Semalt Expert Explains What The 15 Second SEO Rule Is


Table of Contents

  1. What Is The 15-Second Rule?
  2. TOP 3 Reasons Why Users Leave A Website
  3. Other Reasons Why Users Leave A Website
  4. Final Words

With more than 1.7 billion websites in existence, expecting users to stay longer on yours is like a dream. But, many websites succeed not only in attracting users but also in retaining them longer.

Do you know the reason behind it? Because owners of those websites are aware of the 15-second rule and get their sites crafted to comply with that rule.

Today, you're going to learn about the 15-second rule and the top reasons why users leave a website. Let's understand this rule first.

What is the 15-second Rule?

When it comes to attracting and retaining users, the first impression matters a lot. But, stats reveal that around 55% of visitors leave a website within 15 seconds. This behavior of visitors is the basis of the 15-second rule.

It also means that you have only 15 seconds to influence and hold people visiting your site. So, how can you make them stay? It's simple. Begin your article with a great hook, like some essential statistics, information, or valuable quote.

To understand the significance of this rule, remember your experience on the web. You might have come across many articles or blog posts whose initial sentences are so dull that you decide to leave that page.

The best you can do is capture the interest of your readers as soon as possible and maximum chances are that they'll stay longer on your page.

Top 3 Reasons Why Users Leave A Website

In the internet world, it's not easy to attract and retain your target audience. For your single website, there are more than 5K competitor websites, blogs, and ads. It means if they leave your site, 5,000 of your competitors are ready to welcome them.  

Here are the top 3 reasons why users leave a website:

1. Load Speed

During the past decade, internet speed has increased dramatically. It has lead to a change in user behavior over time. In the past, people used to wait for a webpage to load, but now they leave a page if it doesn't load quickly.

Today, more and more people are signing up for faster internet services because they don't like waiting for a webpage to load. As a website owner, you must be aware of this behavior of users.

Earlier, the average time a webpage used to take to load completely was 15-20 seconds. In 2020, the average load time for a webpage was less than or equal to 3 seconds. And if users continue to abandon slow-loading sites, this time can decrease further in the future.

It's better to check the load speed of your site regularly. You must get rid of all obstacles preventing it from loading faster. For example, remove unoptimized images, resolve JavaScript issues, avoid placing too many ads, and others.

2. Negative User Experience

Whenever users want to gain some information or learn about any product or service, they initiate a search on Google or other search engines. It is because they know there'll be some websites ready to satisfy their objectives.

Things go wrong when the website they visit leads to a negative user experience. The reason can be anything - poor design, too many ads, substandard structure, or anything else.

Here, website owners need to be aware of the 15-second rule and make sure their website attracts users in the first 15 seconds. For this, they must focus on the layout, structure, color, and overall design of the site.

Stats show that 66% of the users prefer a visually attractive webpage. 46% of visitors expect the webpage to have a clear purpose, and 38% expect the content to be presented attractively.

For a positive user experience, you should make a website (or modify an existing one) by keeping these things in mind. Efforts made in this direction will prevent users from leaving the site early.

3. Missing the Mobile-Friendly Version

In today's time, almost everyone having access to the internet owns a smartphone as well. The increase in the number of smartphone users has been so significant that over 50% of the worldwide web traffic now originates from these devices.

Users often leave when they open a site on their smartphones but find its desktop version, instead of mobile, loads. Maximum people hate browsing a desktop site on their smartphones. 

According to Google, 61% of users leave a mobile site and don't return if it is poorly designed. And the worst thing is that 40% of them visit a competitor site.

If you have a website, make sure it is optimized according to mobile devices as well. The mobile-friendly responsive design is a crucial feature of modern websites. If you face difficulty in making your site mobile-friendly, don't hesitate to take the help of professionals.

Other Reasons Why Users Leave A Website

You just read three, but there are several other reasons why users leave a website. Let's have a look at them:
  • Lacking Users' Expectations
One of the biggest reasons why users leave a website is not getting what they want. You might have come across those meta descriptions that say something, but you find nothing after visiting the site.

Another example is false promotion via emails, social media channels, PPC ads, and others. Ads say something, but when clicked, redirect users to some other page. Now, ask yourself - Do they click on a link to experience such things?

You must remain away from such practices and make sure your website delivers as per the promise. The links on your site should redirect users to a webpage displaying the promised product. If not, don't expect your visitors to return.
  • Automatically Playing Audio or Video File
How many times have you landed on a webpage, and an audio or video file starts playing automatically? It's a common practice nowadays, especially with news websites. Many site owners think it innovative and get such an arrangement for their site.

However, automatically playing video or audio is no longer impressive. Most users find them intrusive and a hurdle in their browsing experience. They immediately leave and move to a competitor site.

If there are automatically playing audio or video file on your website, make sure you get rid of them without delay. If you still want to feature them, make sure you provide users with the choice to play/ pause the audio or video content.
  • Unavailability of "About Us" Page
When people get attracted to something, they want to know more about it. People usually want to know more about attractive businesses or websites. Providing them the necessary information helps in building trust otherwise, the opposite happens.

On websites, you may access such information via the "About Us" page. The unavailability of this page for most users is a sign that the site is not trustworthy.

If your website is missing the "About Us" page, make sure you create one and add all the information your users want to know. The trust factor also goes down when contact details are absent on your site. 
  • Registration Requirements
The best way to build and grow an email list is to get your visitors registered for updates. Website owners often misunderstand and force visitors to register or subscribe, which is inappropriate.

Have you ever noticed a pop-up asking to subscribe appearing on a webpage? It annoys users because they don't visit a webpage to get registered for emails but to find the information quickly.

One thing you need to remember is that such pop-us create a barrier between you and your audience. If users have to create an account for accessing your website, make sure you provide them with a demo or preview of the journey with you.
  • Warning Message That This Site Is "Not Secure"
When users see the warning message, written in red color next to the URL, that this site is not secure, they decide to leave. The fear of losing personal information prevents them from moving ahead.

The easiest way to identify whether a site is secure or not is to see the HTTP or HTTPS  before the URL. If there is HTTPS, the website provides a secure connection with users. It's not the same with HTTP.

If your website is not secure, purchase an SSL certificate and get it upgraded to HTTPS. It'll make you a trustworthy source in the eyes of Google and your users.

Final Words

So, these are some of the most common reasons responsible for users leaving a website in the first few seconds of visiting it. If your site has any such issues, take steps to get rid of them immediately. 

For people to visit and stay on your site, always remember the 15-second rule. Also, make sure you focus on enhancing user experience and are consistent in publishing high-quality content at the right time and targeted towards your audience.

Interested in SEO? Check out our other articles on the Semalt blog.