How to Improve Bounce Rate and Average Time On Page

Bounce rates and average time on page are key metrics for eCommerce websites. This is especially because a high bounce rate does nothing but kill conversions - the absolute last thing any online merchant needs!

When your site’s visitors are always leaving after visiting the first page, the chances of them converting into buyers drops sharply. So, it makes sense to cut your site’s bounce rate and boost average time on page. Here’s a more in-depth look at how to do just that!

What is Bounce Rate?

Bounce rates are the percentages of site visits that ended at the first page, with site visitors leaving without moving on to view a second page on the website. The calculation of this rate is also used in measuring the overall engagement level in a given website.

Online merchants should strive to improve their bounce rate as a way to improve their SEO and convert more visitors into buyers.

How is Bounce Rate Calculated?

Bounce rate is calculated by the total number of one-page visits on your site and dividing it by the total number of entries made to your website.

For example, if a website receives 1,000 visitors a month and 500 of them leave after visiting just the homepage, then the bounce rate would be 50 percent.

What is Considered a Good Bounce Rate?

Generally speaking, a bounce rate between 26 and 40 percent is considered excellent while 41 to 55 percent is about average. 56 to 70 percent higher than average, though generally not too concerning. A bounce rate of 71 percent or more is considered poor for all websites aside from blogs, news sites and events sites.

Broken down further, optimal bounce rates based on the type of website typically are:

• Content Websites: 40 – 60 percent bounce rates
• Lead Generation Websites: 30 – 50 percent bounce rates
• Blog Posts: 70 – 90 percent bounce rates
• Retail/eCommerce Websites: 20 – 40 percent bounce rates
• Service Websites: 10 – 30 percent bounce rates
• Landing Pages: 70 – 90 percent bounce rates

What is Good Average Time on Page?

Optimal average time on pages varies, though anything over 3 minutes is often seen my digital markers as a good metric to aim for. Page sessions of 2-3 minutes are typically seen as average, and therefore, anything above that in terms of time on page is seen as something to aim for.

What Causes a High Bounce Rate?

If people are always leaving your homepage without engaging with any of the content on your other pages, filling out the opt-in form or even clicking through to the next page, something could be wrong with your site, whether its poor navigation, weak content, technical issues and the like.

Here are some of the reasons why people may give up just a few seconds after finding themselves on your homepage:

1. Slow Page Load Times

If your web pages take a long time to load, then you’ll continually record high bounce rates, as most people usually leave right after the first four seconds. Avoid oversized images, unnecessary sliders, too many Javascript effects and anything else that may unnecessarily slow your site down.

2. Intrusive Offers and Ads

This is another reason for a high bounce rate on your website. Avoid distracting videos and banner ads, as they might do more harm than good.

3. Unnecessary Surprises

Avoid misleading headings, as this might make your site’s visitors see you as being unserious. Don’t advertise dietary supplements when what you actually have on your page is just some weight loss ideas!

4. Posting Content That’s Difficult to Skim

Often, site visitors are on the move quickly, and if they’re unable to skim your page’s content at a glance, they might just move on to the next website. Don’t make them search too long for what they’ve come looking for!

5. Targeting The Wrong Audience

You should know the right audience for your website before you target or market to them. Sending the wrong audience to your landing page is a recipe for low time on page. In short, target the right audience!

6. Web Pages Full of Spelling Mistakes and Poor Grammar

Spelling or grammar errors are bound to appear once in a while on a page, but if your page is known to churn out content full of poor grammar and inexcusable spelling mistakes, people are bound to bounce!

7. Hard To Find CTA

If your page content requires people to take action upon visiting the page but the CTA button is nowhere to be found, site visitors might will likely leave without taking any further action on your page.

8. Asking for Too Much Personal Info

In this age of Internet fraud and scams, people often see it as a red flag once you start asking for too much information on their first visit to your web page, such as Social Security numbers and credit card details.

9. Use of Low Quality Images

This is another factor that leads to a high bounce rate, especially if you operate in an industry where the use of pictures is essential in getting the attention of your page’s visitors.

10. Use of Plagiarized Content

Plagiarism is not only a red flag for visitors, but can also greatly harm your SEO and content marketing efforts. In short, ensure that all content is unique and original and avoid plagiarism at all costs.

How Do You Fix a High Bounce Rate?

When you reduce the bounce rate of your website, it helps you to significantly boost your online store’s conversion rate as well as improve your SEO efforts. Here are some tips to help you improve bounce rate!

• Create a seamless and engaging user experience
• Use quality images and videos
• Optimize your calls to action (CTAs)
• Boost page loading speed
• Improve readability of page content
• Increase the average length of your content
• Make sure your content is unique, engaging and interesting
• Carry out series of A/B testing
• Greatly reduce or totally eliminate pop-ups and sidebar widgets
• Make sure your site is easy to navigate and well-formatted
• Upload interesting videos
• Opt for a mobile-friendly website design
• Utilize keywords that drive high-value traffic
• Write attention-grabbing meta descriptions
• Make your website easy to search
• Display testimonials and reviews from existing customers
• Maintain a viable and consistent content strategy
• Understand what your target audience wants
• Ensure your site loads fast and is free of technical issues

Improve Your Bounce Rate to Boost Your Site Today!

With these strategies, you can improve your site’s bounce rate and, in turn, improve the conversion rate of your online store. As you work towards increasing the average time users spend on your website, your bounce rate is sure to improve. Try out these tips - and see what happens!