Those who follow website analytics know how important it is to reduce bounce rate.

What is a bounce rate?

Bounce rate is the percentage of single page visits. If a visitor arrives at any page of a site and exits (either closes the browser or visits another website) without visiting any other page of the same site it’s a bounce.

For example if 65 out of a total of 200 visitors, visit only a single page of a site, the site has a bounce rate of 32.5%.

65/200 = 0.325
0.325 * 100 = 32.5%

Why reducing bounce rate is important?

It is important because:

1. The visitors will stay longer in the site, and (therefore)
2. Conversion rates will improve.

How to reduce bounce rate?

Frankly there is no hard and fast rule to reduce bounce rate. If there was, all websites would have implemented it. However, there are certain steps that can be tested to see if bounce rate reduces.

I will discuss some of them, and some you may have to find out yourself.

It is important that you know the pages that have a very high bounce rate. If you don’t know how to get it, ask your webmaster or login in your analytics account and look at the bounce rate section and arrange the pages in decreasing order of bounce rate.

If you use Google Analytics here is how to get it:

Go to Content -> Top Content. Now click on bounce rate. You should see the pages with high bounce rate on top.

If these pages are getting few pageviews don’t bother. You should be concerned with the pages that are getting good pageviews but having high bounce rates.

Scroll the list, get to the bottom and choose a few pages that are getting good pageviews and low bounce rate.

Now, compare the two section of pages i.e… pages with high bounce rates vs. pages with low bounce rates.

Do you notice anything? Can you find anything that’s not matching to the overall standard of your site? What do you think is good in low bounce rate pages and what do you think is annoying in high bounce rate pages?

Here are a few pointers:

1. Compare the overall feel of both the pages. Do you notice any difference? If yes this could be the reason that is driving visitors away.

2. Look at the navigational structure. Is there some difference in these two sections?

3. Compare the copy. Is the copy boring? Is it too big or is it too small?

4. Have a look at the headline. Are you missing something? Is it compelling? If not you may need to re-write your headline. It may be that people are reading your headline and calling it off.

5. Show the high bounce pages to your friends/colleagues. Ask them what they find annoying. Listen to them carefully. Better still write down what they say. If you think there is something common most of them are saying – implement it and see if there is a change in bounce rate.

NOTE: In fact point 5 can be done for the whole site. You may be surprised with the comments of your friends.

Basic idea is try to implement all those factors that are there in low bounce rate pages in the high bounce rate pages.

Hope you will find some help in lowering your bounce rate. If you feel I have left something please leave a comment.

Recommended Reading:
 
1. How To Decrease Bounce Rate And Increase Time On Site - Vedio
2. How to Improve Bounce Rates to Get More Action