Have you ever visited a website for the first time, and then noticed in the following days and weeks that ads for that website (or its products) seemed to be popping up all over your browser while you were navigating elsewhere?

You were being subjected to remarketing (also known as retargeting), and it’s an approach to online advertising that has proven highly effective for many companies.

What is Remarketing?

It’s a cookie-based technology that strategically directs your ads to people who have visited your site in the past. Set-up involves embedding a pixel, or small snippet of code, on your website. This invisible and non-intrusive tag adds cookie IDs from your visitors to a collection, which becomes your remarketing list. You can then tailor your Google AdWords campaigns to target individuals on this list, who already have some level of familiarity with your brand.

Why is Remarketing Effective?

If someone visited your website, chances are they did so for a reason. Perhaps they were browsing your products or services, or they were comparison shopping, or they simply stumbled upon it randomly while clicking around. Whatever the case, they are more likely to have a meaningful interest in your company and what you sell than the average internet user.

Studies show that somewhere between 2 and 3 percent of first-time visitors to a website actually make a purchase. Converting even a small fraction of the remaining percentage can pay enormous dividends. If they weren’t ready to buy when they first stopped by your site, maybe the timing will be better when they see your ad pop up on a Google search, or on a YouTube video, or as a banner on another site (maybe even a competitor’s!). Remarketing allows you to customize your messaging with the knowledge that the viewer has encountered your brand before.

Per Criteo, a retargeted website visitor is 70 percent more likely to convert.

Remarketing Tips

• Build that list! A remarketing campaign cannot be launched on Google until you have compiled at least 100 active cookie IDs.
• Your ads will be more effective if they are specifically tailored to the target audience for maximum relevancy.
• Along those lines, give the user a reason to come back to your site. Specialized discounts or announcements of new products can work very well.
• Be patient. Sometimes remarketing campaigns can take a few weeks or months to show results, but the statistics are clear: they work.
• Allow a professional to help set up your campaign. Tinkering with the code on your website can be dangerous if not handled by an expert.

Want to learn more about Top Source Media’s paid marketing services? Check out our PPC page and get in touch with us today!