You’ve really got one goal for your website and that’s to please the visitors that go there. And trust us when we tell you that, no matter the population, this is a finicky bunch. We live in a time of instant gratification. We order food from GrubHub. We rarely watch commercials. We use apps to get our errands done. So making your website user friendly is critical. It’s one thing to get users there – which can be a feat in and of itself – but you also need to keep them there. If something displeases your users, they won’t hesitate to bounce. Wondering how you can ensure this doesn’t happen? Read on for tips on improving your site’s user experience.

Optimize Your Site

Another thing about users in this day and age is that they are often using mobile devices to view your site, so you need to make sure your pages are loading quickly. As this article by Section.io notes, “For those users experiencing an average page load time of 7 seconds, the bounce rate is 32.3%.” That is significant! Not to mention, you are more likely to get conversions if your page loads quickly, so optimization is crucial. One way to ensure the site will load quickly is to compress your photos before adding them to your site. If you’re not sure how to optimize your site, hire a freelance designer to help. A solid web design is crucial to your ranking, so this person can help you with your SEO.

Be Discerning When it Comes to Images

We are such a visual society – hence the popularity of photo apps like Instagram, videos, and memes. We are bombarded all day by all of these and, whether we realize it or not, we form opinions based on what we see. So if someone hops on your site to check it out and sees a bunch of stock photos that they have seen on a million other sites, guess what they’re going to do? That’s right. Bounce. You could hire a photographer but it would be easier for you to make regular updates to your images if you take them yourself. These days, all you need are a few tips, an optional smartphone camera lens, and some good lighting and you’d be surprised by what you can produce.

Don’t Make Your Website Too Busy Looking

Much like in our homes, it can be tempting to fill every corner of your website with something. Don’t fear the white space. In fact, welcome it, as it makes the site look cleaner and more inviting. You can even borrow Marie Kondo’s method for tidying up here. Does what you’re about to place on your site bring you joy? Even better, will it bring the website visitor joy? If not, leave it off the site.

Make Content Easy to Digest

Whoever is doing the copywriting for the site should keep in mind the golden rule. Write as if you’re talking to the person who is visiting your site. If you can say it in plain speak, do so. If you’re a beginner blogger, you might think using your huge vocabulary will be appealing but, if anything, it will have the opposite effect. Also, remember that users are more likely to forward content that hits them on an emotional level. Appeal to them on this level and you’re sure to get a repeat web visitor.

Make the Site Easy to Navigate

A user will bounce within seconds if they can’t find what they are looking for, so always keep this in mind. Make sure you’ve got a good site map. Also, be sure to use clear and engaging calls to action (CTAs). As this Hubspot article notes, “Calls to action (CTAs) that are clearly marked with an action word enable your website users to more easily navigate your site and get exactly what they want in the location they expect to find it.” We all know how frustrating it can be to get lost in “real life” – it’s only worse once you’re out in the ether, as time is money.

Remember, you can’t just get the users to your site and then rest on your laurels. You’ve got to keep them engaged once there. Follow any or all of these tips on improving the user experience on your site and watch your bounce rate decrease in no time.