Bounce Rate
Definition
Bounce Rate is the percentage of visitors who land on a page of your website and leave without clicking anything, navigating to another page, or taking any action.
It’s commonly used to assess landing page or homepage performance.
Good or Bad?
Good?
- A low bounce rate usually means your content or layout encourages visitors to explore more.
Bad?
- A high bounce rate may signal that the page didn’t meet the visitor’s expectations or lacked a clear next step.
Why does it matter?
- Helps you understand if your landing pages are engaging.
- Affects SEO rankings as search engines may interpret a high bounce rate as poor relevance.
- Impacts conversion rates since users who bounce don’t become customers.
Common Mistakes
- Judging bounce rate without considering page type
(for example, blogs and FAQs often have higher bounce rates by nature). - Assuming every bounce is bad
(sometimes users get what they need quickly and leave satisfied). - Comparing bounce rate across very different traffic sources without segmentation.
How to Improve It?
- Add clear CTAs and internal links.
- Speed up page loading time.
- Match content with search intent.
- Reduce pop-ups or distracting elements.
- Ensure mobile responsiveness.
Recommended Plugin
Popup Notices for WooCommerce
This plugin lets you create targeted pop-ups and notices for cart updates or offers, encouraging visitors to engage with the site instead of bouncing.
Real-World Example
A fashion retailer notices that visitors from Instagram ads are bouncing at a 78% rate.
After updating the landing page to show trending products instead of a general collection, bounce rate drops to 46% and sales from that source increase by 23%.
Related Terms
- Exit Rate
- Time on Page
- Conversion Rate
- Session Duration
FAQs
What is a good bounce rate?
Anywhere between 20% and 50% is considered strong depending on the industry.
Is bounce rate the same as exit rate?
No. Bounce rate is for visitors who leave after one page only.
Exit rate refers to the percentage of people who leave from a specific page regardless of how many pages they visited before.
Should I panic about a high bounce rate?
Not always. If your page serves a quick purpose like contact info or pricing, a high bounce may be normal. Context matters.
