KPIMarketing

Website Bounce Rate

Percentage of website visitors who leave after viewing only one page without taking any action

What is Website Bounce Rate?

Bounce rate is the percentage of website sessions in which the visitor left after viewing only one page. It is traditionally used as a rough sign that a page did not give visitors what they wanted.

It needs careful reading. A high rate can mean a poor match between the page and the visitor, but for pages that answer a question in one visit, such as a contact page or a blog post, it can be perfectly normal.

How this KPI is measured

Function: Marketing
Sub-function: Web & SEO
Industry: All Industries
Type: Lagging
Impact: Quality
Unit: %
Measurement frequency: Weekly / Monthly
Formula: (Single-page sessions / Total sessions) × 100

How to calculate it

Divide the number of single-page sessions by the total number of sessions, and multiply by 100.

For example, if a page had 10,000 sessions and 6,500 of them ended without a second page view, the bounce rate is (6,500 / 10,000) x 100 = 65%.

Definitions differ between analytics tools. Some now report engagement instead, counting a session as engaged if it lasted long enough or included an action. Check how your tool calculates it before comparing figures.

Where it is used

Finding weak landing pages
Spot pages that lose most visitors immediately, especially those receiving paid traffic.
Checking traffic quality
Compare rates by source to see which channels send visitors who look further.
Testing page changes
Watch whether a redesign or a change in message keeps more people reading.

How to improve it

Match the page to the promiseMake sure the headline and content deliver what the ad, link or search result suggested.
Improve load speedSlow pages lose visitors before they see anything, especially on mobile.
Make the next step obviousGive visitors a clear, relevant link or action so there is a reason to continue.
Improve readabilityUse clear headings, short paragraphs and good mobile layout.
Review by page typeSet expectations separately for pages that should lead onward and those that can complete a visit on their own.

Tips and common mistakes

Do not treat a high rate as failure on every page. A one-visit answer can be a success.
Look at time on page and goal completions as well, to see whether the visit was useful.
Compare with the same page type over time rather than with a site-wide average.

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