Many companies face a common challenge in digital marketing: visitors reach the site, browse the products or services and, without completing an action, leave. But what if there were a way to bring them back? That's exactly what retargeting does.
If you've ever wondered “what is retargeting,” in this article I explain in detail how this strategy works, why it's so effective, and how you can use it to increase your conversions, especially when combined with push notifications from AI Web Push.
What is retargeting?
Retargeting is that clever strategy that makes your ad “follow” people who already visited your site but left without buying or signing up.
Here's how it works: when someone visits your site, a tracking pixel records that visit.
Then, as that person browses other sites, social media, or even apps, your ads reappear to remind them of what they saw, encouraging them to come back and complete the conversion.
You know when you look at a product and suddenly it starts showing up everywhere? That's retargeting in action!
Now that you understand what retargeting is, let's see how this strategy works.
How does retargeting work?
Retargeting consists of segmenting audiences based on online behavior. In other words, knowing what retargeting is lets you reach people who have already shown interest in your product again, increasing the chances of conversion. There are two main types of retargeting:
- Page-Visit-Based Retargeting: Shows ads to visitors who accessed certain pages on your site.
- Interaction-Based Retargeting: Focuses on users who interacted with previous campaigns, such as clicking on an ad or adding an item to the cart, but didn't complete the purchase.
If you'd like to dive deeper, also check out our article explaining how to set up retargeting.
What are the benefits of retargeting?
If someone has already visited your site, it means they showed interest in what you offer. Anyone who understands what retargeting is takes advantage of that opportunity to bring that user back and increase their chances of conversion.
Someone who returns to the site after seeing a personalized ad is much more likely to complete the purchase or fill out a form.
Plus, this strategy helps strengthen your brand. The more times a user sees your ad, the more familiar your company becomes to them. This builds trust and makes your brand come to mind at the right time.
Another major benefit is precise targeting. Unlike generic campaigns that target anyone, retargeting focuses on people who have already shown real interest in your product or service. So knowing what retargeting is makes your ads more relevant and effective.
And best of all? The cost-benefit ratio is excellent.
Since you're reaching a highly qualified audience, the Cost Per Acquisition (CPA) tends to be lower than in traditional campaigns. In other words, you spend less and get a bigger return.
How to create a retargeting campaign?
Creating a retargeting campaign is a good strategy for increasing conversions and engagement with people who have already shown interest in your business. Now that you understand what retargeting is, here's a step-by-step guide to setting up an effective campaign:
1. Define the campaign's goal
First of all, understand what you want to achieve:
- Recover abandoned carts?
- Remind visitors about a specific product?
- Strengthen the brand?
The goal will guide the entire campaign setup.
2. Install the tracking pixel
You need to capture data from users who visit your site. To do this, install the Facebook (Meta) pixel, the Google Ads Tag, or the pixel for the platform you're using.
These codes are added to the site's HTML and track actions like visits, clicks, and time spent on the page.
3. Create a custom audience
With the collected data, you can create audiences such as:
- People who visited a specific page
- Users who started a purchase but didn't finish it
- Visitors from the last 7, 15, or 30 days
This allows for targeted and much more relevant ads.
4. Produce personalized ads
Use images, copy, and calls to action specific to each audience. For instance, a visitor of a product page could receive an ad saying: “Still thinking about it? Get 10% OFF!”
5. Set up the campaign on the platform
In Google Ads, Facebook Ads, or another tool, create the campaign with the goal of “Conversions” or “Traffic,” select the custom audience, set the budget, and publish.
6. Track and optimize
Once it's live, monitor performance: clicks, conversions, cost per acquisition. Run A/B tests with different creative variations and adjust the audience as needed.
Retargeting vs. Remarketing: What's the Difference?
Although many people use the terms interchangeably, there is a difference:
- Retargeting: Refers to showing ads to people who visited your site.
- Remarketing: Is a broader strategy that includes sending emails to people who have already interacted with your brand.
Both are effective and can be used together to maximize results.
How to boost retargeting with push notifications?
One of the strategies that can bring the best results once you understand what retargeting is is implementing push notifications. These messages appear directly on users' devices, even when they aren't browsing your site.
It's worth mentioning the excellence of AI Web Push, which simplifies retention marketing with automatic, effective messages powered by artificial intelligence.
What are the benefits of push notifications in retargeting?
- Immediate engagement: The user receives the notification in real time.
- Increased conversions: Well-targeted messages encourage a return to the site.
- Personalization: Based on the user's interests, you can send personalized offers.
Retargeting in practice: now it's your turn!
If you used to have doubts about what retargeting is, now you know how much of a difference this strategy can make for your business.
Besides bringing visitors back to your site, it helps increase conversions and keeps your brand top of mind with the right audience.
But don't stop there! To boost your results even further, combine retargeting with push notifications. This way, besides reaching the user with ads, you keep a direct communication channel open, encouraging new interactions and strengthening the relationship with your customers.
The best part? Retargeting doesn't require a huge budget and can be applied to any type of business.
So, start testing this strategy right now and track the results. With a little adjustment and optimization, your conversion rate will grow much faster than you imagine!