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Kerry Sweeney Posted by Kerry Sweeney on August 20, 2012

How to Reduce Your Ecommerce Website's Bounce Rate

How to Reduce Your Ecommerce Website's Bounce Rate

Is your ecommerce website attracting or repelling customers?


Spending thousands of dollars building a How to decrease website bounce ratesfeature-rich ecommerce website, only to discover after launch that most people leave immediately after entering your site is extremely disappointing. If a high percentage of visitors leave your website without navigating to another page, it means that your website has a high bounce rate. And while high bounce rates are bad news for any website, they're especially troublesome for ecommerce stores.

High bounce rates essentially mean that your ecommerce website is not engaging customers or meeting their needs. But before you start tearing your website apart and redesigning it, it's important to look at your analytics stats to determine which pages have the highest bounce rates. A bounce rate of about 50% is acceptable, but a bounce rate that exceeds 60% should be a cause for concern. Factors that could be affecting your website's bounce rates include the following:

  • Landing page design
  • Pop-up ads and surveys
  • Music
  • Ad and landing page copy
  • Load times
  • Links to external websites

The type of audience is another factor that may affect your ecommerce website's bounce rates. For example, if your analytics program reveals that a high proportion of Safari users quickly leave your website, it could mean that your website isn't loading properly on Safari. Verify that your ecommerce website is compatible with all major browsers to prevent compatibility issues from affecting your website's bounce rates.

Additional Tips for Improving Your Ecommerce Website's Bounce Rates

If your website takes longer than just a few seconds to load, do what you can to speed up loading times to prevent visitors from getting impatient and leaving. Typically, external files and media are what slow a website down. Consider deactivating unnecessary plug-ins or external files to improve load times.

If your ecommerce website has dozens of product pages, be sure to include an internal search box and site map on your site, so people can find what they're looking for without the hassle. Featuring popular products on your product pages and home page can also help to reduce bounce rates because it encourages visitors to explore your site. Additionally, consider highlighting promotions on your ecommerce website's home page to entice shoppers. Keep external links to a minimum to prevent people from leaving your site.

Finally, make sure that your ecommerce website makes a good impression. One of the biggest mistakes that fledgling ecommerce businesses make is going for cheap ecommerce website solutions just to save a few bucks. If your ecommerce website's design doesn't look professional, people won't stick around. And if people leave your site because it doesn't seem trustworthy, you could miss out on a significant amount of sales.

Hire efelle to Design an Effective Ecommerce Website for Your Business

Say goodbye to high bounce rates with efelle's premium websites for ecommerce businesses. Our ecommerce websites help you attract new customers, deliver a satisfying shopping experience, and provide you with the tools you need to manage your website effectively. Don't put off increasing traffic, sales, and revenue any longer. Give our ecommerce specialists a call 206.384.4909 or fill out our online contact form to set up a free consultation.

See Also:

10 SEO Tips for eCommerce Websites