Getting visitors to your website is just the start. The bigger challenge? Turning those visitors into paying customers. Most first-time visitors leave without buying anything, and only 2.4% of first-time web visitors convert.
Reconnecting with people who’ve visited your website is crucial for maximising the return on investment (ROI) from your digital marketing efforts. Google Ads plays a key role in offering remarketing tools to help you re-engage past website visitors. This guide explains these strategies, their importance, and how to use them effectively to turn past visitors into loyal customers.
What is Retargeting, and Why Is It Important?
Imagine you’re looking to buy a new pair of trainers and click on a retailer’s website to check out the options. You leave without making a purchase, but now, as you browse the internet or scroll through social media, you start seeing adverts for the very same trainers you were interested in. This isn’t a coincidence; it’s retargeting at work.
Retargeting reaches out to individuals who have previously visited your website or used your mobile app but have yet to make a purchase or complete a desired action.
By showing these potential customers targeted adverts as they use the internet or social media, retargeting keeps your brand in their minds, encouraging them to return and convert. Its value lies in significantly boosting conversion rates by capitalising on an already established interest.
Google Ads as a Powerful Platform for Retargeting
Google Ads retargeting employs the extensive Google Display Network to distribute adverts across various websites, videos, and apps. Its effectiveness stems from the precise targeting of users based on their previous interactions with your site, ensuring your marketing efforts are focused on those genuinely interested in your offerings.
These would typically appear as “sponsored” posts on your Social Media feed or as banner ads on websites you visit.
Remarketing vs. Retargeting: Understanding the Differences
Although the terms are often used interchangeably, remarketing and retargeting have distinct differences.
- Remarketing generally involves re-engaging customers through email marketing based on past interactions, like abandoned shopping carts.
- Retargeting, however, places adverts for potential customers based on their online behaviour or previous visits to your website.
Google Ads bridges both strategies under its remarketing tools, allowing advertisers to effectively use display adverts or email campaigns to target past visitors.
The Psychology Behind Remarketing
Retargeting’s success is partly due to the psychological principle of familiarity, fostering trust and recognition. Regular exposure to your brand increases the chance of conversion, as customers are more likely to choose brands they recognise and trust.
Data-driven Insights Into Remarketing
Studies and data consistently show that retargeting campaigns have a higher conversion rate compared to standard advertising. This is because retargeting focuses on users who have already expressed an interest in your products or services, making them more inclined to purchase when they see your adverts again.
Blueprint for a Successful Retargeting Campaign
- Identify and segment the right audience: Effective retargeting begins with identifying and segmenting your audience based on their activity and interactions with your site. This might involve categorising visitors by the products they viewed, pages they visited, or actions they took. Tailoring your adverts to each segment makes them more relevant and likely to convert.
- Craft compelling ad content and call-to-actions: Your retargeted adverts must be engaging and directly relate to the visitor’s experience on your site. Emphasise special offers, product benefits, or compelling calls-to-action (CTAs) to draw the user back. Creativity and relevance are crucial for grabbing attention and motivating action.
- Integrate with other digital marketing channels for maximum reach: Integrate them with your broader digital marketing strategy to maximise retargeting campaign impact. This means coordinating your messaging across email marketing, social media, and other PPC campaigns to present a unified marketing message across various platforms.
Retargeting ROI: Evaluating the Benefits
- Brand Loyalty: Besides immediate sales, retargeting helps build long-term brand recognition and loyalty. Being consistently visible to interested customers increases the likelihood of choosing you when ready to buy or use your services.
- Higher Conversion Rates and Reduced Acquisition Costs: Retargeting typically sees higher conversion rates and lower cost per acquisition than other forms of advertising. This efficiency makes it an invaluable tool for marketers, delivering significant ROI advantages.
You can transform past website visitors into valuable customers by understanding and applying effective retargeting and remarketing strategies with Google Ads.
Get in touch to learn how we use our PPC and paid media expertise to create and manage your retargeting strategies.