Where’d All The People Go? Understanding Bounce Rates And What To Do About It
Does your website have what it takes to hook visitors in and get them to stick around for a while? Maybe you’ve considered this concept at length and are doing everything you can to make your website a virtual lounge where people like to come and just hang out. Or perhaps you haven’t really given it much thought. Regardless of which camp you fall into, it’s important as a site owner to understand why your customers come to your website and how to get them to stick around. Often, people come to a website and stick around only long enough to realize they just don’t want to be there. And of course, for web pros like us, there’s a nice fancy phrase to explain those visits: bounce rate. Your bounce rate is calculated by measuring the number of visitors that click onto your page - through whatever means you may attract them: web searches, social media links, backlinks on other sites, opened emails, etc. - and almost immediately click to exit. A high bounce rate, meaning that you have a bunch of visitors that only stick around to see next to nothing, is not good for your website health. Think about it: the customers that you’re going to convert into sales are the ones who stick around to see what you have to say/what products you have to offer. When people are sticking around for less time than the average yawn, they’re not seeing the content that you’ve developed to draw them in. And worse, they’re certainly not sticking around long enough to make a purchasing decision. We all want a lower bounce rate. Part of accomplishing this is to…