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  • Tips & Tricks
    JUL 19, 2021

    Do High Bounce Rates Mean my Website is not Performing?

    Enforme

    What Is a Bounce Rate?

    Straight from Google: “A bounce is a single-page session on your site.” Think of how many times you search online, go to a web page, review the page and leave. This is counted as a bounce. Bounce Rates are calculated as percentages. A high bounce rate means that there are many single-page sessions occurring on your website.

    Is a High Bounce Rate a Bad Thing?

    Sorry for the indecisive answer, but it really does depend on a few factors.

    If your gateway pages like your homepage or section landing pages are charting high bounce rates, then you don’t want a high bounce rate. These pages are meant to help direct and expose navigation and content of interest to site users.

    If your website contains articles, blogs, or other informational content, then a high bounce rate is perfectly normal. Let’s think about the scenario above. You search online, go to a web page, review the page and leave. The key is why you left. Did you find the oven temperature needed for the recipe you’re making or the movie that one actor was in? If so, you left satisfied.

    Why is My Bounce Rate So High?

    1. Bad Content

    People generally land on websites to learn more about a particular subject. Each page on your website should be written to answer “why would someone want to read this?” Whether it is learning more about a subject you specialize in or simply finding your organization’s contact information, you should avoid common trap falls such as:

    • Not writing for your audience
    • Incorrect or irrelevant content
    • Text is too verbose and not to the point
    • Balance of imagery and text

    2. Poor Navigation or User Experience

    You only have a few seconds before a visitor decides whether to interact with your website. Many design-related factors can contribute to a poor visitor experience such as:

    • Unclear what is a link and what isn’t
    • Navigation located in a non-standard area
    • Navigation items are labeled using confusing terms
    • Distracting colors and imagery

    In general, you want to avoid your visitors having the feeling that they aren’t sure what you want them to do next.

    3. Technical Error

    If your bounce rates are unusually high, it could be that visitors are hitting a roadblock associated with a technical issue.

    4. Site Speed

    Slow loading websites will cause your visitors to abandon your site to look for what they need elsewhere. There are numerous tools that can give you a report on your website’s speed. If your site is loading too slowly, the platform will give you tips on how to fix it.