Retargeting, also known as remarketing, and can form an essential part of your online marketing strategy. But what is retargeting and how does it work?
What is retargeting?
It simply means targeting prospective customers who have visited your website by presenting them with adverts based on their previous behaviour. There are several forms of this:
- Search retargeting
- CRM retargeting
- Email retargeting
The most popular form used by marketers is site-based retargeting.
Site-based retargeting presents adverts to people who have visited your website after they’ve left it. Your adverts will follow your site visitors as they continue to visit other websites. This ensures that your brand is kept in front of them as they go. With luck this strategy will bring them back to your site.
How retargeting works
Your website designer will place a few lines of code into your website. An anonymous browser cookie then stores any site visits made using a code.
When the visitor leaves your site, the cookie informs your retargeter of this activity, then there is an automated process which will check to see if there is any available ad space on a newly visited site. If there is, they will bid on that space in real time. Ad space will be secured if your retargeter is the highest bidder which means it will appear with the page content in front of your previously bounced visitor
Who benefits from this?
eCommerce companies are the primary beneficiaries of retargeting. For example, you land on ‘PetsRUs’ and look at a new dog kennel, and then leave the site without placing an order. Next thing you know, you’re seeing PetsRUs ads wherever you go on the web.
Getting it right
In theory, setting up and launching a campaign is pretty straightforward. However, it is easy to make mistakes that could actually set you back. Before you begin organising a campaign, always carry out plenty of research. In fact, for your first foray into the brave new world of retargeting it is highly advisable to consider using a professional and experienced provider to make sure your first experience is a good one and any confusion is avoided.
Some site visitors do find it extremely irritating; especially if they have no real interest in buying the product and were merely window shopping. Make sure that your retargeter is set carefully so that your visitors are not hassled to the point of annoyance by ensuring that the ad is only re-presented a limited number of times which will reduce the frustration from potential customers.
For more assistance and advice on how retargeting could form part of your digital marketing strategy, contact our team of experts today.
