Raising Conversions Through Retargeting and Remarketing

Imagine you’ve spent countless hours perfecting your website, optimizing your landing pages, and driving traffic through various channels. Yet, despite your best efforts, 98% of your visitors leave without converting. That’s probably gonna make you pull your hair out in frustration.

But imagine if you can bring those visitors who showed interest but didn’t pull the trigger back. Better yet, is there a way to do it without breaking the bank or coming across as that creepy stalker brand nobody wants to deal with?

How, you ask? The answer is retargeting and remarketing.

In this deep dive, we’ll explore how smart retargeting and remarketing can supercharge your conversion rates while maintaining brand trust. I’ll share battle-tested strategies, plus some…unconventional methods and practices that might challenge your current approach (but still work).

Here’s an overview of what you’ll learn:

• The fundamentals of retargeting and remarketing (and why they’re different).
• How to build campaigns that convert without creeping out your audience.
• Advanced segmentation strategies most marketers miss.
• Some tried-and-tested retargeting tips that may go against popular retargeting “best practices.”
• Common retargeting and remarketing pitfalls and how to avoid them.

Put your learning caps on; we’ll start with a refresher on retargeting and remarketing.

The Fundamentals: What Are We Really Talking About?

Before we dive into strategies and tactics, let’s get crystal clear on what these terms mean and why they matter. Here’s the thing: Even seasoned marketers sometimes use these terms interchangeably, and that can lead to confused strategies and subpar results.

Retargeting: The Digital Billboard Strategy

Retargeting is like having a billboard that follows your potential customers around the internet. Technically speaking, it involves placing a small piece of code (a pixel) on your website that drops a cookie in visitors’ browsers. This cookie then enables you to show ads to these people as they browse other websites or social media platforms.

The magic of retargeting lies in its ability to keep your brand visible to people who’ve already shown interest. Let’s say someone visited your pricing page but didn’t buy. With retargeting, you can show them relevant ads as they read their favorite blog or scroll through Facebook. Whether they’re still thinking about your product or not, it’ll stay within their line of sight. Waiting.

Here are some of the key aspects of retargeting:

• Using display or social media ads.
• Targeting people who haven’t converted yet.
• Working through cookie-based tracking.
• Focusing on visual reminders and brand awareness.

I know it can sound annoying. After all, this is like having a person with a sandwich board following you around as you walk around. But if done right, it’s not going to make the potential buyer mad.

Remarketing: The Personal Follow-Up

Remarketing, on the other hand, is more like having a personal sales assistant who follows up with warm leads. It typically involves direct communication channels like email or SMS, reaching out to people who’ve already engaged with your brand in some way.

The classic example is the abandoned cart email. When someone adds items to their cart but doesn’t complete the purchase, you send them a reminder email, maybe with a special offer to sweeten the deal.

The main aspects of remarketing are:

• Using direct communication channels (email, SMS).
• Requiring contact information.
• Targeting leads personally.
• Involving specific offers or incentives.

This is the “softer” approach between the two since most people don’t see this as being that intrusive.

Why This Distinction Matters

While understanding these differences is important, the industry’s obsession with separating these terms is actually holding us back. In reality, they’re two sides of the same coin in that they both re-engage people who’ve shown interest. What matters isn’t what you call it but how you use these tools together to create a cohesive experience.

The real power comes from combining both approaches. For example, you might:

• Show retargeting ads to recent site visitors.
• Follow up with an email if they abandon their cart.
• Use both channels to promote a limited-time offer.
• Coordinate messaging across all touchpoints.

Every customer base is different, and they may have different responses to conversion approaches. The best way to know how your customer base responds to your approaches is to experiment.

The Hard Truth About Conversion Windows

There’s a persistent idea that you should retarget everyone who visited your site in the last 30-60 days. I’ve found this common practice is often a waste of budget. Here’s why:

Most conversions happen within the first 7 days after someone visits your site. After that, the conversion rate drops dramatically. Yet I still see marketers burning money showing ads to people who visited their site six weeks ago.

Think about your own behavior. How often do you buy something from a website you visited more than a week ago? Unless it’s a major purchase requiring significant research, probably not often. That’s why retargeting people who’ve visited a long time ago is probably not the best use of your money.

