Online retailers and small businesses understand how crucial advertising is in driving traffic to their websites. Unfortunately, 97 percent of first-time site visitors will leave without buying anything. There’s a big chance that they won’t ever come back unless you can find a way to convince them to return. One way to go about this is by retargeting them.

What are Retargeting Ads?

Have you noticed that some of the ads you see while browsing a site or checking your Facebook feed are from a website that you previously visited? That is retargeting. These ads either offer you customized deals on items you previously looked at or remind you of an abandoned cart. They can help your business re-engage consumers who visited your online store but didn’t push through with a purchase. These ads ensure that your brand is kept in front of bounced traffic even after your prospects have left your website.

How Do These Ads Work?

Retargeting is an ad technology that redisplays your company’s product or service to consumers who had shown an interest. If someone visits your product page or downloads your app, that’s a pretty good indication that they’re interested in your brand.

Retargeting utilizes a simple Javascript code called a “cookie” that allows you to “follow” your audience. This inconspicuous, little code is integrated on your website. An undisclosed browser cookie is then dropped whenever a new visitor lands on your site.

Image source: Hubshout

Once the visitor tagged with the cookie starts to browse, the code informs your retargeting provider when to serve your ads. The prospective client will then see your ads popping up while they’re playing a game, listening to music, reading an article, or browsing another store. For example, if a visitor checked a product page for a blue blazer but didn’t buy it, an ad retargeting them would show the same blazer and maybe a deal slashing the price by 15 percent. Or they might see an ad showing similar apparel.

Image source: RevLocal

Your ads will remind them of their interest in your product and hopefully bring them back to your website. Site visitors who see retargeted ads are 70 percent more likely to make a purchase.

Why Should Your Business Consider Retargeting Ads?

You won’t be able to convince all your site visitors to buy your product or try your services. The best that you can hope for is to keep them interested while they decide whether they are willing to try your brand. In order to do this, you have to utilize more than one marketing channel. Google revealed that integrating retargeting with other marketing campaigns can help you close up to 50 percent more deals. That’s because most shoppers are more likely to notice the products that they had previously looked up. 

Retargeting ads are also 10 times more effective than conventional display ads. The former’s click-through rate is close to 0.7 percent while the latter only has a CTR of 0.07 percent. It’s understandable that small businesses would typically opt for display ads. But a retargeting campaign is still relatively affordable and can complement any ad strategy.

Here’s the Kicker

Retargeting is a powerful and compelling conversion and branding optimization tool. However, this strategy is more effective when used in conjunction with a bigger digital marketing campaign.

Strategies like AdWords, content marketing, and targeted display are good for driving traffic, but they’re not as effective when it comes to optimizing conversion. Meanwhile, retargeting helps boost conversions but can’t drive traffic to websites. It’s best to combine the tools that push traffic and retargeting ads. You’ll get the best of both worlds while helping your brand make its mark.

[Featured image via Pixabay]