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To run a successful online store, you not only need to draw the appropriate people to your store - you have to capture the attention of your customers and convince customers to buy.
The most important indicator for your site's performance in this field is the bounce rate.
What is bounce rate?
Bounce rate is the percentage of visitors who visit an area of your website and then leave without visiting any other page. This metric can tell you the extent to which your site is doing in getting potential customers to visit your site. If the bounce rate on your site is very high, that could be a clear indication that your site isn't making a great effort to get the attention of potential customers, meaning that you stand a lower chance of persuading them to make a purchase.
What is a decent percentage of bounces?
There's no definitive rule for qualifying an "good" as well as a "bad" bounce. Some experts like Neil Patel report that bounce rates can vary between 45-65% across all industries. Hubspot shows bounce rates according to industry benchmarks, which are compiled by Google. According to them, the average eCommerce bounce rate is between 20-40%.
The logic would suggest that a bounce rate of 80% should be less than or equal to the average.
However, to improve your site, focus less on comparing the bounce rate of your site against industry benchmarks or similar websites and focus instead on comparing your bounce rates to your own previous performance.
In other words the definition of a great bounce rate is less than the prior time period (month and quarters, years or any other).
How can you determine your bounce rate?
The bounce rate usually appears in the upper right-hand corner of the first page when you log into Google Analytics, or if you navigate to Auditory > Overview. However, this represents the bounce rate across all sites for the default duration and doesn't reveal anything about your bounce rate.
If you visit the Behavior tab, then Site Content and All Pages, you'll find the bounce rate of each individual page on your site. You can alter your time frame in the upper right corner.
How do you determine bounce rates?
The bounce rate should be measured in relation to a specific time frame using an adequate sample size, or in the event of two significant occasions. So, you might take a look at bounce rate for this month vs. that same month from previous years. If you've just launched a redesigned site, you may look at the first month following it was launched to the same month prior to launch.
Imagine paying for advertising that brings ten people to your site and yet none makes a purchase. A small number of people should not cause to you to take a big modification because it's not enough information to establish the direction of your business.
Usually, it's wise to avoid making choices based on daily bounce rates since any day may have an anomaly which can cause your data to be off. This may be a good idea in some situations. If you have a single occasion each year that is responsible for making the majority of your revenue, you might want to make a day-long review of the time of event as compared to. the previous year's.
The reason you'll need to keep track of day-to-day bounce rates is not so that you can determine the need for significant changes on the website however, to identify any issues. If you usually see a bounce rate of 35% but then on the other day it spikes to 90 percent, you'll need examine the situation further. There could be a reason that something is broken on your site.
In addition, beyond the duration of the sample or period you use to measure bounce rates, think about whatyou're measuring. Individual pages may have unusually high or low bounce rates or you may notice certain kinds of sites perform better when viewed as a group than others. When you analyze pages separately or in coordinated groups, instead of only looking at the bounce rate of your entire site You can determine what pages or types of content are engaging your users and what don't.
Then, why bounces people?
There are many reasons why people bounce however, it is usually something to do with any of these four broad categories:
1. Your site isn't drawing the correct type of customers. If you are conducting ads that target luxury shoppers but your site is selling discount bulk bargains, even if you have an excellently designed website there will be an unacceptably high bounce rate.
2. They weren't pressured to explore further. The content was not engaging or interesting enough for users to stay on your website. Even a perfectly-targeted audience can leave your site if the information isn't a hit with them.
3. The user had a bad experience. Your site may have taken longer to load, or users couldn't read the text of your website. They might have received a Malware warning or a different issue that made them feel a little unsafe. If they browsed via a mobile device and the website wasn't designed for mobile devices, they could have moved on. If your menus are difficult to navigate, and they were unable to determine where they should go, they may also have quit.
4. They got exactly what they were looking for. A specific page of your site with an extremely high rate of bounce does not always mean that the site needs to be revamped. In fact, it could be a sign that your site is wildly successful in providing value to the user. How?
Imagine that your clients search "What size of shoes does this store] sell?" They click on the result of their search which takes them to a page on your website that states the shoes you sell for women are sizes 3-11. They get their answer, stores the data away to use for shopping in the future then leaves. You answered their question quickly and effectively and added value for them. They left without viewing the other sites, but this doesn't mean they were an unqualified failure.
Always think about the entire context of user experience and your objectives in marketing when considering the bounce rate.
What are you able to do to boost your bounce rate?
1. Find Technical
The users expect that your website to load fast. They are hoping that the site will match the device they're using it on and the ability to navigate efficiently. They're also trained to be able to spot signs of credibility, like an SSL certification or endorsements by industry.
Does your site have a mobile-friendly design? The majority of visitors browse the web on mobile devices than ever previously, and that number is growing daily. If your site isn't easy to navigate on a mobile device, you greatly increase chances for your users to go away without looking at any more web pages.
It is possible to use Google's mobile-friendly test to assess how well your site measures to the standards and provide suggestions for improving it.
Secure an SSL certificate and be sure you have resolved any malware issues you've faced in the past have been resolved. If users get to your website and are presented with warnings about viruses or malware it is likely that you won't be able to keep them for long.
2. Limit Distractions
In this day and age of GDPR the first time visitors who visit your site will typically be greeted with a notice asking for their permission displayed on their screens. If you follow that notice with a pop-up, chat box, or any other thing that gets impeding navigation users may be annoyed.
If you've got lots of advertisements on your page, multiple advertisements flashing on the screen, pop-ups or general clutter, it's similar to walking into a physical store and being greeted by several aggressive salespeople at the same time. This can be a bit unpleasant and make customers quit.
