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Home / Blogging

Why your blog visitors leave and never come back–and 4 ways to fix it

Written in: Mar 2019 🠆 Updated in: Apr 2020

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Want to know why your first time visitors leave your blog and never come back?

Let me tell you a first-hand story.

I recently clicked a Pinterest pin to a read a blog post about a specific hair problem I’ve always had. It was a fantastic tip. I was excited.

So I went to see what else I could learn, because…this could be life (okay, just hair) changing for me. There was no link at the bottom of the post to read similar posts. Naturally, I went to the homepage to learn more.

Unfortunately, what I saw was just a long list of blog posts, and not one of the most recent ones applied to me or answered my questions.

This is the point where visitors give up and leave…and never come back. (Technically called a bounce because they get to your blog and then bounce right back off. If you have a ton of these it’s called a high bounce rate.)

How to fix a high bounce rate on your blog

I want good hair, but I don’t want to dig through page after page of posts that don’t apply to me in hopes I’ll find one that does. At this point, I’m not even sure if you DO actually help me or if that was a random one-off post.

Then I realized this was the second time I had visited this blog, and the second time this happened. Even though the post was great, I didn’t want to come back because it was too much work.

But blogs are what I do. So I stuck around to analyze the problem so I could help YOU not make the same mistakes.

What could she have done differently to keep me on her blog?

I read the first post, and became so hopeful that she could give me the hair I wished I had for years. I wanted to stick around, but I didn’t see anything else for me.

Here’s what she could have done, and what YOU can do to keep visitors like me who want to hear from you on your blog longer.

(Side note: fixing a bounce rate is also very good for SEO, which means more traffic from Google.)

4 ways to fix a high bounce rate:

  1. Make it clear you’re here to help me

    Give me one clear sentence telling me you are here to help me.
    Are you a DIY blogger? Try:
    Modern DIY projects to keep your home stylish on a budget.
    Food blogger?
    Healthy weeknight meals in under 30 minutes so you can take back your evenings.
    Hair blogger?
    How to care for all types of natural curls the right way and every day will be a good hair day.
    Put this sentence at the top of your homepage, and in your sidebar.

  2. Tell me where to start

    This isn’t the vague and often self-serving “Start Here” page that is becoming popular. This is a specific “Do you need help with X?” and a button that will lead me to a page where I can start from the beginning.
    Example:
    Need to learn how to cook gluten-free?
    Then take me to a page where you give me very basic starter advice, and then link to your most helpful, basic posts on the subject so I can learn more.
    Address the most common problems your visitors might have (1 to 4 would be good).
    Put these questions and links towards the top of your homepage and in your sidebar.

  3. At the end of each post, add a specific link where I can learn more.

    If nothing else, have category links below each post.
    But please go above and beyond and show her you care and want to help her solve her problem: link to the page from #2 above.
    You can add this manually to each post, or if you’re comfortable with the new WordPress editor, you can create a CTA for each of your main categories as a reusable block, then just quickly pop it in each time.

  4. Make it easy for me to engage.

    When we put effort into engaging with a blog, we’re much more likely to see ourselves as part of a community, and therefore, we’re more likely to be “loyal.”
    If you accept comments, make it easy to comment (but don’t expect much, comments aren’t common like they used to be).
    Make it easy to share on Pinterest and Facebook.
    Make videos or printables or step-by-step instructions if applicable…anything that will make it easy for me to follow through and take action.

Need more actionable tips? Sign up to get them delivered.

Or schedule a one-on-one blog audit where I’ll give you personalized action steps just for you, to level-up and grow your blog.

(See what I did there?! #3 in action.) 😉

P.S. Because I did stick around to analyze why her blog wasn’t keeping me, I did eventually find what I needed and I now know how to take care of my hair properly. I still didn’t subscribe because most of her posts don’t apply to me and there wasn’t an easy way to subscribe to just my category. Hopefully I remember to check back in every few months and see if she has anything new for me.

