It’s tough enough coaxing traffic to your ecommerce site. But even tougher on the psyche when those eager visitors bounce before they buy. Clearly an unfortunate turn of events. Nevertheless, in many cases, brand marketers can capture at least some of the ones who got away. For this, there’s the magic of retargeting.
Basically, retargeting utilizes a sophisticated code, known as a ‘cookie’ to track visitors after they jump from the ecommerce site and wander to the greener pastures of other websites or pages. At key moments, the tracking mechanism kicks into gear, displaying one of the brand’s ads on whatever web page the followed individual happens to be sitting on. This reminder ad, it is hoped, will capture interest and eventually prompt a purchase.
Ecommerce marketers can be amply rewarded for their retargeting efforts. Research shows that such follow up marketing boosts a brand’s conversion chances by a staggering 70%. It’s also interesting to note that only 2% of first-time visitors actually buy something. The remaining 98%, therefore, is massive pool of potential sales that clearly should be mined to the hilt.
Does retargeting sound like a good way to go? Well, brands can make the good even better by following these retargeting guidelines:
First, aim for visitors who’ve demonstrated a clear interest in your brand (as shown by the initial visit). But don’t overdo. Retargeted ads should be steady without reaching the saturation point, a level guaranteed to exasperate recipients and drive them away in droves. According to experts, 20 ads per month and 2-3 per day are the recommended limits.
Second, be consistently relevant. Brand marketers can achieve this objective through precision segmentation -- dividing customers into groups according to their demographic or geographic characteristics.
Finally, recognize that certain customer groups should not be targeted and therefore must be dropped from your bulging list. Among these groups, believe it or not, are buyers. That’s right. There’s no need to retarget the savvy folks who’ve purchased your product, as they’ve already done the good deed. An ad storm likely will trigger immediate annoyance and create ideal conditions for conversion – to an ex-customer.
If you have questions or comments about retargeting, or any other brand-related topic, feel free to send them our way. You can connect with the Young Company team at 949-376-8404 or bart@youngcompany.com. And be sure to follow us for the latest brand marketing news and tips.