How To Reduce a Webpage’s Bounce Rate

The concept of a web page bounce rate has become increasingly prevalent over recent years. The term refers to users visiting the page and then leaving without navigating to any other part of the website. Considering most browsers leave websites in less than a minute, businesses only have a very short time to make a lasting impression on them. 

Website retention is an important part of an SEO strategy and essential if you want to direct new and organic traffic to your products or services. A good web bounce rate is considered to be around 40% or lower.

 

Clear and Encouraging Navigation

 

You can reduce your website bounce rate if you make it easy for visitors to navigate their way through its pages, including elements that encourage them to continue their searching. Good methods for improving your website navigation include: 

• Prioritising the orders of links based on importance
• Adding a clear dropdown menu without too many links
• Including a search bar and responsive results
• Including compelling “call-to-action” buttons
• Building specific sections within navigation menus
• Removing or fixing any broken links

Optimising the navigation is a great way to reduce the page bounce rate by encouraging visitors that further exploration will be smooth. 

 

Opening Links in New Tabs Automatically

 

This is a simple yet surprisingly effective way to help your page bounce rate in the right direction. We’ve all been there, opening new pages on a website and getting hit with that frustrating “back button fatigue”. Making secondary pages open in new tabs is a great way to make the user experience smoother and more enjoyable. 

Optimise The Content Itself

 

Once you’ve got your potential customer onto the page, it’s important to show them the useful content they actually want to see. This means optimising it in terms of quality and readability. It’s important to apply principles such as: 

• Clear headings and subheadings
• Simple, easily digestible passages of prose
• Obvious communication of value offerings
• Integrating keywords and search terms clearly to answer customer questions

These are all writing/structural techniques that will help you to keep eyes locked on the content you’re putting out there.

 

Optimise Page Load Time

 

Having a strong backend is just as important as being considerate about what you put out into the digital space. For example, a slower page load time can significantly increase your page bounce rate, as much as a 32% increase in just 2 seconds. Make sure that your page is fast-loading and smooth with any technical audits or backend testing.

 

Making Everything Mobile-Friendly

 

Knowing how to reduce bounce rate numbers isn’t about computer-based web browsing. Making the user experience totally suitable for mobile browsers is one of the most important parts about retaining visitors to your website. Over 60% of web traffic comes from mobile devices in today’s landscape, meaning you can’t underestimate how vital it is to have a phone-friendly web page. 

 

Keep Web Page Bounce Rates To a Minimum By Offering Value

 

At the end of the day, the most effective way to minimise web page bounce is by clearly offering value on your website. Don’t try to be too cryptic or clever; simply make it clear what you can provide your visitors and guide them through a comfortable experience.

As long as you follow these principles and your product/service speaks for itself, you should find yourself welcoming a wealth of new customers who make the most of their time on your page.