If you’re just getting into understanding you website and what your analytics mean, something that may plague you is the ever in-your-face “bounce rate.” I mean there it is on your main Google Analytic Page. So it must be important, right? Absolutely! So lets take a look!
What is it?
Bounce Rate is the percentage of single page visits meaning a percentage of the number of times a visitor on your website only looked at a single post or page. The higher the percentage, the more it means people are visiting your site but not staying to look around. Of course, it is ideal to reduce this number because a visitor visiting multiple pages on your site and spending time on your site are a good thing!
What can cause a high bounce rate?
A number of things can cause a high bounce rate. When you can figure out what might be causing yours, you have a better chance of improving it! A couple of key factors that cause high bounce rates are:
- Poor website design. If a visitor has a hard time navigating your site or is just completely put off by the design as there is too much clutter, poor color schemes, etc. they’re not going to stick around. They will quickly hit that back button or search for something else.
- Poor keywords. If the keywords you’ve chosen for your site are irrelevant to your content, and someone lands on your website expecting one thing but gets something totally different they’re going to be confused and disappointed. They’re also going to leave in a hurry to find what they really ARE after!
- Analytics are set up incorrectly. Make sure your analytics are set up on ALL your posts and pages. It is best to set up in a static portion of your website (like the <head>), so it is automatically on the whole website.
- User behavior. Sometimes people are only looking for one thing, and once they have that information, they leave.
- Poor or irrelevant content. Is your content relevant to your website? Is it well-written, free of grammar errors and easy to read? Sometimes poor or hard to read content is the reason a visitor is so quick to leave.
What can you do to improve bounce rate?
The most important thing to start with is a well-designed website with clear navigation. Be sure you have a sharp design that is eye-catching, has a good color scheme, and an easy to find navigation bar. Be sure your design is clean and not cluttered. There is nothing wrong with ads, but make sure they aren’t covering your content. Remember, content is key. If visitors aren’t sticking around because they can’t find your content, those ads that are causing the clutter aren’t going to get any attention either!
Then try to identify why visitors are leaving quickly. If you see they are coming to your site based on a specific search and leaving quickly, then you need to re-think your keywords. Make sure they are relevant so your visitors will know what they are getting. Be sure your content is also relevant to your overall website as well. It is important to have a focus and to keep your website centered on those specific ideas. Websites with content that is all over the place naturally have the highest bounce rates.
If you’re looking to revamp your website and avoid the bounce contact us and ask about our Houston Web Design services. We offer easy to navigate websites, focused keywords, and relevant content. Don’t miss out on the chance to improve your bounce rate and get more engagement from your visitors! Give us a call today at and schedule your appointment.
