How to Reduce Website Bounce Rate in Google Analytics
Google Analytics is showing a high bounce rate for your website, which means you’re losing a big number of customers. Whether it’s an eCommerce portal or an information hub, profitability depends on level of users’ engagement in your website. The more time user spends on site, the more beneficial it is for you. Increasing users stay time on site and lowering the website bounce rate means exactly same. As there’s no specific normal or average bounce rate, you need to decide your lower bounce rate limit yourself. If your bounce rate is 50%, it shows you’re wasting half of your resources, so check by your own, how much you loss you can afford.
Once, decided the lower limit of bounce rate, you can work on the areas below to decrease your bounce rate and increase profitability.
Instructions
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1
Improve your site speed. Site speed is not just an SEO measure; it determines the user behavior as well. If your pages are taking long to open, you cannot expect a longer stay.
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2
Open external links in new tab/window. User will get the link to source while still not leaving your site.
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Display relevant content above the fold, i.e. in the area which attracts users’ attention most. Preferably at the top of your sidebar.
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4
Design matters, user may not like to browse more pages or either stay longer, if it’s not attracting his eyes. Improve website design.
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Have a clear navigation, letting user know where currently he is and how move to other areas on site. Use appropriate breadcrumbs, categorize the content in decent manner, do have next and previous pages links on a page.
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Improve readability by removing excessive ads, readable colors, appropriate font size and style.
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Avoid pop-up ads, external toolbars and other elements that cause distractions to the visitors.
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Stop Autoplay Videos, as these are distorting for users.
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9
If you’ve removed some content, make sure to optimize 404 pages. Provide a search functionality of links to popular pages on site on 404 page.
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Use powerful and eye catching titles, but be sure that the content matches your title’s theme too.
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Use polls, contests, and more attention-grabbing clickable content to engage users on site, but make sure all these are highly relevant to your niche.
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An important cause of increased bounce rate can be that you’re not providing, what you’re promising, i.e. you’ve optimized the pages for wrong keywords. For instance you’ve optimized a page for how to buy clothes online, but you’re actually selling clothes. Do Keyword research and pick the right keywords to optimize your website.
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Provide search functionality on all pages of your site, so if user is not able to navigate directly to the required content, he can search it quickly!
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Remove any dead links, i.e. both internal and external.
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A possible reason for heavy bounce rate can be the fact that you are not following standard Web conventions, i.e. your logo is supposed to be linked to your home page, but it’s taking user to some other page! Follow standard web conventions.
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Ensure browser compatibility for your website and do check it with all major browsers that your visitors use. Find browser details in your Google Analytics.
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Keep information on your pages simplified, targeted and organized. Do not overload your page with bulk of information at one single page. Distribute the information in sections and if you’re distributing in different pages, make sure they all are linked well.
