Dec 18, 2023

The Ultimate Guide to Retargeting eCommerce Customers.

Retargeting is a powerful marketing strategy that can help eCommerce businesses effectively reach and engage with their customers. By understanding the basics of retargeting and implementing the right strategies, businesses can increase their conversion rates and drive more sales.

Understanding the Basics of Retargeting

In order to effectively implement retargeting in your eCommerce business, it’s important to first understand what retargeting is and why it is important in the eCommerce industry.

Retargeting, also known as remarketing, is a digital advertising strategy that allows businesses to display targeted ads to users who have previously visited their website or interacted with their brand in some way. It works by placing a cookie on the user’s browser when they visit a specific page or perform a certain action, allowing businesses to dynamically show ads tailored to their interests and behavior.

But how does retargeting actually work? Let’s dive deeper into the process. When a user visits a website, a cookie is placed on their browser, which essentially acts as a tracking device. This cookie then allows the website to identify the user when they visit other websites that are part of the retargeting network. This is how businesses are able to display ads to users who have previously shown an interest in their products or services.

Furthermore, retargeting allows you to segment your audience and create specific ad campaigns for different groups of users. For example, you can create a campaign targeting users who abandoned their carts, offering them a discount or free shipping to incentivize them to complete their purchase. Or you can target users who have viewed a specific product category and show them ads featuring related products or promotions.

Overall, retargeting is a powerful tool in the eCommerce industry that can significantly improve your marketing efforts and drive more sales. By staying top of mind with potential customers and delivering personalized ads, you can increase engagement, conversion rates, and ultimately, your bottom line.

Setting Up Your Retargeting Strategy

Once you understand the basics of retargeting, it’s time to set up your retargeting strategy. This involves identifying your target audience, choosing the right retargeting platforms, and implementing effective tactics to maximize your campaign’s success.

Identifying Your Target Audience

The first step in setting up your retargeting strategy is to identify your target audience. This goes beyond just knowing who your customers are; it involves analyzing your website traffic data to gain a deeper understanding of their interests, behaviors, and preferences.

By diving into your website analytics, you can uncover valuable insights about your visitors. You can identify which pages they spend the most time on, what products or services they show interest in, and even their demographic information. Armed with this knowledge, you can segment your audience into different groups based on their characteristics.

Segmentation allows you to create more targeted ads that resonate with specific groups of people. For example, if you run an e-commerce store selling both men’s and women’s clothing, you can create separate retargeting campaigns for each gender. This way, you can show relevant ads featuring products that are more likely to catch their attention and drive them back to your website.

Choosing the Right Retargeting Platforms

Once you have a clear understanding of your target audience, it’s time to choose the right retargeting platforms. There are various options available, each with its own strengths and targeting capabilities.

One popular retargeting platform is Google Ads. With its vast reach and powerful targeting options, Google Ads allows you to display your ads across a wide range of websites and apps within the Google Display Network. You can target specific keywords, demographics, and even create custom audience lists based on user behavior on your website.

Another popular option is Facebook Ads. With over 2.8 billion monthly active users, Facebook offers a massive audience for your retargeting campaigns. Facebook Ads allows you to target users based on their interests, behaviors, and demographics. You can also create lookalike audiences, which are groups of people who share similar characteristics to your existing customers.

AdRoll is another retargeting platform worth considering. It offers cross-device retargeting, meaning you can reach your audience across multiple devices, including desktops, mobile phones, and tablets. AdRoll also provides advanced segmentation options and powerful analytics to help you optimize your campaigns.

When choosing the right retargeting platforms, it’s important to align them with your target audience and business goals. Take the time to research and test different platforms to find the ones that work best for your specific business and industry.

Remember, setting up your retargeting strategy is just the beginning. To maximize your campaign’s success, you’ll need to continuously monitor and optimize your ads, test different creatives and messaging, and refine your targeting based on performance data. With a well-executed retargeting strategy, you can increase brand awareness, drive more conversions, and ultimately grow your business.

Creating Effective Retargeting Ads

Once you have set up your retargeting strategy, it’s time to focus on creating effective retargeting ads that capture the attention of your target audience and drive them to take action.