Therefore, you should limit the use of these tools. Test each one to see how it impacts the bounce rate as well as sales and optimize the user experience to ensure it will yield the most result. It is possible to run a pop-up every week to see whether there is a tangible impact on bounce or sales. Similar to chatbots and other tools. And remember, these tools might be worth a higher bounce rate if an increase in sales far outweighs the loss of visitors.
3. Create Easy Navigation
If you provide a large range of categories of products, make sure the options are clearly displayed and easily. If you sell t-shirts, pants, and shoes however all you show when a user goes to your site are t-shirts users may be confused or annoyed and then leave. Immediately give them the various categories available and let them decide their way from there.
Your menu items should be short, concise and clearly describe the exact website they're directing to. Don't use jargon or niche terms that aren't commonly used in menus since a new user could not comprehend what they are referring to.
The sticky menu can be ideal for pages with long content so that users don't have to scroll all the way to the top to access your menu. Customers expect to find details like contact numbers as well as FAQs and policy information within the footer of your website.
If your website is filled with complicated pages or information, you may want to consider the addition of breadcrumbs. Breadcrumbs provide another option for visitors to navigate your site and easily get returned to the page they previously visited. They also outline the hierarchy of your website and prevent your visitors from being confused.
4. Place Your Top Work Above the Fold
The expression "above the fold" is a reference to newspapers. Newspapers stand on a rack and all you see is the top half which is what's visible before they're folded. This top portion must catch your attention right away. If the attention-grabbing headline is located at the bottom you'll not see it, or want to pick it up.
On websites, "above the fold" refers to what is accessible to users and does not require scrolling or navigate. What appears above the fold is dependent on the device and sizes of screens. Test as many sizes as feasible to ensure you grab attention right away. Depending on where you place notices for things like GDPR, they may not always be at the very top of the page.
There is a chance that you will have to sacrifice the user experience for devices that only bring in only 1% of your visitors to enhance the experience for devices that bring in 50%.
5. Always Be Testing
If you're not sure the way that something you've done on your site could affect bounce rate or if you want tweak small things so that they have the greatest impact it is possible to consider A/B and split testing. These kinds of tests allow users to direct users to alternative versions of your site, or a particular page. Then, they send you information on the performance of your site overall.
You could, for instance, choose to test two variations of the banners at the top of your site. This can be run for a period of time and determine if versions "A" or "B" result in lower bounce rates.
Here's an excellent A/B-testing tool to consider.
6. Find Users in the Right Place the first time
Use SEO to optimize pages according to categories, so people don't just arrive on your homepage and then land on a website that has exactly the product category they're searching for. If someone searches "[example brand name] shoes" You should want your primary category of shoes to appear first, not your store's home page. If you need some help, Jetpack provides some great tools to assist you in your search engine optimization goals.
When you use paid search ads, you can add site links that take customers to specific pages of your website. If you are selling products geared at students, then you can run an ad that shows on the page when someone types in "back to school clothing". A user can click the headline of your ad and then be taken to an online landing page to promote your sale for the back-to-school season, or you can separate categories of merchandise by sitelinks, allowing users to easily find the items they're searching for.
It is possible that you have links to websites that are for "Backpacks", "Uniforms", "Athletic Clothes" and "Shoes". People can search "back to school clothes" but they're really looking for uniform wear. When they arrive at your section for uniforms the very first time they visit, you're more likely to be pleased by what they see and then continue exploring your site.
The same type of websitelinks can also show up on organic results. While it isn't possible to dictate what links show in the results, Google suggests some guidelines to aid your efforts.
7. Have High-Quality, Unique Images
High-quality images are crucial to the successful operation of your store online. Because customers can't view and feel the items in person it is important to create your experience as real as you can.
Stock photos might seem like a good idea, and sometimes they may be. However, stock photos that any other retailer might also employ don't help you establish your own identity. Make sure you have a consistent style which customers can recognize and will appreciate as being authentic and unique to you. It could involve applying specific filters to all of your photos or featuring models with a uniform style.
Try using pictures that feature persons instead of items on a simple background. An Georgia Tech study found that photos that were posted to Instagram with people on them were nearly 40% more likely get reactions from the users. The kind of photos that include people aid users in imagining their own outfits or wearing the products. It's a more inviting and personal experience, just as shopping in a small boutique rather than a large storage facility with boxes of items.
8. Accessibility and Readability
Your visitors to your site are unique and varied. They're all different and have unique needs in addressing those they have, you'll retain more visitors on your site for a longer duration.
9. Demonstrate Authority and Legitimacy
Have you ever wondered why certain products have the "as seen on TV" logo on the label? Why wine bottles include the ratings or awards that a wine has won? It adds a sense of authenticity to the products they're selling. If your product is mentioned on a prestigious program or media site or you've received an award or certification from an industry organization Include this information on your site to let users understand the value of your product.
10. After the Bounce
Despite your best efforts, some people will still quit your website without going to or visiting other webpages.
If you have a high number of bounces efforts will help reduce its negative effect while you try to solve the issue.
Measure, Start improving
Bounce rate is just one of numerous metrics that you could analyze the effectiveness of your website, and then enhance it as time passes. While it's not the only factor you should focus on, steady improvement to your bounce rate with careful measurement and experimentation over time could greatly boost the profit of your site.
Make sure you always consider your bounce rate as a function of the time period you measure and what website you're monitoring. Be focused on improvements over time, rather than a comparison with other sites.