The goal of retargeting isn’t to follow someone around the internet until they buy; it’s to be there at the right moment with the right message.

Building Your Retargeting Strategy

I’ve seen too many marketers jump straight into setting up campaigns without a solid foundation, which usually ends in disaster. It’s like trying to build a house without blueprints. You might end up with something that looks like a house, but it probably won’t be as sturdy.

Your strategy needs to answer three key questions:

1. Who are we targeting?
2. What do we want them to do?
3. How will we measure success?

Those three questions form the foundation of your retargeting strategy, letting you know what to do with each potential customer.

The Segmentation Game-Changer

Most marketers segment their audience based on basic criteria like pages visited or time spent on the site. But here’s where you can get ahead: segment based on intent signals and behavior patterns.

For example, instead of just targeting cart abandoners, create different approaches for:

• Price checkers (multiple visits to pricing page).
• Feature researchers (spent time on product specs).
• Social proof seekers (viewed testimonials/case studies).
• Window shoppers (browsed multiple products without adding to cart).
• Almost-converters (started but didn’t complete a form).

Each of these groups needs different messaging to convert. A price checker might respond well to a limited-time discount, while a feature researcher might need more technical content to make a decision.

The Frequency Cap Debate

Here’s another hot take for you: the standard advice about frequency caps (limiting ad exposure to 2-3 times per day) is oversimplified. Instead, I recommend a declining frequency approach:

• Days 1-3: Higher frequency (4-5 impressions per day).
• Days 4-7: Medium frequency (2-3 impressions).
• Days 8+: Low frequency (1 impression) or pause.

Essentially, you put your brand in their faces a little more intensely early on, then taper off as time passes. This matches the natural buying cycle while respecting user attention.

The Content Sequence Strategy

Most marketers show the same message repeatedly, which gets boring and annoying from the potential customer’s end. Instead, try this sequence:

1. Awareness (Day 1): Brand reminder.
2. Consideration (Days 2-3): Feature/benefit focus.
3. Decision (Days 4-5): Offer or social proof.
4. Last chance (Days 6-7): Urgency or scarcity.

As time goes on, the messaging becomes more urgent before you finally pull back. With the increasingly important messaging, customers are more likely to notice.

Advanced Tactics That Actually Work

Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s get into some advanced tactics that can take your retargeting game to the next level. But first, a word of caution: these aren’t “set and forget” techniques. They require regular monitoring and adjustment to work effectively.

The key to advanced retargeting is understanding that it’s not just about reaching people. It’s also about reaching them in a way that adds value to their customer journey.

The Multi-Channel Symphony

Stop thinking about retargeting as just display ads. Create what I call a “surround sound” effect:

• Display ads for awareness.
• Social media retargeting for engagement.
• Email remarketing for direct response.
• Search ads (RLSA) for high-intent moments.
• SMS for urgent or time-sensitive offers.

Each channel plays its role in the conversion orchestra and comes together to play a full song that each element can’t do alone. The key is coordinating the timing and messaging across all touchpoints.

The Creative Refresh Sweet Spot

Here’s something most marketers get wrong: they either stick with the same creative too long or change it too frequently. The sweet spot is to refresh your creative every 2 weeks or 10,000 impressions, whichever comes first.

This keeps your message fresh without losing momentum. Plus, a consistent creative refresh pace means you can schedule things ahead of time. Your graphic designers will thank you for this.

Dynamic Creative Optimization

Stop using static ads for all audiences. Instead:

• Use dynamic product ads based on viewing history.
• Test different messages for different segments.
• Adjust offers based on engagement level.
• Personalize landing pages to match ad content.

It might be more work to make more ad creatives, but tailored messages are more effective than one-size-fits-all ads.

Measuring Success Beyond CTR

One of the biggest blunders I often see is focusing on the wrong metrics. It’s not just about clicks or even conversions; it’s about understanding the full impact of your retargeting efforts on your business goals.

The Attribution Trap

Stop obsessing over click-through rates. They’re vanity metrics that can lead you astray. Instead, focus on:

• View-through conversions (within a reasonable window).
• Assisted conversions.
• Customer lifetime value of retargeted conversions.
• Return on ad spend (ROAS) by segment.
• Cart abandonment recovery rate.
• Email engagement metrics for remarketing.

