into your page and stay for as long as needed to convert,” says Vocell. “Some pop-ups are good,” like well-crafted inbound messages that add context to a site but avoid any that significantly disrupt the user experience and may cause visitors to leave.
Find out which keywords this page ranks for and if your content covers them.
Remember our warning about misrepresenting your site’s content on social media? Matching keyword intent to your content and the targeted keyword is essential to ensure organic visitors get the expected content.
Someone searching for “marketing automation software solutions” is likely looking for software to nurture leads into customers. “What is marketing automation?” is probably not a product search. This person prefers informative content.
Make sure your page’s keywords match the content when assessing them. After that, use a topic-cluster framework to direct organic traffic to the correct pages.
Bounce It!
Check bounce rates holistically. Check how long people spend on your site, where they’re from, and what device they use to see if your content and experience match. You may find bounce rate-fixing patterns.
Bounce rates are your car’s “check engine” light. You know there’s a problem when it goes on, but you need to check all the car’s systems to diagnose it. Bounce rates can affect your marketing strategy, but understanding them can help your website succeed.
