Why You Keep Seeing the Same Ads – And How You Can Use This for Your Business
You’re browsing Amazon for a new TV. You look at a few models, compare prices, and decide not to buy just yet. In the next few days, you see an ad for one of those same TVs in the sidebar of your Facebook page. Then you see it on an article you’re reading, on Google, in your email, and so on.
What’s going on? You’re being retargeted.
Retargeting (also called remarketing) is becoming an increasingly valuable tool in the business owner’s digital marketing arsenal. In our digital age filled with nearly endless online shopping opportunities, it is very rare that a consumer arrives at your website for the very first time, finds the product or service they need, and makes an online purchase or picks up the phone to call you right in that same visit.
Just as you didn’t purchase the TV from Amazon right away, other consumers also tend to take some time before making a decision. They may want to conduct some more research before making a commitment, or they may simply be doing some light browsing during a boring meeting at work. In any case, what’s most important is getting customers to come back and finish that purchase or make that initial contact. Retargeting can make this happen. Retargeting brings customers back to your site and reminds them of the product or service they were interested in.
As digital marketing experts, we set up retargeting campaigns for local, national, and international businesses and ensure they have the ability to reach and earn as many consumers as possible. Here’s our guide to some retargeting basics and why you should use this marketing tactic for your business:
How Does Retargeting Work?
There are two types of retargeting: pixel-based and list-based. Pixel based retargeting campaigns are the most common and are typically more valuable to a wider range of businesses than list-based. Pixel-based retargeting works by placing a pixel or “cookie” on a potential customer’s computer when they visit your site. This cookie marks what pages this individual visited, and uses this data to display a relevant ad in other places on the web. One of the most common places to run retargeting ads is on the Google Display Network (which may display ads during search results, on various websites you visit, in your email—anything that falls under the GDN), but retargeting campaigns can also be established on social media like Facebook.
So, when you kept seeing the TV pop up in other places after browsing Amazon, you had a pixel placed on your browser during that original Amazon visit. This pixel then used the data it collected to display that same TV—and likely any other products you looked at—in other places on the web to remind you of the TV you looked at.
List-based retargeting, on the other hand, uses a list of current and potential customers’ contact information in order to display retargeting ads. This can be very valuable for businesses who have already collected a high volume of customers’ contact information and therefore allows them to display their ads to very specific people they want to reach. However, list-based retargeting may not be as worthy of an investment for smaller businesses who have not been collecting current or potential customer contact information, or who are more interested in reaching out to a broader range of consumers.
Benefits of Retargeting
Whether pixel-based or list-based retargeting is right for your business, displaying retargeting ads has several benefits:
Recapture Customers’ Interest: Overall, the purpose—and biggest benefit—of retargeting is to draw consumers who viewed your site back in and turn them from casual browsers into satisfied, loyal customers. As mentioned, consumers rarely make a purchase or sign up for a service upon the very first visit to a website. A consumer who sees an ad for your company follow them around the web is more likely to come back to your site, especially if your competitors are not running retargeting ads.
Affordability: Some businesses may be hesitant to sign up for retargeting—or other digital marketing—because they fear a high cost and low ROI. Although the cost for retargeting ads varies depending on a business’s budget, volume of website traffic, desired display ads, and other factors, retargeting has become very affordable and attainable for several businesses. Retargeting ads can also foster a high ROI, but this again depends on a few specifics.
Used for Both Products and Services: People can be retargeted not only for products like computers and clothing, but also services such as landscaping and house cleaning services. Retargeting is an incredibly valuable tool for ecommerce sites that display products for sale, but it is equally beneficial for service-based businesses looking to remind consumers of their services and encourage them to pick up the phone or fill out a contact form to sign up.
Draw Customers Back to Your Website with KME.digital
The marketing experts at KME.digital, a full-service digital marketing firm in Fairfax, VA, are pros at helping our clients re-engage their website audience and expand their customer-base. We can set up retargeting ads and ensure you re-capture the interest of site visitors to turn them into returning customers.
We can make retargeting happen for your business. Contact us online or call us at (703) 585-3321 to learn more!
For more insights into retargeting, check out our post “Why Aren’t You Using Retargeting?”