I’ve seen campaigns with low CTR drive significant view-through conversions because they kept the brand top-of-mind during the decision process.

The Privacy-First Future

With third-party cookies crumbling, many marketers are panicking. But with that comes an opportunity. The push toward privacy will force us to be more creative and valuable in our retargeting efforts. Here are some things to focus on:

• First-party data collection
• Contextual targeting
• Value-driven remarketing content
• Building direct relationships with customers

The important thing is to build actual bonds and provide good value to the customer.

Controversial But Effective Approaches

Sometimes, the best results come from challenging conventional wisdom. Here, I’ll share some approaches that might seem counterintuitive but have proven effective. Remember, what works for others might not work for you. So don’t use these tactics verbatim; always test them before implementing them.

Here are some approaches that go against common wisdom but have worked well in my experience:

• Retarget before the first visit. This tactic primes the visitor before they even visit your site, helping them at least have a slight familiarity with your business before engaging with your primary touchpoint.
  • Use lookalike audiences based on your best customers.
  • Pre-warm traffic before they hit your site.
  • Create awareness before direct targeting.
• The “Inverse Frequency” approach eases off retargeting for high-intent visitors but intensifies ads for medium-intent segments to draw them further in.
  • Show ads less frequently to high-intent visitors.
  • They’re already interested; don’t risk annoying them.
  • Focus budget on medium-intent segments.
• The “Pattern Interrupt” technique helps you draw attention by breaking pre-established patterns. Using different ad messages keeps things fresh and makes the visitor less likely to tune them out.
  • Deliberately vary your message and timing.
  • Prevents banner blindness and ad fatigue.
  • Use unexpected creative approaches.

Best Practices and Pro Tips

While I’ve challenged some conventional wisdom in this article, there are certain practices that consistently prove their worth. Here are some best practices I’ve found that work reliably across different industries and business types:

Have Good Timing

The timing of your retargeting efforts can make or break your campaign’s success. Retargeting within the first hour after a site visit is crucial. This is when your brand is still fresh in the visitor’s mind.

The bulk of your budget should focus on the first 3-7 days post-visit, as this is typically when conversion rates are highest. Coordinating your email and ad timing requires careful planning; you don’t want to bombard users with multiple messages simultaneously.

Different segments usually respond better at different times of the day. B2B audiences often engage more during business hours, while B2C customers might be more responsive in the evening after they finish work.

Adopt Creative Best Practices

Your creative and copywriting approach needs to strike a balance between attention-grabbing and professional. Start with clear, action-oriented headlines that immediately communicate value to your audience.

The ad copy should be concise but powerful, focusing on specific benefits rather than generic features. I always recommend testing at least three to four creative variations simultaneously; you might be surprised by which ones resonate most with your audience. Every ad needs a strong, clear call to action that creates urgency without being pushy.

Visual elements matter tremendously; use high-quality images or videos that reflect your brand’s standards. Remember to maintain consistent branding across all channels while adapting the message to each platform’s unique context.

Follow Technical Setup Tips

Getting the technical foundation right is essential for accurate tracking and optimization. Proper pixel placement isn’t just about slapping a code on your website; it needs to be strategically placed to capture the right data points.

Data analysis and tracking should be set up to measure not just final conversions but also micro-conversions along the way. I’m a big advocate for using UTM parameters consistently across all campaigns; this gives you granular insight into which combinations of targeting and creativity are driving results.

Regular audits of your tracking setup are crucial. Too many campaigns waste money due to incorrect tracking implementation. Before launching any campaign, test all elements thoroughly in a controlled environment to ensure everything is firing correctly.

Exercise Good Budget Management

Smart budget management starts with small, controlled tests to validate your assumptions before scaling. When you find something that works, scale it gradually while monitoring performance metrics closely.

I recommend watching your Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) at both the campaign and segment levels because this helps you identify where to allocate more budget and where to pull back. Adjust your bids based on segment performance; high-intent segments often justify higher bids.

Always keep a portion of your budget in reserve for opportunities like seasonal peaks or competitor downtimes. This flexible approach to budget management allows you to maximize results while minimizing waste.

