There are millions of web pages available today, which creates tough competition. Even if you think that you have a quality niche website, there still will be hundreds of similar ones that visitors will find just as helpful as yours. So, how do you make sure that people choose your site over all the others? It has been established that a first impression is essential. Of course, you can invest in a nice design and browse through free Facebook post templates to make everything look appealing, but that is not all. Something called a 15-second rule plays a huge role in whether a person will stay on your website or not.
What Does 15-second Rule Mean?
Most website visitors stay on a page for less than 15 seconds. And it is up to the web page owner to capture their attention and make them stay instead of clicking away almost instantly. Of course, it does not necessarily mean that your website is bad, as each user is looking for something specific. But there is a certain metric called bounce rate, which demonstrates the percentage of people leaving your site without seeing more pages.
You can easily check your bounce rate with the help of Google Analytics. Normally, it should stay under 40%, but each type of website in various industries has its acceptable average. In case your bounce rate is higher than 40%, there is something wrong, and you will need to take action to improve your site and create a better experience for visitors. Here are some common issues with websites, which make people click away.
Technical Issues
Multiple issues can be solved technically. One of the most common problems that Internet users hate is the long loading time. When browsing online pages, people want to see the necessary info immediately. If your web page takes even a second longer to load than usual, visitors might become impatient. However, it is not the most topical issue. Test the speed of your site to see whether there is a real problem.
Another thing you have to pay attention to is mobile optimization. Half of the website visitors should usually use mobile devices, and it is crucial to have a nice and functional mobile site ready. In case there is no optimization, portable device users will not be able to navigate your site on a small screen and will eventually leave.
Visual Component
While the content is important, the majority of Internet users prefer browsing through nicely designed pages. You do not have to go over the top to deliver the best website design, but it should be appealing and user-friendly.
Elements like videos and adverts also contribute to the visual presentation of your website. People hate websites with videos that start playing automatically, and it is necessary to find them on a page to turn the sound off. Excessive ads will also ruin the experience, so make sure to display only relevant adverts without spamming them.
Failing to Meet Expectations
When clicking on your website or a specific page on the site, any user expects to see certain content. For example, if you share a link to one of your products or services, but it leads to your home screen instead of the specific page, it is unlikely that the user will take the time to look for the necessary page.
To promote web pages in search engines, special keywords are used. Of course, everyone wants their site to be popular, but you should always promote it with the help of relevant keywords. Using random phrases and words to make your site appear higher in search results will lead to user dissatisfaction as your website will not provide anticipated information.
Another thing that users always expect from a web page is safety. In case you are not using a safe Internet protocol, your web page will be labeled as “not safe,” which usually drives away many visitors. An SSL certificate needs to be purchased to offer a safe connection when using your website. Internet security is a high priority as there are many ways in which hackers can abuse your and your visitors’ information.
Conclusions
A good portion of website visitors usually leave the first page within 15 seconds. In some cases, this is natural. But there are often certain issues that prevent users from staying longer. To have stable traffic on your web pages, you should work on every aspect of the site, from its visuals to content and connection security. Thanks to convenient online tools, it is possible to check different statistics and find out what might cause a high bounce rate. By fixing all the issues, you can attract more visitors and generate higher revenue.