For online retailers, high bounce rate hits where it hurts, at the bottom line. Bounce rate is the percentage of entrances on the page that result in the visitor immediately leaving the site and therefore missed revenue, so while a landing page will never get 0% bounce rate, any reduction will result in additional revenue. Very similar to planning a website optimizer test, first you should isolate the test subject (page or category) and traffic source as different traffic sources will vary in terms qualified traffic.
For example:
Test page: ecommerce product page
Traffic source: Yahoo organic traffic
Off page steps:
Goal – ensuring high levels of qualified visitors
1. On the page title metadata which is visible in the search results, describe the page accurately (taking into account SEO implications as well) so the level of traffic is as qualified as possible. Avoid promising anything the product doesn’t deliver.
2. Add a short call to action at the end of the metadata page title, for example “Free shipping!” as it will reinforce the offer.
3. Use the metadata page description to list your unique selling point(s) such as “next day delivery” or “price match” again reinforcing the message.
Information steps:
Goal – ensuring the product includes the most important information for the visitor
4. Check that the product title is right and the page includes any possible variations of the product title under “Also known as” block.
5. Check that the product includes all its features and compatibilities.
6. List the product stock availability and estimated delivery times.
On page steps:
Goal – converting visitors into customers
7. The product title should be visible above the fold in a clear place on the page as the visitor should see the title instantly.
8. Ensure the product price is competitive because your visitors have likely been on another website.
9. If you can beat them, join them so in cases where the product price is higher than your competitors list why visitors should buy from the site (next day delivery, extended warranty, loyalty points etc).
10. List your payment gateway in a clear place on the page (credit cards, paypal etc).
Bonus tip – Improve your call to action and test different messages such as “buy now” and “add to basket” as different demographics respond to different messages.