There may have been some changes to how businesses use their bounce rate analytics, but they remain an important tool. A high bounce rate figure indicates that there is something wrong with your website, and they can help you to identify issues with the perfect customer journey to making a purchase.
High bounce rates can be a cause of frustration, but they can be transformed in some simple ways. Don’t assume that the problem will resolve itself, as a too-high bounce rate is usually a sign of an onsite issue. If you’re having problems with a worryingly high bounce rate, then here are the best ways to get those numbers down and your conversion rates up.
Seamless Product Pages
As one of the page types that are especially prone to a high bounce rate, you need to make sure that your product pages incorporate a variety of essential elements. It can be difficult to balance the need for the relevant information without overwhelming the viewer. It’s a simple matter to learn product page design best practices from Thomas G. Bennett, and by implementing these changes, you will be improving the value that you provide while addressing your bounce rates.
Loading Time
It’s easy to assume that a high bounce rate is being caused by bad content. This is not always the case, and sometimes a site visitor won’t even get the chance to see your content because they bounce away before it can fully load.
If it takes longer than three seconds to load a page, then 40% of users will simply go elsewhere. Before you start looking at giving your content a refresh, make sure that your pages are working fluidly and quickly.
The Importance of Formatting
While content is the most important element of your website, how you present that content is also of paramount importance. Long walls of text are rarely likely to be read in their entirety, but you can tackle this issue with some simple formatting tricks. If you want to reduce the sense of work in the eyes of your customers, then you should consider breaking up your content with:
- Subheadings
- Unique images
- Bullet Points
- Overviews and summaries
The goal with your content is to ensure that your users are better able to skim and scan for the relevant information. This can keep them reading for longer, meaning that your bounce rate will be reduced.
Seamless Navigation
If your site visitors are unable to find the right pages quickly, then they will leave your site. You need to look at your existing pages and identify bottlenecks in the customer journey. You should always have regular sessions where you look at your website from a customer’s perspective, and travel through the various pages in the same ways that customers will. Understanding how your customers use your pages can help identify your problem areas, making it easier to spot the reasons for a too-high bounce rate.
The modern consumer expects all of these essential elements of a website. If your bounce rates are too high, consider these as the most common problem areas and find the right solutions. Identifying and tackling the reasons for a high bounce rate can be straightforward, and could transform your audience engagement, your conversion rates, and your bottom line.