Your website doesn’t get a second chance to make a first impression. If visitors are landing and leaving without clicking, scrolling or converting, that’s bounce. And if you’re seeing high bounce rates across multiple pages, you’ve got a signal—not just a number—to investigate.
But what counts as a good bounce rate? That depends on what your page is meant to do. A 75% bounce on a blog post might be fine. A 60% bounce on your contact page? That’s money walking out the door. You can’t fix what you don’t understand, and too many businesses in Singapore are wasting ad dollars and traffic by chasing bounce rates in the dark.
This guide gives you clarity. You’ll get real-world benchmarks by industry and page type, learn how to read bounce rate in the context of GA4, and see what it actually tells you about visitor behaviour. No fluff, no “best practices” lifted from generic SEO blogs—just the tools to help you fix the leaks and keep more people in your funnel.
Key Takeaways
- A high or low bounce rate is not inherently good or bad; it must be evaluated in the context of page type, user intent, and overall engagement to determine whether your website is doing its job.
- Bounce rate alone is a limited metric, and SMEs in Singapore should also track engagement rate, scroll depth, time on page, and conversions to gain a fuller picture of user behaviour and site performance.
- Achieving a good bounce rate requires both quick fixes like faster load speeds and clear CTAs, as well as long-term strategies such as mobile-first design, localised UX, and ongoing testing tailored to the Singapore market.
A Good Bounce Rate Directly Affects Your ROI
Image Credit: Traffic Guard
Bounce rate is simple on paper: It’s the percentage of visitors who land on your site and leave without taking any further action. No clicks, no scrolls, no conversions. Just a one-way trip. But behind that number lies a critical layer of insight—because when people bounce, something didn’t work. Maybe your page was too slow, too confusing, or too irrelevant. And that silence from your analytics? That’s opportunity lost.
Bounce Rate in Singapore Isn’t a Vanity Metric
For SMEs in Singapore, where ad budgets are tight and digital competition is fierce, bounce rate isn’t a vanity metric. It directly affects your return on investment (ROI). If you’re running Google Ads or investing in search engine optimisation (SEO) and still seeing bounce rates above 70% on product or service pages, your money isn’t just being wasted—it’s being ignored.
According to a HubSpot report, the average bounce rate across industries is between 26% and 70&. But ecommerce bounce rates tend to sit between 20% and 45% when optimised for user experience, per Shopify.
In this guide, you’ll cut through the confusion. You’ll get clear definitions of what counts as a good bounce rate, practical benchmarks by industry and device, diagnostic steps to uncover what’s going wrong, and field-tested strategies to fix it. You’ll also see how real Singapore businesses improved bounce and lifted conversions—no guesswork, no fluff. Just data-backed tactics you can apply today.
Bounce Rate: What It Is and What It’s Not
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Bounce rate measures the percentage of visitors who land on a page and leave without clicking anything, visiting another page, or triggering a meaningful event. One page. One visit. No further action. It’s often seen as a red flag, but like most metrics, context matters more than the number.
How Bounce Rate Is Measured
In Google Analytics 4 (GA4), bounce rate is calculated differently from Universal Analytics. To calculate bounce rate, GA4 defines a “non-bounce” as a single page session that lasts longer than 10 seconds, triggers a conversion event, or includes at least two pageviews.
This shift puts the focus on engagement, not just navigation. A user who stays 30 seconds to read a blog post, then exits, no longer counts as a bounce if that session meets the engagement criteria.
Common Misconceptions
Here’s where most marketers slip: They assume that a low bounce rate always signals success. But that’s not always true. If someone visits your site to check your opening hours, finds it instantly, and leaves — that’s a bounce, but it’s also a completed goal. On the flip side, a low bounce rate on a product page might just mean users are lost, clicking around with no intent.
Key learnings:
- Don’t treat bounce rate as a binary scorecard. It’s a behavioural cue.
- Learn what it’s telling you before deciding whether to fix it.
- For a breakdown of GA4’s engagement metrics, see: Google Analytics Help – GA4 metrics.
What Is Considered a Good Bounce Rate?
A “good” bounce rate depends on what your page is meant to do. There’s no universal benchmark — but there are patterns. If you’re running a lead generation site and your bounce rate is 75%, that’s a problem. If you’re publishing blog content and see 80%, that could be perfectly fine. Here’s how the averages break down by site type:
| Site Type | Typical Bounce Rate |
| Content-heavy websites | 60 to 80% |
| Lead generation pages | 30 to 50% |
| Ecommerce sites | 20 to 45% |
| Blogs | 70 to 90% |
Desktop vs Mobile Bounce Rates
Now factor in device differences. Mobile bounce rates are generally higher — by 10 to 20% — due to slow loading times, smaller screens, and tap-unfriendly layouts. In Singapore, mobile accounts for more than 55% of all web traffic — yet many local SME sites still prioritise desktop-first designs. That mismatch costs you user engagement before the page even loads.
Language and Localised UX
Language and UX localisation also play a role. Sites offering bilingual options (English and Chinese) tend to see lower bounce among local users. If your landing pages don’t match the language or cultural expectations of your audience, expect them to click away fast.
