Why does your website have such a high bounce rate?

Your website is always going to have a bounce rate. Some users will navigate to your page and immediately leave without further exploring what your website has to offer. Sometimes the issue is just user error. Maybe they clicked on the wrong link and then realized it as the page started to load. You should never expect this rate to be zero, and it is not necessarily your fault that users are leaving without reading the content on your site.

That being said, you should generally look for a bounce rate between around 25% and 70%. A bounce rate in the 20s is very good, while a bounce rate in the 80s or 90s could indicate that there are some problems with the page. If you get up above 90%, it means that almost everyone who visits your site is immediately leaving.

There are often steps you can take to improve your bounce rate, but it all starts with understanding why this is happening in the first place. If you have been looking at your website metrics and noticed that some of your pages have exceptionally high rates, here are a few reasons why it could be happening.

There is a technical issue

First and foremost, there could be a technical problem with your page, perhaps meaning that it does not load or that it shows up as a blank page. Even if you think everything is working correctly, it is important to check from time to time to ensure you know what your site looks like from a visitor’s perspective.

Slow loading times

Years ago, waiting for a webpage to load was common. Today, most users expect the page to load in just a few seconds. If you have a page that loads slowly and takes 10 or 15 seconds, the vast majority of people are not going to wait. They will simply leave and try another link.

Mismatched data or SEO

Furthermore, take a look at your metadata, your title tag, and the search engine optimization you have done on that page. If there is a mismatch, users will quickly see that the page does not offer what they are looking for. If you have optimized the page for search terms that do not reflect the content on that page, for example, you may draw in a high amount of traffic, but very few visitors are actually going to stay.

The page only works on one platform

Remember that people are going to access your website from many different devices, such as desktops, laptops, mobile phones, or tablets. If you build a page on a desktop, you may be sure it works on that device, but issues with loading on a mobile phone could lead to a high bounce rate.

Unattractive content

Finally, consider the way that your content looks on the page and the user’s first impression.

For example, if you have a large wall of text, it may provide useful information, but many readers are going to find it overwhelming. They may leave and look for another source.

On the other hand, if you break your content up with white space and subheaders, it is much more user-friendly. People are more likely to spend time reading the content or scanning for the specific information they need.

Improving your bounce rate

These are just a few examples of reasons why your bounce rate may be too high. For assistance in improving that rate and with other aspects of web design, do not hesitate to get in touch with us at Content Customs, where our experienced team is ready to help.