When analysing digital marketing campaigns, it’s easy to get carried away with bounce rates and assume that a high figure indicates poor performance. In this guide, we’ll explore why bounce rate statistics might not always be as clear-cut or useful as they seem, particularly in the automotive industry.

What exactly is a bounce rate?

The bounce rate of a page is a metric used by marketing teams to analyse performance and gather information about what happens when a web user visits a site. The bounce rate relates to the action taken when a visitor reaches a page. If they bounce straight off it, the rate will be high. A web user will bounce in the following circumstances:

• They hit the back button
• They close the page
• They type a different address or search term into the address bar

The trouble with bounce rates

The bounce rate can be a useful metric in many cases, but often, a high bounce rate can be misleading. If a landing page is packed with relevant information, for example, and the visitor is able to access what they need, they may pick up the phone and make a call or take a trip to a garage or showroom, while closing down the window. This will count as a ‘bounce’ despite the fact that the action taken by the user is positive. In the case of automotive marketing, a landing page will have done its job if the buyer has made a call to a dealership or organised a test drive, even though they have effectively ‘bounced’ off the page.

Another key consideration for dealerships looking to market vehicles is the kind of conversation they want to start. While buying some commodities online is incredibly popular, most people who want to purchase a new car will visit a showroom or at least call a dealership to find out more and arrange to take the car out for a drive. Digital marketing can start conversations, but other forms of communication remain essential.

Summary

Looking at bounce rates in isolation can be unhelpful for car dealers. Using analytics is an effective means of improving PPC and increasing the efficacy of Microsoft advertising, Google Ads, Facebook Ads and search engine marketing using Google and Bing, but high bounce rates are not always a negative sign. Looking for changes in rates can be more beneficial.