Google Bounce Rate?

I was checking my Google analytics and noticed for Talk Jesus | Christian Forums - Christian Forums the bounce rate for the past month is 67.57%

Is this normal? I host the server and know for a fact there has been 100% uptime the past few months.

bounce rate = someone comes to the site, then leaves - indicates that they didn't have much interest in your content, or found what they needed by viewing one page.

Or as google defines it:

Bounce Rate is the percentage of single-page visits (i.e. visits in which the person left your site from the entrance page). Bounce Rate is a measure of visit quality and a high Bounce Rate generally indicates that site entrance (landing) pages aren't relevant to your visitors. You can minimize Bounce Rates by tailoring landing pages to each keyword and ad that you run. Landing pages should provide the information and services that were promised in the ad copy.

One way to actively try to reduce your bounce rate is to ensure that every page has a representation of your top (most motivating) content near the top. In that way, even if their search query is not well served by the page they land on, they still might find something that is compelling enough for them to stick around.

I like what you are doing on your homepage with the welcome message. You highlight each of the major things you provide.

Perhaps this could be improved in a few ways. For one, there is so many items listed that it makes it more difficult to read quickly and also prevents people with a big choice (what to look at). Studies show that people are more likely to make a choice (rather than leave) if you reduce the # of options.

If you have 14 items, which do you think are the absolute top 5 of them that are most motivating? Check your stats to find out which of the areas gets the most traffic already and that will be a good indicator.

That will reduce the # of choices, to help move them towards a decision to read on.

Secondly, it would be great if you could make it larger and more visible. Graphical representations of each of that top 5 I mentioned would be fantastic, particularly if you can do it without consuming so much vertical space. If you can keep the vertical space used more limited, this is something you may be able to integrate on every page.

Remember, with long tail SEO, most of your visitors are NOT going to land on your homepage. So they may bounce before they ever get exposed to your great welcome message (if only on the homepage).

Another thing to consider is that if you boost the impact of your site design, you may increase your authority, and make people want to stick around. I find the color scheme at your site right now is a little flat, too close to the default colors, and you lack a powerful/influential logo.

I would recommend you consider the new vBSEO style once it is released, with a color scheme that incorporates at least one smoothly contrasting color with your blue/grays, and make an investment $50-$150 dollars in a professional logo.

FYI - I think you should submit a critique request for your site, since I see a few things that you can improve.

im in the 60's too

Sorry this is old but i'm curious on what is it? i read it and it didn't make much sense to me...

bounce rate is a 1-page view visit.

guy searches for widgets
finds your thread about widgets on goolge... clicks in
reads your post
uses back button or x's out (or other wise leaves your site)

that's a bounce.

Ah i see i understand...Thanks Brian

That's something i believe you can't control?

It's certainly a metric that can be taken 2 ways.

1) They didn't find their answer, so they left.
2) They found their answer, and are now done with that search.


They both count the same as a bounce, but one person actually found what they were looking for.

The key is to stop #1 bounces from happening. WHY did they land on your site? Why didn't my thread that ranked enough to get them here not intrigue them enough to click a link or few another thread, or better yet, register? Unfortunately, there's no way to determine that. The best we can do is to optimize our content as best we can and hope that most of those bounces are those who have satisfied their inquiry, or better yet, left through an ad