The Seven Deadly Sins of Retargeting

In my experience, I’ve seen a lot of mistakes that sink retargeting campaigns like a torpedo through a battleship. From those, I’ve rounded them down to seven critical mistakes that consistently hold marketers back from achieving better results. Let’s take a look at each one and explore how to avoid these costly errors.

The Spray and Pray Approach

This is perhaps the most common sin I see marketers commit. They create one generic retargeting campaign and blast it to everyone who’s ever visited their site. It’s the equivalent of walking into a room and shouting your message, hoping someone cares.

Not only does this waste the budget, but it can also annoy potential customers who might have converted with a more targeted approach. The solution is to build specific campaigns for distinct segments based on user behavior and intent. Someone who spent 10 minutes reading your product specifications needs a different message than someone who bounced from your homepage after 5 seconds.

Message Mismatch

Here’s a scenario I see too often: a visitor looks at a specific product, leaves, and then gets served ads for completely different items. This creates cognitive dissonance and wastes precious attention. The fix is implementing proper dynamic retargeting that shows users products and content relevant to their browsing history.

Your messaging should feel like a natural continuation of their customer journey, not a random interruption. This means maintaining consistency across all touchpoints while adapting the specific offer or call-to-action based on their level of engagement.

Frequency Overload

I’m sure you’ve experienced this one as a consumer. Being bombarded with the same ad everywhere we go online will just make you tune the brand out and ignore everything.

This approach doesn’t just irritate potential customers; it actively damages your brand and wastes your budget. The solution isn’t as simple as setting a universal frequency cap. Instead, implement smart frequency rules that adjust based on user engagement and time since the last visit. Someone who spent 20 minutes on your site yesterday might warrant more frequent touchpoints than someone who briefly visited two weeks ago.

Channel Tunnel Vision

Many marketers get stuck in a rut of running retargeting ads on just one platform, usually because it’s what they’re most familiar with.

This misses the reality of how people consume media today. Most people jump between devices and platforms throughout their day, so disjointed messages between devices won’t look good. The solution is creating a coordinated omnichannel strategy that reaches users where they are, with messages appropriate to each channel.

Creative Staleness

Running the same ad creative for months on end is a fast track to diminishing returns. Even if your ad performed well initially, ad fatigue will eventually set in, causing your audience to tune out your message.

The solution is implementing a regular creative refresh schedule (I recommend every two weeks or 10,000 impressions, whichever comes first), but don’t just change images for the sake of it. Test different value propositions, calls-to-action, and formats. Use the data from each iteration to inform your next round of creative development.

Budget Misallocation

A surprisingly common mistake is treating all retargeting audiences equally from a budget perspective. Smart marketers know that not all visitors have the same likelihood of converting.

The solution is to allocate your budget based on user intent and potential value. This might mean spending more to reach cart abandoners or users who’ve shown high engagement while reducing spending on less qualified segments. Regular monitoring and adjustment of this allocation is crucial for maintaining optimal performance.

Poor Timing

Timing in retargeting is everything, yet many marketers miss the critical window for re-engagement. The harsh truth is that the likelihood of conversion drops dramatically after the first few days post-visit. Waiting too long to start retargeting or spreading your budget too thin over a long period minimizes your chances of success.

The solution is to focus your efforts on the first 7-10 days after a site visit, with particular emphasis on the first 24-48 hours. Set up automated triggers to ensure you’re catching users while their interest is still warm.

Key Takeaways

Let’s go over what we’ve covered in this article:

• An understanding of retargeting and remarketing fundamentals is essential.
• User segmentation matters more than ever. Focus on their behavior and intent, then create targeted messages for each segment.
• Question best practices. Test conventional wisdom to figure out what works best for your audience. Don’t be afraid to break some rules because if it works, it works.
• Avoid the seven deadly sins of retargeting. Keep your creatives fresh, focus on quality rather than quantity, and keep an eye on your retargeting frequency.

Remember, successful retargeting isn’t about following someone around the internet until they buy. It’s about being there with the right message when they’re ready to convert. Start implementing these strategies, and you’ll see not just better conversion rates but stronger customer relationships.

Now, take a look at your retargeting and remarketing initiatives. Are you the type to follow everyone wherever they go until your brand is seared into their minds, or do you strategically pop up wherever it’s best for you to do so? Check your conversion rate and spend some time this week to make some tweaks that can boost it even more.