Are Higher or Lower Bounce Rates better?

The question seems like it would be easy to answer, but as with many things related to the ever-changing digital world it really depends. “Bounce Rate can be a sneaky metric that can change dramatically depending on the report you’re working with.” (Uzcategui, 2013). One thing that bounce rate is used to help define is website engagement. IMC 642’s Lesson 2 defines it as "single page visits divided by entry pages". Bounce rate is one of the easier metrics to review and understand. 

Simply put, it shows if people came to your site and immediately left or of they hung around and looked at additional pages. Kaushik (2010) defines this one with the four attributes of great metrics.

Uncomplex - "I came, I puked, I left" 

Relevant - it identifies where we are wasting money and which of our pages stink

Timely - It's a standard reporting feature and is instant on any reporting tool

Instantly Useful - All you have to do is look at it to see what you need to work on. (if you are at a 25-30% rate you are doing great, 50% needs help and 70% there is an immediate need).

Not everyone would agree with Kaushik’s “great job” marker though. Nick Eubanks, a writer on Search Engine Watch says that bounce rates should be looked at subjectively. "A high bounce rate can be indicative of a number of things but usually falls into one of two categories:

1.     You're acquiring the wrong kind of traffic to your page(s), or

2.     You're acquiring exactly the right kind of traffic to your page(s)."

Many times we all get so wrapped up in having such low numbers that we have discounted that it’s possible the goal was met and after reaching a page and bouncing from it the visitor was fully satisfied. Eubank does also go on to state that the pages in which you want conversion you should have a lower bounce rate while general information pages do not matter as much because a lot f people reach a website in pages other than the home page and may go directly to the information that they need. 

So why is a low bounce rate usually desired and how does it benefit you? Eubank states “Reducing the bounce rate on pages that have the highest volume of traffic from your highest converting sources means more engaged visitors and a greater chance of conversion.” If you find that you have a high bounce rate on any of your conversion pages you can do several things to help improve (lower) the bounce rate. 

• Making sure your site is free of pop-ups is a big one, as most people don’t want the nuisance. 
• Navigation should be intuitive, especially when the item(s) are important. 
• Design must be good, along with speed and mobile accessibility. 
• The site should be designed around your priorities while segmenting information into related and relevant categories. 
• Optimize your pages and be mindful of ads placed on your site as not to be too intrusive. 
• You should also make sure the message of your site is out in the open and easily found on each page. 
• Minimize distractions such as auto play music and videos. 
• As far as search and links are concerned prominently display a search box, leverage internal search, and open external links in new windows so your visitors don’t leave. 
• And last but not least make sure it is readable! (Eubanks, 2013).

By understanding the bounce rate metric you can make several changes to your site to reach your goals such as creating a flow of traffic to the pages you want people to end with. As with all marketing knowing what the goal of your website is and what you want the visitor to do while on it is a key part of creating a great website and helping your business to grow.

References

Eubanks, N. (2013, January 18). Reduce Bounce Rate: 20 Things to Consider. Search

Engine Watch. Retrieved November 1, 2013 from http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2237250/Reduce-Bounce-Rate-20-Things-to-Consider

Kaushik, A. (2010). Web analytics 2.0: The art of online accountability & science of

customer centricity. Indianapolis, IN: Wiley Publishing. ISBN# 978-0470529393

Uzcategui, J. (2013, May 30). When Bounce Rate is Not Bounce Rate in Google

Analytics. Cardinal Path Blog. Retrieved November 4, 2013 from http://www.cardinalpath.com/when-bounce-rate-is-not-bounce-rate-in-google-analytics/