What is Bounce Rate? In Plain English
In Plain English
Bounce rate is the percentage of visitors who land on a page of your website and then leave without clicking anywhere else.
Think of it like someone walking into a shop, looking around for a moment, and walking straight back out without speaking to anyone or exploring further.
How is Bounce Rate Calculated?
Bounce rate is calculated using the formula:
Bounce Rate = (Single-Page Visits ÷ Total Visits) × 100
Example: If 100 people visit your site and 60 leave after viewing just one page, your bounce rate is 60%.
Why Bounce Rate Matters
A high bounce rate can signal that:
- Visitors didn’t find what they expected.
- The page was slow to load.
- The design or content wasn’t engaging.
However, not every bounce is bad. If someone finds the answer they need right away and leaves, that still counts as a bounce, even though the page did its job.
FAQs
Q: What is a bounce rate?
It is the percentage of visitors who leave your site after viewing only one page.
Q: What is a good bounce rate?
It varies by industry. For blogs and news sites, higher bounce rates (60–80%) are common. For service or product sites, lower is better (20–40%).
Q: How can I reduce bounce rate?
By improving page speed, writing clearer content, using strong internal links, and making sure the page matches what people searched for.