Website Marketing Firms give an Inside Look at Retargeting

This post is courtesy of Cameron Madill, CEO of Synotac.com. Located in Portland, Oregon, Synotac is a website marketing firm, specializing in website redesigns and digital marketing programs.

Retargeting is the practice of targeting website visitors who left a page without converting (that is, purchasing a product, signing up for membership and so on).

With only about 2 percent of website visitors turning into customers during their first visit, web design companies can help you give incorporate population-friendly, non-invasive reminders that your site exists.

How Retargeting Works

Let’s say you visit an online shop that sells a product of interest.

You click through the site a bit and leave without making a purchase.

Then, when you visit other websites, you see ads for the online shop you previously visited in banners and sidebars – these appear because of the information provided by cookies.

The hope of the company is that you’ll see an ad (which is also called a display asset) with an attractive offer, click on it and make a purchase.

Website marketing firms help clients develop retargeting ads as a type of lead nurturing campaign that helps prospective customers move from the “I was just looking” stage to the “I’m ready to make a purchase” stage.

Retargeting Best Practices

Smart targeting: Segmenting is the name web design companies use for strategic targeting. Segmenting is based on the principle that you can’t target every visitor in the same manner. Instead, you focus on those who are most ready to take action or convert, because they are your most valuable clients (or segments). For example, a segment can be a group of visitors who placed items in virtual shopping carts but abandoned them. Another segment can be current (converted) customers who are likely to purchase complementary products. After you identify your site’s different segments, list them in order of value; those with the most value will offer the best conversion rates. With the help of a web marketer, you can determine the appropriate frequency setting and pixel length for each segment so your retargeting ads give you the right amount of exposure.

Test, test, test: To learn how effective a retargeting ad is, conduct A/B testing on offers, messages, displays, incentives and frequency of impressions. Web marketing firms often have the tools to conduct such tests. By testing your ads in a controlled environment, you can evaluate their quality and effectiveness before they’re live on the internet. This way, only your most effective retargeting ads greet your prospects at the right moment, thus saving you time and the expenses that come with trial-and-error marketing.

Listen to the public: The last thing that you want to be is creepy and annoying to prospective or current customers. Internet users are catching on to retargeting techniques and will publicly complain via social media if your ads are too frequent. If you notice complaints about your ads in any social media channels, turn down their frequency.

Invest in quality ads: A low-quality display asset, or ad, can be just as detrimental (if not more so) as one that’s too pervasive. Retargeting ads are a big part of a prospect’s browsing experience, so it’s important that they look good. Website marketing firms suggest making a set of ads in different sizes so they look great on any page. Also, bear in mind that quality ads use language that’s tailored to the segment you’re retargeting; have an effective call to action; and maintain your brand’s integrity.

Placement control: If you’re not careful, your prospects may view your ads on sites where you don’t want your display assets seen, or a site with which you don’t want to be associated. For example, if you sell children’s clothing online, you may not want your ads to appear on adult-themed sites. You can control where your ads show up by using negative keywords and the option to exclude categories that are inappropriate.

Retargeting is a smart and effective way to nurture leads so the customers who got away come back to you. Just like any marketing endeavor, your retargeting efforts should be part of a dedicated campaign that has a clear plan and goals. Web marketing firms can help you find a focus and get started.