Let’s be real: not everyone who checks out an online store is going to buy something – in fact, a lot of them might leave pretty quickly after landing on the page. That's what we call a bounce.
The percentage of visitors who do this is what we call the bounce rate.
Your bounce rate can make a big difference in how successful your online business is. So, it's important to know what yours is and what affects it.
Basically, if people are bouncing off your site left and right, it's like money slipping through your fingers. That's why it's crucial to keep them interested and hanging around as long as possible.
So, what we’re trying to say is the longer they stay, the better your chances of making a sale.
How Fast Is Your Site?
Speed matters. Think about it: have you ever come across a webpage that took forever to load and thought, "Hmm, I've got all day"
Exactly.
If your pages take too long to load, people are more likely to leave before even browsing your page.
When it comes to e-commerce, speed is everything. The quicker your pages load, the better chance you have of people converting.
If your pages take longer than 2-3 seconds to load, you might have a problem.
Don't worry, you're not alone. Lots of websites struggle with this, and it can lead to high bounce rates – meaning people leave your site taking the desired action.
Don’t just take our word for it! Studies show that fast websites get more business.
A website that loads in 1 second is much better at turning visitors into customers compared to a site that takes longer to load. For example, it's 3 times more likely to make a sale than a site that takes 5 seconds to load, and 5 times more likely than a site that takes 10 seconds.
Makes sense, right? If people can check out quickly and easily, they're more likely to buy from you.
So, how can you speed things up? Here’s an article we wrote to help you speed up your site.
Size Matters - Search Bar Edition
Sometimes, we go on a site not to browse for products but to search for a specific something that we need. Imagine not being able to locate the search bar on the site and you have to manually scroll each product to search for the one you’re looking for.
It's like searching for a needle in a haystack, right? Back to our point above, nobody’s got the time!
One major reason people leave e-commerce sites without buying anything is because they can't find what they're looking for.
So, try this: ensure your search bar is easy to spot. Ideally, it should be wide enough to fit about 27 characters. But most sites only have room for about 18 characters, which can make it tricky to see what you're typing.
If you're short on space, you can get creative, and have your search bar get bigger as you type. Another trick is to make the search bar stick to the top of the page. That way, it's always there, staring at you in the face no matter how far down you scroll. Easy peasy!
Showcase Your Best Deals and Discounts
Intrigue your visitors by showing them your best deals and discounts as soon as they land on your site.
Let's say you're running an online store that sells athletic gear. You can try displaying a banner at the top of your homepage showcasing a special deal, like:
"Get 20% off all running shoes this weekend ONLY!"
This kind of offer creates a sense of urgency – people know they have to act fast to get the discount.
Now, if a visitor lands on your site and sees this banner right away. They were probably just thinking about buying new running shoes, and now they see they can get them at a discounted price, but only for a limited time. This will most likely reel them in to make a purchase then and there.
When you display top deals and limited-time offers prominently, you're not only grabbing visitors' attention but also encouraging them to explore your site further and, hopefully, make a purchase before the deal expires.
Make Navigation Easy
Let me put it this way:
Imagine you're in a new town, trying to find your way to a friend's house. You're lost, there are no signs, and what should have been a quick drive turns into a frustrating two-hour ordeal.
Would you want to come back to that town again? Probably not.
Similarly, when it comes to sites, people want it to be easier to find things they’re looking for, whether it's the page to book an appointment or the product you just launched.
At this point, I’m sure you can see a similar trend. It's all about making life easier for your customers.
And how do you do this? Put yourself in their shoes. Think about how people would search for stuff on your site – then make it happen.
When it comes to navigation menus, keep it simple. Stick it where people expect to find it – either at the top or on the side. Some sites work better with menus at the top, while others do better with them on the side. You might have to try both and see what works best for you. Seems basic I know, but you’d be surprised at how many people still making this mistake.
And don't forget about mobile users – they need easy navigation too! Consider testing out a menu at the bottom of the screen for users browsing on their phones.
Ditch the Intrusive Ads
Let's talk about those ads that pop up on websites.
We've all been there, right? It's not exactly a highlight of the browsing experience – at least, not in my book.
The key is to put them where they won't annoy your visitors. Nobody likes it when an ad suddenly covers what they're trying to read or look at. So, steer clear of putting ads where people expect to find important information – like the menu bar, search box, or main content area. Keep it simple, keep it respectful, and your visitors will thank you for it.
Final Words
Having a lot of people leave your site without taking action isn't great – we all want users to stick around and maybe even buy something.
The goal is to keep people interested and coming back for more. The longer they are on your site, the better chance you have of turning them into customers.
So, aim for a low bounce rate! Well, as low as you can.
SO, WHERE DO YOU FIND THIS PARTNER?
Well, aren’t we glad you asked! We at DigiCom are obsessive data-driven marketers pulling from multi-disciplinary strategies to unlock scale. We buy media across all platforms and placements and provide creative solutions alongside content creation, and conversion rate optimizations. We pride ourselves on your successes and will stop at nothing to help you grow.
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