Bounce rate refers to the measure of the effectiveness of a website in encouraging visitors to continue with their visit. Mathematically it is expressed as a percentage and represents the proportion of visits that end on the first page of the website that the visitor sees. A high bounce rate can prove to be harmful to any business, big or small! Let’s have a look at the factors responsible for a high bounce rate:
A complex navigation:
As a matter of fact, issues related to navigation create friction, causing frustration in the users. This further causes them to make their way back to the SERP. If your website fails to guide them to the right destination, it is more likely to be abandoned. Improper use of CTA buttons, lack of content clarity and absence of appropriate categories makes the navigation complex and boosts the bounce rate.
Poor content quality:
Quality content includes a clear headline that articulates the value proposition of your business and matter that meets the needs of your customers. Moreover, it conveys the benefits users receive when they move further into your site. However, if your site content does not contain all this or the content of your site is not easily scannable, lacks relevance and is not customer-centric, it will piss off your customers and drive them away. This would further cause a hike in your website’s bounce rate.
Slow loading speed:
If your business website has a loading speed that lasts more than a few seconds, there is a high possibility of users abandoning your site that would further lead to an increased bounce rate. This is because the attention span of the visitors is too small. The large media files used on your site may be responsible for the slow loading speed.
Lack of 24x7x365 assistance:
People feel valued when their needs and queries are acknowledged whenever they arise. A live chat feature on your business website can help guide your customers throughout the purchasing process. It can actually help them move down the sales funnel and boost your profits. The fact that someone is always there to resolve their queries, instills a sense of trust in your customers and lessens the hassle related to decision making. However, in the absence of such an assistance, they may abandon the site due to their unanswered queries which would further lead to high bounce rate.
Failure to optimize for mobile:
These days, the majority of people access the internet through mobile devices. Most of the searches today are being done on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Therefore, the absence of a responsive business website design can drive a large number of your potential customers away. This would further increase the bounce rate.
Now that you know what may be causing the website visitors to bounce off from your website, you probably know how to get rid of it, isn’t it?