First understand the purpose of your guide. If you mostly want to get people to resources, you are providing links to those resources, and people are following those links, a high bounce rate might be a good thing. If you are trying to instruct users, and you have content on multiple pages you want them to read and follow, and high bounce rate is probably a bad indicator.

Links to Resources in Your Guide

Information about how much links to resources in your guide are selected by users is available under Link Events.

 If a link is not used or is used rarely:

1.     Make sure that when a link is followed it is set to open in a new window or a new tab. In this way your guide remains open in a tab or window and the user may come back to it.

2.     Examine the list of Link Events. This will tell you want links are followed from your guide, and how often.

3.     Check that all links work.

4.     If a resource link is not followed, or followed very rarely, you should consider: do you want to remove the link or try to make it more obvious? You could give it its own section, or promote it through advertising. 

When the Bounce Rate is High (>50%)

To lower the bounce rate:

1.     Speak to some of your users to determine what content they might need. What problems have they found in the past using the collection that you might be able to clarify in the guide? If faculty, what information would they like students to have?

2.     Remove content or pages that see very low use, so that it is easier to draw attention to most important material (as determined in step 1).

3.     Remove general information and refer the user to other guides. Concentrate on information very specific to your guide that a user could reasonably expect to find there.

4.     Make content easy to scan—use bullets, numbered lists, and headers.

5.     Check for broken links and fix or remove them.

6.     Make sure that when a link is followed it is set to open in a new window or a new tab. In this way your guide remains open in a tab or window and the user may come back to it.

7.     After making changes, check use data after a month to see if the bounce rate has lowered.

Low Average Time on Page  (< 45 seconds)

To increase average time on the page:

1.     Make content easy to scan— use bullets, numbered lists, and headers.

2.     Review lists of common searches (use Google Analytics or ask for a report.) If users search for particular content in your subject area, address that in your guide. Use the terminology users put in their search terms.

3.     Speak to some of your users to determine what content they might need. What problems have they found in the past using the collection that you might be able to clarify in the guide? If faculty, what information would they like students to have?

4.     After making changes, check use data after a month to see if the average time on page increased.

Low Use (variable, depends on the size of the potential audience, size of target department, student major, etc.)

If use among Yale users is low you need to promote the guide. To differentiate Yale use, select the New Haven wedge of the pie chart under User Location.

1.     If a particular blog, Twitter user, or Facebook page is popular with your users, also follow it. Send comments when appropriate about resources in the library or your subject guide.

2.     Mention the guide in emails or Facebook/Twitter posts.

3.     You may want to use campaigns to understand how well these efforts work.

4.     After a month of promotions check to see if use patterns have changed.