Remarketing: How to win back users who have already visited your website

Maxi Maxhuni

on Maxi

Remarketing

If someone visits your website, doesn't buy anything, and then goes back to their everyday life – how on earth do you reach that person again? Especially considering that users who have previously visited the website are easier to convert? The answer: Remarketing!

The word "remarketing" comes from English and literally translates to "remarketing." In reality, the word describes the simple practice of trying to bring a website or advertisement back into the awareness of people who have previously visited it.

 

This is particularly interesting because these people have already shown interest in your product but then, for whatever reason, didn't buy it. Perhaps they simply had to catch a train or otherwise get away from their computer? Regardless, we want these users back!

 

Remarketing is the reason why, after visiting the Zalando website, we constantly see the item of clothing we viewed displayed in the sidebar. If we were only slightly hesitant, it's quite possible that we'll ultimately decide to buy it. And in most cases, this strategy seems to work.

 

Around 98% of users who click on a website don't subsequently buy a product. But through remarketing, the conversion rate can be massively increased on the second or third attempt.

 

Unlike in the past, remarketing now offers us a multitude of additional and highly interesting options. If a user visits a specific website after visiting one, we then display ads that might also interest them based on their behavior.

 

This allows us to display our ads at the exact moment when a purchase is much more likely.

 

Remarketing with pixels: Remarketing lists for search ads

 

One remarketing feature that has existed for several years is remarketing lists for search ads. This involves placing a JavaScript code – called a pixel – on each page of the website. A cookie is then stored in the browser of users who visit the page, and the user's individual cookie ID is saved in the so-called remarketing list.

 

This cookie allows us to track user behavior. For example, this data tells us that someone visited our shop, then went to a specific page of another online shop, and searched for earrings. As a provider of other products, we can then show this person ads for one of our products that belongs to the same category and might also be of interest.

 

We can customize this feature in a variety of ways. And naturally, we can invest significantly more in these types of ads because data on previous behavior tells us that this user isn't completely uninterested. This reduces our risk! Therefore, you can expect much better click-through and conversion rates with this feature, since the person has already visited the website and is familiar with your product or brand.

 

Remarketing with email addresses

 

If we have a user's email address, social media ID, app ID, or even phone number, we can show them ads directly on Facebook or Twitter via Custom Audiences. So, if many users are interested in your ads, we can show them ads directly on Facebook or Twitter. Newsletter If you have registered or started the purchase of one of your products, then we can contact you via Facebook, Twitter or Google Ads draw attention to ourselves again.

 

Google recently introduced a new feature in Google Ads called "Customer Match", which allows you to upload an email list and then display ads to the owners of those email addresses whenever they perform a search on Google or generally across the entire advertising network.

 

Remarketing via the «Social ID»

 

If we have someone's so-called "social ID", for example because they logged into the online shop via Facebook or Twitter, then we can show targeted advertising to these users.

 

A few proven practices in remarketing:

 

  1. Use Burn Pixels

 

First and foremost, you should always use so-called burn pixels for remarketing or retargeting. If a customer has already purchased a product and then continues to see ads, it quickly becomes annoying. Therefore, you should integrate a code (a burn pixel) at checkout or on the payment page that "tags" the user, so that the corresponding advertising is stopped, at least for that specific product. Otherwise, you're paying extra for advertising that not only delivers no results but also frustrates the customer.

 

  1. Adjust the frequency of advertisements correctly.

 

Equally important in remarketing is the frequency with which a particular ad is displayed. You shouldn't bombard your users with ads and annoy them. Therefore, limit the frequency with which ads are shown or at least change the ad regularly. Displaying 17 to 20 ads per user per month is recommended.

 

  1. Optimize when which ads are shown to which users.

 

Ads should be tailored to users who have exhibited specific behaviors. Companies can define which behaviors, clicks on which pages, or processes trigger ad placement. Because this is highly specific, with some experience and sufficient data analysis, excellent click-through rates, improved conversion rates, and generally enhanced remarketing can be achieved.

 

  1. Never rely solely on one measure.

 

Never assume that success can be attributed to a single measure alone. Sales processes can be lengthy and encompass everything from the initial click on a Facebook post, through subsequent remarketing efforts and potentially Google searches, to the final purchase. If you conclude that your social media or the Search Engine optimization (SEOIf ) they have no major impact, then think again.

 

If you stop investing in these channels, fewer users may enter the sales cycle, ultimately leading to fewer product sales. Hardly any click on Facebook or Google search directly results in a purchase. Even with remarketing, you should still aim to generate users who come to your site from Facebook or Google – even if they click away immediately. Otherwise, your efforts will be limited to an ever-shrinking pool of visitors and your conversion rate will decrease.

 

  1. Promote content and events as well – not just products.

 

Don't just run ads focused solely on sales. If you're acquiring users from other sources—through your content, newsletters, or events—then advertising only your product isn't helpful. Even ads for events or articles you've organized can bring users back to your website.

 

  1. Be creative!

 

Remarketing can even be used for job postings. If someone has read your online job ads and you're having trouble finding candidates, follow that person online and show them ads, or even the job posting itself. Also, advertise on social media. And if you obtained the person's email address at an event, you can contact them again online.

 

The same can, of course, be done with articles. In marketing, you're in daily contact with journalists, bloggers, or representatives of other media outlets. The email addresses of this group can be uploaded to Google Ads, Facebook, or Twitter, and then the newly written content can be promoted through targeted ads. This helps you get mentioned or shared in newspapers or other media. At the same time, it ensures that your product stays top of mind.

Email marketing with the AWeber tool

Especially for startups and young entrepreneurs, there's a risk at the beginning of not thinking on a larger scale – and as a result, a large part of the organization falls by the wayside. Part of this organization largely consists of selecting the various work tools and instruments. So the question arises: should one prepare for the current situation or for the scenario of having 100-300 customers? Clearly, it makes no sense, not even financially, to calculate on a very large scale from the outset.

 

However, what is absolutely vital for every company or brand from the very beginning is a newsletter. It's also important to know that you shouldn't send a newsletter to people who haven't explicitly subscribed. This is counterproductive and damages the company's or brand's image. So, refrain from misusing email addresses collected at a trade fair for your newsletter. You can, of course, contact these people personally, making a connection to the trade fair, or even call the customer directly. To reiterate: For your newsletter, you need qualified email addresses – that is, addresses from people who have subscribed to your newsletter.

 

Now, a newsletter, especially one with over 50 subscribers, needs to be managed, maintained, and organized. And this is crucial, as a newsletter, when used correctly, is a very effective marketing tool. But how do you do that?

 

The best tool for this is the one from AWeberIt is a very powerful tool that leaves nothing to be desired.

 

Here's a list of everything you can do with this tool:

 

  1. send out newsletters
  2. Newsletter registration forms (on the Website) create
  3. Acquire, manage, and segment subscribers
  4. Automatic email sending to new subscribers
  5. About 150 HTML-E-mail-Templates:
  6. RSS integration
  7. Statistics

This was just an introduction. We will delve deeper into this topic and specifically into AWeber's tool in future articles.

 

If you would like to start testing yourself or perhaps even subscribe, you can do this. here do.

 

Written by:

Maxi Maxhuni

Maxi Maxhuni

Maxi is an expert in digital marketing and SEO with a special focus on sustainable customer acquisition strategies. With years of experience...

Similar articles:

Request free SEO consultation

Enter your details and we will contact you 📅

    Increase your traffic!

    Analyze your website now ➜

    Switzerland Flag