Bounce Rate is a term used in Google Analytics and other web site statistics programs that frequently causes confusion. The explanation is simple, but not always intuitive to everyone.
Bounce rate is the percentage of users that visit a site and hit the back button to leave without visiting another page. It basically means that they visit the site and bounce themselves out because the site either does not have what they are looking for or because they are are not interested in viewing other information on the site.
Bounce rate is expressed as a percentage. The higher the percentage, the greater the number of users that only visit one page and then leave. A bounce rate of less than 50% is generally considered to be good. A bounce rate around 25% to 30% is very good. If a site’s bounce rate is consistently higher than 50%, there may be something wrong with the site that makes it undesirable for users.
What causes a high bounce rate? Basically anything that causes user frustration or a bad first impression.
- Slow loading site
- Bad design, poor color choices
- Poorly written or uninteresting content
- Hard to find or hard to use navigation
You can think of a high bounce rate as the opposite of stickiness. A sticky site draws in a user and compels them to visit other pages due to interesting content and a good design. In other words, a sticky site delivers what they are looking for or piques their curiosity. If a site has a low bounce rate, it has a high degree of stickiness.