Why your blog visitors leave and never come back (and 4 ways to fix a high bounce rate)
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In the categories: 101, Beginner, Blog Type, Blogger, Blogger Level, Blogging, Business, Content strategy, Design, DIY and Craft, Fashion, Food, Home Decor, Improve your blog, Intermediate, Lifestyle, Pro, Travel

Hey! I'm Christina

WordPress developer for bloggers since 2014, occasional blogger since 2011, code perfectionist. Passionate about helping you make your blog a successful business.

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Hi! I’m Christina.

Web developer and former blogger. I’m here to help bloggers who have great style and vision, to build exactly the site they need to achieve their goals.

Want a successful blog?

Woo hoo! You should get a message from me soon (check the dirty spam folder if you don't see it. I look forward to getting to know you!

Want a successful blog?

Let me send you the checklist I go through for my clients so you can do a DIY blog audit, for free and make sure your blog is going to help you achieve your goals.

What's your hobby? (And first, please excuse my ba What's your hobby? (And first, please excuse my bad photography.🙈) Don't forget to share yourself with your readers. A personal connection with your readers can be so helpful for your long-term goals of helping more people with your blog. Share one of your hobbies with them once in a while. Also share one with me here, I'd love to read about it!

One of mine is 1/12 scale miniatures. Interior design + before-and-afters + TINY THINGS! Yes, I know it sounds lame, but it's worth being picked on for having
Do you write like you talk? When I started my own Do you write like you talk? 
When I started my own blog 9 years ago, as I sat down to write the first post, I decided to purposefully write like I talked instead of using more formal and proper writing. And I'm so glad I did. It's such an easy way to make your blog feel more personal and make your visitors feel like they're hearing from an actual person instead of a corporation.

If you're not sure, read your last post aloud. Is it something you would actually say, the way you would say it?

Yes...I KNOW...SEO... Just make sure to keep it balanced. And don't forget, Google itself wants you to write like a human being, for other human beings.
It's good to think about where you started once in It's good to think about where you started once in a while.

In Feb of 2016, I started Meyne, selling pre-made WordPress and Blogger themes for small businesses. But after having been a blogger myself since 2011, that was still where my heart was. So the focus shifted to blog designs, where I could help very cool people who have created their own careers and are earning a living doing a very fun (and deceptively hard) job. 
Meyne has come a long way and gone through so many changes/new ideas/bad ideas/fun ideas...you know, everything that comes with a business. But the best part is all the great people I've gotten to work with and be a part of THEIR businesses. 🥰
When your reader reaches the end of your post, tel When your reader reaches the end of your post, tell them what to do next. They will follow instructions more often than we usually realize. Need some ideas? ☑️ Save it on Pinterest
☑️ Sign up for your newsletter
☑️ Follow you on Instagram
☑️ Buy a product (yours or an affiliate)

Whatever your CTA is, just make sure you make it EASY for them to do it.

In WordPress, you can easily add some text to the bottom of your posts, with an image if helpful, and then give the box a colored background to make it stand out. 
P.S. Many food bloggers have the Instagram call-to-action at the end of a recipe (
We launched! I’m sure you all know Erika @thepan We launched! I’m sure you all know Erika @thepancakeprincess, she has such a cool and unique blog. She puts in SO MUCH work to bring bake-offs of all the popular recipes of the world together so that OUR job of picking the RIGHT recipe will be easy. I. love. her. blog. And was so excited to get to be part of re-designing it so we can all get the most out of her years of hard work and baking. Go straight to thepancakeprincess.com to check it out!
Still just showing your latest posts on your homep Still just showing your latest posts on your homepage? I’m talking TODAY about what you should show instead if you want more subscribers and a lower bounce rate in my talk for the Blogger Breakthrough Summit (over 700 bloggers signed up to watch! 😱). You can still watch for free if you sign up now. Link in bio! Or go to meyne.co/summit and see about a special bonus I'm offering if you buy a pass. 😃

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