Bounce rate

Additions, clarifications, extended definition

This metric shows how many users left the site after viewing a single page. A bounce is defined as a session in which the user does not visit any other page and does not perform any action that would be recorded in analytics. A high bounce rate may mean that the content or offer was not attractive enough, that the site did not meet users' expectations, or that its technical execution discouraged them from further interaction.

Interpretation

Bounce rate is an indicator of landing page relevance and quality. A low bounce rate suggests that visitors continue browsing the site and engage with the content. Conversely, a high bounce rate may indicate that the page does not match user expectations, that the content is not persuasive enough, or that the site has user experience problems.

Watch out: limits and risks of distortion

• Technical setup – incorrect analytics measurement can lead to an artificially high bounce rate.
• Differences between traffic sources – visits from organic search behave differently from visits from paid advertising.
• It says nothing about visit quality – a short but useful visit can have a high bounce rate.
• Mobile vs. desktop – bounce rate tends to be naturally higher for mobile visits.

Where and how to measure

• Web analytics tools, e.g. GA4. These tools count a bounce as a session with a single hit or with no recorded interaction.