OK. I'm here. Now what?

 I came. I saw. I'm leaving.

Your website's bounce rate is the percentage of visitors who don't actually make it past your home page. Obviously, you don't want a high bounce rate. 

A tech-oriented company will have reasons for this and ways they’d address it, but we don’t think it’s strictly a tech issue. We see three possible reasons for a high bounce rate: 1) You're attracting the wrong people to the site. 2) Your home page isn’t very interesting. 3) A little of each.

Getting the right people. How are you attracting people to your website? Are you depending on SEO and a site heavy with keywords? Are you advertising? And if so, what are you saying about yourself? Is what you have to offer and what sets you apart clear? 

Sure, we're in the ad business, but it seems to us to be a fairly simple formula – minimize the “stumble-on” traffic with things like advertising or public relations that deliver a Brand message. Which would you rather have, a bunch of SEO visitors who may or may not be qualified, or fewer, but more qualified, prospects? Certainly (and we didn't make this part up, it's an actual Real Thing) branded searches yield more conversions than blind ones.

Your home page. This is a strategic and a creative challenge.

Take a hard look at your site. What – exactly – is there that will entice a visitor to keep going? Does that first page feature some sort of hero shot - perhaps happy people doing happy things or listening intently while someone points at a white board? Or a couple smiling at one another as they enjoy the amenities of a senior living community?

Or does it tell a visitor what distinguishes your company from your competition? Does it make it clear what you have to sell and what makes you special? 

Be honest. If you didn't work there, would you hang around your site very long? 

This is not to say you don’t open with a photo or a gallery. Just don’t get into the Lookalike Boat with so many other websites. Human beings are curious by nature, but we don’t necessarily want to read through your website just because you have one. So give us a reason to dig in. Be creative, intriguing and entertaining.

Think of your home page the same way you might think about those first few minutes on a blind date or in a singles bar.

You know, critical to whether or not things go any further. 

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