A high bounce rate appears to be a true headache for some website owners and not a big problem for others. While first sites consider 80% rate as an awesome one, second ones call it a catastrophe. Therefore, what are average bounce rates? In most cases, it depends on your company goals and the site itself as the term appears to be relative.

On the whole, it’s known as the metric in Google Analytics. It estimates how much time users spend on your site page. The reason for approximated metric lies in two clicks that are required to calculate the definite time on a page. The first click is called an entrance one as it demonstrates the link click that just shows a page. The second click bears the name of exit one since it requires clicking on a navigation element to go away from a page.

Most marketers miss a crucial exit click. For example, what if a user read a long blog post but closed the page without this clicking? That’s right – the session is regarded as a bounce. It also refers to those cases when the page is opened in another tab while the original one is left this way. That’s why bounce rate is too approximate parameter that shouldn’t be estimated from one side only.

Thus, what’s an average bounce rate? Nobody is able to answer this question with confidence. Many marketers try to pay more attention to this issue by analyzing scroll depth, dwell time, and other parameters. Though it’s rather hard to consider all aspects, it’s worth it for sure. This way, you can gain understanding of bounce rate and reveal ways to improve it in your particular case. Let’s examine 10 tips how to cope with it!

1. Optimization of Page Loading Time

As a rule, a big bounce rate is closely connected with page content. It’s even not so important whether your texts are good or bad when a user can’t read them. Users expect a website page to be loaded within several seconds or less. This rule also works for mobile website versions. In conformity with Radware stats, 500 milliseconds may lead to frustration of more than 26% of users! As a result, engagement is decreased up to 8%.

For this reason, slow-load site pages are considered to be the leading reasons for abandonment at e-commerce carts. Surprisingly, just 2% of top online stores can boast of mobile site versions to load pages in less than five seconds. Thus, many sites die because of conversion and wrong rate optimization.

Before thinking of your content, make sure that pages can be loaded within several seconds.

2. Promotions and Sidebar Widgets

How do you react on numerous offers, eye-catchy ad emblems, and offers that come up when you use some product or service on the website? Don’t overwhelm your visitor. Let him get relevant information from your sidebar. For instance, recommendations and helpful articles are great ways to attract a user and simplify their search for him. If you still want to place some offers in the sidebar, make sure that they’re trusty and reliable.

It also refers to promotions like bounce exchange. They might be really effective but distracting at the same time. Give your visitors some time to analyze content and make a decision.

3. Smart Content Formatting

Do you click through long and monotonic web pages as they look boring and don’t arrest attention? Formatting is regarded as one of the most effective ways to reduce bounce rate. The less work a visitor should do to get the desired information, the more likely he will stay on your site.

Here’re some tips to make your content visually appealing:

•   Suitable headers;

•   Appropriate images;

•   Frequent subheadings;

•   Useful lists.

These options help in making your content more accessible and attractive. As a result, readers can look through them and get those points they’re interested in.

4. Relevance

Relevance or irrelevance is among those determining factors that have influence on bounce rate in addition to numerous technical configurations. Some resources choose definite keywords that are aimed at promoting some content or topics and cope with this task perfectly. If your page isn’t so relevant, it will most likely go to bounce. For this reason, think of relevance and optimize according to it and users’ query. For this, answer the following questions. Which problems does your resource solve? What’s the aim of your user – to buy or learn? Use these answers in planning relevant content for your audience.

5. Internal Link Structure

Some marketers recommend adding as many internal links as possible to get a normal bounce rate. It might work in a way since it provides second clicks to estimate the user’s time spent on a page. However, this idea may make your content look cheap.

While choosing internal links, think of relevance and logical site structure. Pages should be connected by related topics or ideas that come one from another. Your content must be potentially useful and practicable for users. For instance, your blog is full of specific topics provided in great depth and might be of high interest for your audience, but most links go to other pages that have nothing in common with the main theme. This might overwhelm and even confuse your visitors.

6. Call to Action (CTA)

Even when your content is brilliant, don’t forget to include one very important aspect known as call-to-action buttons. Make it effortless for your users by giving them limited CTAs. It means that you shouldn’t add these buttons after each paragraph. Of course, they may employ one of them in case they’ve decided to make use of your services straight away, but let’s be honest. It happens rarely.

Your site should give enough information and then provide an opportunity to place an order or make use of services easily and quickly. Feel this intent when users are ready to take actions. Place CTAs here!

7. Review Product Pages

Is your product described well? Do you provide enough information and details? Are sure that users aren’t overloaded with unnecessary data? Spend some time to look through your product descriptions. You will discover several opportunities to reach bounce rate averages and even improve conversion parameters on the whole.

Why do users fail to place an order? Some reasons for it are buyer’s hesitation and too high prices, but some clients say that product information was not enough to make the right choice. These details might include production features, return policy, user reviews, and other details that lend credence.

It’s noteworthy that product page bounce rate might be higher than the one of another type. Nevertheless, test them if you see unusually high numbers. Then add more product data if needed.

8. Mobile Optimization

The number of Internet resources that haven’t been optimized yet is overwhelming. With a big proportion of users from mobile gadgets, you bounce your site. Of course, development of a mobile-friendly site interface might become a painful process and require investments, but it should be done for your optimization. Remember that the loading process should take not more than 1 minute. Even a beautiful interface yields to loading options.

9. Search Opportunities

Search engines are great instruments to provide users with information and services they require. For this, you shouldn’t make up or imagine their needs. Look through real queries with thousands of results and optimize your website in conformity with them. The more easily users get something they dream of, the more likely they will decide on your resource.

It will also help you to reduce bounce rates and get good parameters. For website owners, search portals serve as sought-after methods of optimization and promotion.

10. Website Navigation

Make your site navigation as simple and intuitive as it could only be. For this, imagine a standard browsing session from a user’s perspective. So, he opens your website, evaluates content for several seconds, and decides whether he needs it or not. That’s when he understands if he can get here something he requires. Then he strives to locate the page he is actually interested in and discovers all problems or difficulties of your navigation. Are image links hard to reveal? Is navigation hidden behind menus? Do you have any other navigational horrors? As a result, users will bounce and leave your site.

Website navigation must be easy-to-comprehend and clear by offering a user a convenient and pleasant experience. It’s better when visitors can guess intuitively where they’re located on your site and what they should do next to make use of desired services.

Therefore, examine your current site navigation thoroughly and identify more simplification opportunities. If you have almost counterintuitive results, you achieved your goals! That’s what your users actually dream of!

In conclusion, we recommend following all 10 tips by steps. They will assist you not only in improving your website options but increasing conversion, getting website average bounce rate, and attracting real clients who love and appreciate your services.