Bottom line: A good bounce rate isn’t about hitting a number. It’s about alignment. Your bounce rate should reflect whether users are doing what you want them to do. If not, that’s where the work begins.
Why Bounce Rate Can Be Misleading
Image Credit: Local IQ
A high bounce rate isn’t always a red flag. In fact, in some cases, it’s a sign that your page did exactly what it was supposed to. Think about a visitor who searches for your opening hours, lands directly on your contact page, gets the info, and leaves. That’s a bounce. But it’s also a successful visit.
Same goes for a blog post that answers a specific question in the first two paragraphs. If the reader gets value and moves on, your site content worked — even if it technically “bounced.”
GA4 vs. Universal Analytics
With GA4, the game has shifted. Unlike Universal Analytics, GA4 focuses on engagement rate. A session is now considered engaged if it lasts more than 10 seconds, results in a conversion event, or includes at least two pageviews. This means a bounce in GA4 doesn’t always imply disinterest — it might just mean the user interacted differently.
Stop Obsessing Over Bounce Rate Alone
That’s why bounce rate alone can mislead you. It tells you if someone left, not why. If you’re not also looking at metrics like time on page, scroll depth, engagement rate, and conversion paths, you’re only seeing part of the picture. The real question isn’t “How do I lower bounce rate?” — it’s “Is my page doing its job?” Everything else is noise. For most Singapore SMEs, that clarity is worth far more than chasing a lower percentage.
How to Diagnose a High Bounce Rate
Diagnosing a high bounce rate starts with asking the right questions — because the cause isn’t always obvious. You need to break it down by context to uncover what’s actually happening beneath the surface.
Start with Page Type
- Landing pages with a single call-to-action (CTA) should have lower bounce rates. If not, your offer or messaging may be off.
- Blog posts often have high bounce — that’s normal unless the goal is to drive deeper engagement.
- Homepages should invite exploration. A bounce here could signal confusion or weak UX.
- Product pages with high bounce often suffer from poor imagery, slow load times, or pricing friction.
Segment by Device
Like we mentioned before, Singapore sees more than 55% of web traffic coming from mobile. If mobile bounce is significantly higher than desktop, check for:
- Long load times (run Google PageSpeed Insights)
- Unresponsive design (use Google’s mobile usability test)
- Tap targets too small or cluttered layouts
Traffic Source Matters
- Organic search bounces may stem from mismatch between content and keyword intent.
- Paid traffic bouncing fast? Your landing page probably doesn’t match the ad promise.
- Social traffic tends to be colder — expect higher bounce unless paired with strong visuals or lead magnets.
- Referral traffic from irrelevant sources (e.g. link farms or outdated mentions) can distort the picture.
Understand User Intent
If someone is searching “how to file tax returns,” they want answers, not a sales pitch. If they’re Googling “best accounting software Singapore,” that’s transactional — and bounce on that query means you missed a conversion opportunity.
Tools to Diagnose
| Tool | What it does |
| Google Analytics 4 (GA) |
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| Hotjar / Microsoft Clarity |
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| Google PageSpeed Insights (PSI) |
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| Language / Localisation Checks |
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If you’re using a .com.sg domain but host on slow overseas servers, expect bounce. Localise your hosting, tone, and UX — because for Singapore users, milliseconds matter.
Strategies to Reduce Bounce Rate
Image Credit: Neil Patel
If your bounce rate is too high on pages that should convert, it’s not a user problem — it’s a signal that something on your site isn’t pulling its weight. Here’s how to fix that, fast.
Quick Wins to Start Implementing Today
| What to do | Why it matters |
| Speed up your site, especially for mobile users |
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| Use a clear, above-the-fold value proposition |
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| Add visible, direct CTAs |
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| Insert internal links and dynamic content suggestions |
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| Incorporate trust signals |
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Longer-term Improvements That Drive Sustained Performance
| What to do | Why it matters |
| Design mobile-first |
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| Localise your content and UI |
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| A/B test everything |
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Ultimately, reducing bounce isn’t about chasing a number. It’s about improving the experience so users want to stay, explore, and act. Make your site work like your best salesperson — clear, fast, and impossible to ignore.
Bounce Rate Case Studies from Singapore Brands
You don’t need a million-dollar redesign to fix a high bounce rate — just the right changes, backed by data and aligned with user intent. Here are three real-world examples from Singapore SMEs who turned bounce into business.
Ecommerce Site: From 65% to 40% with Smarter UX
A Singapore-based lifestyle ecommerce store was seeing bounce rates hover around 65% on product category pages. After digging into user recordings with Microsoft Clarity, they discovered shoppers were getting frustrated by clunky filters and blurry product thumbnails.
What they changed:
- Introduced intuitive product filters with sticky positioning on mobile
- Compressed and lazy-loaded all product images
- Reduced mobile load time by over 3 seconds using PageSpeed Insights
The result: Bounce rate dropped to 40%, and session duration nearly doubled in two months.
