Retargeting and Google Ads an excellent combination

Retargeting and Google Ads an excellent combination

Retargeting is one of the dominant methods in the world of marketing, but what exactly is it and how does it work? And more importantly, why is it so popular?

What is retargeting?

Retargeting is a popular marketing technique that involves displaying an ad or sending an email to a user based on their behavior on your website. The goal is to encourage the user to return to your site to pick up where they left off and provide additional information via email.

You can invite a user of an e-commerce store to resume their shopping cart to complete their order, present the last product consulted in your store in the form of an advertising banner, etc. This technique also works very well through email thanks to marketing automation techniques by sending automated email sequences.

Suppose, for example, that you have an online clothing store and a user looks at a certain pair of shoes, but does not buy them. With retargeting, you can show them an ad from the same pair when they leave your site, to try to get them to buy again.

How does retargeting work?

To retarget a site, you need to add a small code snippet to the page(s) you want to focus your retargeting efforts on. This installs a cookie in the browser of each user who visits those pages, which will allow you to track those users, even if the data is anonymous.

This cookie allows the display of advertising campaigns created specifically with that user in mind. They are very specific and are based entirely on the user's behavior and the interest that the user has shown for certain products or services.

If the user clicks on the ad, you have to include what is called a "recording pixel", which will remove that user from the list when they have performed the action that you want them to perform. This means that they will no longer see your ad, which is important because if they have purchased a product or service, it will bother them more than anything to continue seeing that ad.

If you're thinking about email retargeting, you'll need to analyze cookie data and separate your users into different lists based on the behaviors and items they view. Quite simply, instead of browsing your website, they'll be shown ads based on what they click on in an email you send them.

Why use retargeting?

Research has shown that only 2% of website visitors become customers the first time, so 98% of their users move on.

No retargeting, you just hope they remember to come back. But by using retargeting, you put yourself in front of that 98% and remind them that you exist and that you can still offer them what they are interested in. There are many good reasons to use retargeting, so let's take a look at some of them:

1. Increased conversion

A vast majority of visitors won't buy the first time, so retargeting can dramatically increase this number by bringing them back to your site. Your conversion can double because you are retargeting users who have already expressed interest in your offer.

If we add to this the fact that these users are probably already familiar with your brand and your products or services, and therefore will be more likely to click on your ads, you are sure to get spectacular results. This means that your return on investment will also increase greatly, which is one of the most important points of any advertising campaign.

2. Brand awareness

The only sure way to improve brand awareness is to get in front of your audience as much as possible, and retargeting is fantastic for this. Instead of scattering your ads in multiple places, you can show your banners or email sequences to the right audience, based on what they've done on your site.

It will be displayed in many places, but only to people who can recognize your brand. This means you can stay top of mind while browsing, and it will increase your company profile. Also, the more you appear to your audience, the less your competitors will.

3. Opportunities for sale and repurchase

Retargeting is not just about bringing people back to your website after one or two visits. It can also be used to carry out campaigns aimed at people who have already bought your products or services, and suggest complementary things to that purchase.

For online businesses this is perfect and again will give your conversion a huge boost. It also means, in the eyes of users, that they are important to you. It offers things that they can really want, which is a great advantage over a traditional advertising campaign that will be based more on trends than on the individual tastes of customers.

4. People return to their abandoned shopping carts

The statistics on the number of people who fill an online shopping cart and never finish their purchases are surprisingly high. On average, around 65% of users do so, but the numbers are often higher.

That's potentially more than half of your potential customers who walk away before paying for products or services that clearly interest them. The reasons for this are obviously different for each individual. It may simply be that they have been distracted, or that they have decided to look for a better price, but they are potential customers that we must try to recover.

Again, this is where retargeting comes in handy. You can calmly remind them that their articles are waiting for them, and it only takes a few clicks. This may be enough for them to complete your transaction.

Retargeting takeaways

Retargeting is often one of the most effective tools available to digital advertisers. Also, its application is relatively simple, so there is no reason not to participate.

It's a surefire way to re-engage your audience and tip the balance between new and old customers. This will grow your core audience and ensure ongoing better awareness of your brand.

Another point: make sure your ad designs are attractive. Thus, your retargeted customers will be more likely to return to your site. This will increase your conversions and ROI, which is a real plus for all advertisers.