Retargeting: Why businesses should use this advertising tactic

written by Aleksandar Debeljak

Regardless of how much traffic your website generates, the common denominator is that the majority, approximately 98% of visitors leave your website without doing anything. However, you don’t need to see these visitors as a lost asset, through “cookies” you can track the visitors on other websites and try to reach them again through a retargeting ad.

This is an excellent way to reach out to visitors who previously visited your website but for various reasons didn’t convert into a lead or customer. By displaying relevant ads on other websites, you can catch their attention again and increase your chances of getting a conversion.

How does retargeting work?

Retargeting is a form of SEM that works by tracking your visitors through “cookies” and then displaying their ads on other websites that they are visiting. These ads are often based on the pages they were visiting before leaving your website. In this way, advertising becomes more personal and more focused on their interests, which means that the chance that they click on your ad is greater than usual.

Retargeting only works on visitors who have previously been on your website but have chosen to leave it without doing anything. One can say that the most important reason why your company should choose to use retargeting is because visitors have shown interest in your brand which gives you a better chance to convert these visitors into customers.

[click_to_tweet tweet=”Visitors who clicked on a #retargeting ad are 70% more likely to become a lead.” quote=”Visitors who clicked on a retargeting ad are 70% more likely to become a lead.”]

The benefits of using retargeting

There are many advantages to using retargeting to get more customers. Perhaps the most positive statistics is that visitors who clicked on a retargeting ad are 70% more likely to become a lead. Other benefits include:

• Your ads will be more personal because you know which pages the visitor has been on.
• Over 70% of consumers prefer ads based on their interests and shopping habits.
• Users on Facebook are 76% more likely to click on a retargeting ad compared to a regular display ad.
• Almost half of the participants in the study were willing to share their personal information (name or email) to get more personalized ads.
• You can reach out to visitors without having to have their email or phone number; you increase your chances of converting a cold lead into a warm lead.

It can be a cost-effective solution for getting more customers. For example by using Google Ads, you only have to pay for your ads when someone clicks on them by using the bid system of “cost per click”. The actual exposure of the ad is free as long as they do not click on it, which means that the retargeting ads act as reminders that your business could solve their challenges.

What to consider when using retargeting

Remember that it takes time to convert a visitor into a customer. First of all, it is important to create trust between your brand and your visitors, and show them why you are the best option to solve their challenges. If you use retargeting ads correctly, the visitor will eventually recognize your business which will increase your chances of finally getting a sale. Keep in mind, however, to not be too intrusive with your visitors by trying to sell a product immediately after the person has entered your website which can scare them away.

Help the visitor make the right decision by showing them your blogs, webinars, e-newsletter or other content that may be of interest to them. You increase your chances of converting the visitor into becoming a customer by helping them along the way, as a rule of thumb you can say that you need to reach out with your message seven times before the visitor chooses to take action.

Conclusion

Retargeting is a smart way to increase your chances of converting your visitors into customers. The majority of all visitors to your website choose to not do anything and therefore there are great opportunities to convert this group of visitors into becoming your customers. Retargeting gives you the chance to be remembered and gain credibility which is beneficial when you then want to reach out to them in different ways. Getting a sale is a process that takes time and it is important to have the customers’ trust if you are to succeed. Retargeting is an effective digital marketing tactic that both small and large companies that sell a product or service can benefit from.

Last but not least, it is important to think about what message you want to reach out with when you use retargeting because different visitors are at different stages of the buying process. Sending the right message at the right time is the key to converting visitors into becoming customers and brand ambassadors. If you manage to guide the visitor properly you will increase your sales and ROI.