Designing Retargeting Ads That Convert

The design of your retargeting ads plays a crucial role in capturing the attention of your audience. Use visually appealing images or videos that are relevant to the products or services they have shown interest in. Incorporate strong call-to-actions that urge users to click on the ad and return to your website.

For example, if you are a clothing retailer and a user has recently viewed a specific pair of shoes on your website, you can create a retargeting ad that showcases those shoes in a visually appealing way. You can use high-quality images that highlight the unique features of the shoes, such as the material, color options, and any special details. This will help to remind the user of their interest and entice them to click on the ad.

Furthermore, you can also consider incorporating videos into your retargeting ads. Videos have proven to be highly engaging and can effectively convey your message in a dynamic and captivating way. You can create short videos that showcase the benefits of your products or services, demonstrating how they can solve a problem or enhance the user’s life.

Remember to keep the design of your retargeting ads consistent with your brand identity. Use colors, fonts, and imagery that align with your overall brand image. This will help to create a cohesive and memorable experience for your audience.

Writing Compelling Ad Copy

In addition to the design, the copy of your retargeting ads should be compelling and persuasive. Craft a message that highlights the unique value proposition of your products or services and addresses any objections or concerns that your audience may have. Use clear and concise language that resonates with your target audience and encourages them to take the desired action.

When writing the ad copy, it’s important to focus on the benefits that your products or services can provide to the user. Highlight how your offerings can solve a problem, make their lives easier, or enhance their overall experience. By emphasizing the value that you can deliver, you can effectively capture their attention and drive them to take action.

Additionally, consider addressing any objections or concerns that your audience may have. For example, if you are offering a free trial of your software, some users may be hesitant to provide their personal information. In your ad copy, you can address this concern by assuring them of the privacy and security measures you have in place to protect their data.

It’s also important to use language that resonates with your target audience. Understand their needs, desires, and pain points, and tailor your ad copy to speak directly to them. Use words and phrases that evoke emotions and create a sense of urgency or excitement. This will help to establish a connection with your audience and motivate them to take the desired action.

Creating effective retargeting ads requires careful attention to both design and copy. By using visually appealing images or videos and crafting compelling ad copy, you can capture the attention of your target audience and drive them to take action.

Implementing Your Retargeting Campaign

Once you have created your retargeting ads, it’s time to launch your campaign and start reaching your target audience.

Launching Your Campaign

When launching your retargeting campaign, make sure to set up your targeting parameters correctly. This includes selecting the specific audience segments you want to target, setting your bidding strategy, and defining your budget. Monitor your campaign closely and make adjustments as necessary to optimize its performance.

Monitoring and Adjusting Your Campaign

Regularly monitoring and adjusting your retargeting campaign is essential to ensure its success. Analyze the performance data provided by the retargeting platforms and identify any areas for improvement. Test different ad variations, audience segments, and targeting parameters to find the most effective combination that drives the highest conversion rates.

Measuring the Success of Your Retargeting Efforts

After implementing and running your retargeting campaigns, it’s important to measure their success and determine the return on investment.

Key Performance Indicators

There are several key performance indicators (KPIs) that you can track to measure the success of your retargeting efforts. These include click-through rate (CTR), conversion rate, cost per acquisition (CPA), and return on ad spend (ROAS). Analyzing these metrics will give you insights into the effectiveness of your campaigns and help you optimize future retargeting strategies.

Interpreting Your Retargeting Data

Once you have gathered the data from your campaigns, it’s important to analyze and interpret it to gain actionable insights. Look for patterns, trends, and correlations in the data to understand what is working and what needs improvement. Use this information to refine your retargeting strategies and drive better results in future campaigns.

Retargeting is a valuable strategy for eCommerce businesses to engage with their customers and drive conversions. By understanding the basics of retargeting, setting up an effective strategy, creating compelling ads, implementing and adjusting campaigns, as well as measuring the success of your efforts, you can maximize the impact of retargeting on your eCommerce business. Take the time to analyze and optimize your efforts to continuously improve your results and achieve your business goals.

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Neeta is the Content & Community lead at AMP. She has over 8 years experience in eCommerce marketing having previously worked for TradeGecko.

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