Introduction
Bounce rate, a common term in SEO, refers to when a user visits a site but leaves shortly after without viewing any other page or interacting with your site’s content. Viewers may leave for various reasons, such as functionality and readability issues. That’s why I’ve listed 7 annoying mistakes you don’t want to make on your website, all of which can be easily avoided for a better user experience and a lower bounce rate.
Outbound Links Not Opening in New Tabs
A personal pet peeve of mine: I always find it frustrating when I visit a website and click a link halfway down a page that takes me away from the page before I finish reading the rest of the content. Links to social media profiles are a common example of this annoyance.
Instead of having these links leave your site, consider having them open in a new tab. That way, you’re providing the user with additional information if they wish to explore further while keeping their place on the current page, leading to a better user experience.
Tip: If you’re unsure how to make your links open in a new tab or prefer not to use that feature, consider placing additional links and social media profiles at the bottom of the page. This allows users to finish reading the current content before deciding whether to explore further links.
Links to Unused Social Media Profiles
Another frustration linked to social media profiles: If you’re not actively using your social media profile, avoid linking your website readers to them. This can result in a negative experience for the user, such as creating the false impression that your business is no longer active. Worse yet, users may attempt to contact you through social media, only for their messages to go unnoticed. This can lead to a bad experience for the user and a loss of business for yourself.
Outdated or Inaccurate Content
Tip: If you lack the time to update your content frequently, consider adding a line of text at the top of the page stating the last time the page was updated. This informs the user that the information below may not be current, encourages the reader to get in touch, ensuring a more positive experience.
Non-Responsive Websites
Tip: If you lack the budget, resources, or knowledge on how to make your website responsive, consider removing your website altogether. Instead, use a social media channel as your primary business portfolio. An outdated, non-responsive website can give the impression that your business is no longer active. On the other hand, social media platforms consistently update their functionalities, sparing you from having to make updates yourself.
Offline Live Chat
If someone has questions and wants to reach out, they might look for a Live Chat option on your website. If you have this feature, be sure to be online and ready to respond. Sometimes it’s not clear if you’re available, meaning customers can be waiting for a response, which may never come, leaving them with a bad experience.
Hard-to-Find/No Contact Details
If a Live Chat option is not used or offline on your website, readers who want to get in touch will look for a contact form, phone number, or email, likely on a separate contact page. If you don’t have a contact page or any form of contact on your website, readers can quickly get frustrated and take their potential business elsewhere.
Tip: If you’re experiencing issues with spam from displaying your phone number or email on your website, take a screenshot of your contact details and upload it as an image. Bots are unable to read text in the form of images.
Not Having the Right Domain Extension
Another pet peeve of mine: .com is a domain extension used in America, while .co.uk is a domain extension used in the UK. Make sure you have the right domain extension for your site, as seeing .com used for a UK business can be misleading for the user, who might think they are on the wrong website.
Tip: There are several domain extensions available other than .co.uk and .com, which can be cheaper to own and more related to your site. Some common domain extensions include:
- .org – Used for information websites.
- .me – Great for personal blogs or portfolio websites.
- .edu – For educational institutions.
- .co – For startup companies.
- .site – An alternative, more affordable option.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, by ensuring outbound links open in new tabs, removing links to unused social media profiles, updating and verifying content, having a responsive website, keeping live chat accessible, providing clear, easy-to-find contact details, and using the right domain extension will improve user experience, trust, and reduce bounce rates for a more successful online presence.