B2B Agency: Localising Content for Relevance
A B2B consultancy in the fintech space was publishing long-form blog content aimed at regional decision-makers — but saw bounce rates consistently above 70%. Heatmaps showed readers leaving after the first paragraph.
What they changed:
- Rewrote blog intros using a more Singapore-specific tone (clearer English, local business references)
- Added FAQ schema to appear in Google’s featured snippets
- Used GA4 path analysis to interlink related service pages within articles
The result: Engagement rate increased by more than 45%, and organic bounce dropped below 50% in three months.
Café Website: Booking Widget = Instant Lift
A neighbourhood café with strong foot traffic had a sleek website, but its mobile bounce rate sat at 70%. Visitors were landing on the homepage but not converting into reservations.
What they changed:
- Embedded a mobile-optimised booking widget directly on the homepage
- Added a sticky “Reserve Now” CTA for mobile users
- Used Hotjar to confirm widget interaction after launch
The result: Bounce rate on mobile dropped to 40%, and online reservations increased by more than 30% month-over-month. These aren’t guesses. They’re tactical changes any SME can execute — with the right tools and a commitment to understanding user behaviour.
Bounce Rate vs Other Metrics That Matter
Bounce rate alone doesn’t tell you enough. It’s a starting point — not a full diagnosis. Obsessing over it in isolation leads to surface-level decisions that fix symptoms, not the root problem.
Here’s the truth: A bounce can mean many things. It might signal that your offer fell flat — or that your page delivered exactly what the user wanted. Without supporting metrics, you’re just guessing. That’s not how smart digital marketing strategy works.
Focus on Metrics That Actually Move the Needle
| Metric | What It Tells You | Why It Matters |
| Engagement Rate (GA4) | % of sessions with interaction (10s+, conversion, 2+ pageviews) | Replaces bounce rate in GA4; shows true user interest |
| Time on Page | How long users stay before exiting | Gauges content depth and stickiness |
| Scroll Depth | How far users scroll down a page | Reveals layout effectiveness and content placement |
| Conversion Rate | % of users who complete a desired action | Ties directly to ROI and business performance |
| Return Visits | % of users coming back within a given timeframe | Indicates loyalty and relevance over time |
Example: A 75% bounce rate on a pricing page might look bad — but if your time on page is 90 seconds, scroll depth hits 80%, and conversions are strong, you’ve got a high-performing asset. Context is everything.
Build Dashboards That Align With Goals
Stop tracking vanity metrics. Build dashboards in GA4 or Looker Studio that tie traffic and behaviour to real business outcomes:
- For ecommerce: Combine bounce rate with product views, add-to-carts, and checkout starts.
- For service businesses: Track time on page, form submissions, and return visits.
Your metrics should serve your strategy, not inflate your ego. Bounce rate is one clue — but real insight comes from reading the whole picture.
Why Maintain A Good Bounce Rate for Your Site?
Image Credit: Techdee
Bounce rate is not the enemy — it’s a signal. A directional metric that tells you something is happening, but not why. On its own, it won’t give you the full picture. But combined with engagement data, user behaviour insights, and conversion tracking, it becomes a powerful tool to improve how your website performs.
Don’t fall into the trap of chasing a lower bounce rate just to hit a number. What matters is whether your pages are doing their job — whether that’s converting leads, driving sales, or delivering value. That takes more than snapshots. It takes tracking trends over time, running real tests, and understanding how different users behave across devices and traffic sources.
If you’re serious about making your website work harder, partner with experts who go beyond surface-level metrics. MediaOne has digital specialists who can help you audit bounce rates in context, uncover engagement gaps, and build optimised funnels that drive measurable growth — not just prettier reports.
Let’s turn your analytics into action. Stop guessing. Start converting. Call us today and take the next step toward a site that actually performs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does bounce rate affect SEO rankings?
Bounce rate is not a direct Google ranking factor, but it can indirectly influence SEO by reflecting poor user experience or irrelevant content. Pages with consistently high bounce rates may struggle to retain organic visibility if users return to search results quickly (a behaviour known as pogo-sticking).
How can I find which pages have the highest bounce rate?
In Google Analytics 4 (GA4), use the “Pages and Screens” report to sort your pages by bounce rate or engagement rate. Focus on high-traffic pages with high bounce to identify where optimisations will have the most impact.
What’s the difference between bounce rate and exit rate?
Bounce rate measures sessions where users leave after viewing only one page, while exit rate tracks the percentage of users who leave from a specific page — regardless of how many other pages they viewed beforehand. A high exit rate on a checkout page, for instance, might signal cart abandonment.
Can a bounce rate be too low?
Yes. An unusually low bounce rate (e.g. under 10%) may indicate a tracking error or misconfigured GA4 setup, such as duplicate tags firing or fake pageviews being triggered by bots or scripts. Always verify tracking implementation when you see unexpected numbers.
How often should I check my bounce rate?
Checking bounce rate monthly is usually sufficient for spotting trends, but review it weekly if you’re running active campaigns or A/B testing pages. Always analyse bounce rate alongside traffic source and conversion data for meaningful insights.
