Are visitors bouncing off your website – or do they keep bouncing back?

OK, if that’s all Greek, let’s go back a few steps. Your "bounce rate" measures visitors ‘bouncing away’ from the entry page of your website without visiting other pages. It’s kind of a Disapproval-ometer.

Let’s say someone spots your site on Google and clicks through to your homepage. From there, they’ve got 2 options – browse your site or bounce off elsewhere. And a high bounce rate is the kiss of death, no matter what you’re selling.

So what’s the main culprit for a high bounce rate?

Well it’s not usually design (unless it’s really, really bad). Dodgy design often gets the benefit of the doubt – at least for the first few seconds! That’s because visitors are far more interested in what you’ve got to say. And if your copy is, frankly, a load of old pants, they won’t get past the fourth line!

Bad copy can send people surfing elsewhere for a number of reasons:

1. You’ve misled the visitor. Your browser heading and description meta-tags, displayed on the Google search page, may not represent what your site is actually about. So when your visitor clicks on the site and sees the horrible truth, they’ll head elsewhere right away.
The answer: be consistent. Only promise on the search page what you deliver on the home page!

2. There are no clear benefits. All copy needs to be benefit-led, and web copy needs it the most. Online we all behave like little hyperactive toddlers, and we need a reason to stick around (there are other shiny things beckoning!)

The answer: nail your benefits at the top of your homepage, preferably in the headline, and keep all the critical information above the fold (ie make it visible on screen before you need to scroll down). And remember, ‘benefit’ means what’s good for the visitor. Forget what appeals to you!

3. The copy’s too dense or verbose. Huge clusters of copy bore visitors silly, and even visually it’s a turn-off. Reams of big words and fat chunky paragraphs just clog up the page.

The answer: keep your copy crisp, clear and customer-focused – like you’re talking to them in an understanding, problem-solving tone. Keep your sentences short. Keep your paragraphs short. Just get to the point and move on!

4. Your grammar is shoddy. Many readers are insulted by poor grammar and spelling. If you can’t be bothered to proofread, they’ll assume you’re just as careless when it comes to the rest of your business!

The answer: hire a decent copywriter or if you’re doing it yourself, go over it with a fine toothcomb. You don’t have to get too hung up on the finer points of grammar, but schoolboy errors are unacceptable to a certain market.

5. It feels like a dead end. When people step out of their core environment, they want – and need – to be led. So if they hit your website and don’t know what to do next, they’ll get confused and leave it.

The answer: decide what you want visitors to do next - and make sure they understand it. Keep your call to action visible, and give them a compelling reason to follow your lead.

So that’s it. Identify those weak points in your copy and watch your bounce rate tumble.