What Is Retargeting?
Quick Definition
Retargeting is an online advertising strategy that shows targeted ads to people who have previously visited your website or interacted with your brand, encouraging them to return and convert.
Retargeting (also called remarketing) is a digital advertising technique that serves ads specifically to people who have already visited your website. When someone visits your site but doesn't convert, a small piece of code (a "pixel") places a cookie in their browser. This allows ad platforms to show your ads to that specific person as they browse other websites, social media, or search engines.
The logic behind retargeting is simple: someone who has already visited your site has demonstrated interest in your product or service. They're a much warmer audience than someone who's never heard of you. Retargeting keeps your brand in front of them and encourages them to return and complete their purchase or inquiry.
Retargeting can be segmented based on behavior. You can show different ads to people who visited your pricing page (they're close to buying) vs. people who only viewed a blog post (they're still learning). You can retarget cart abandoners with the specific products they left behind, or show testimonial-focused ads to people who viewed your services page.
Major retargeting platforms include Google Ads (Display Network and Search), Meta (Facebook and Instagram), LinkedIn, and programmatic platforms. Each offers different targeting options and creative formats, from display banners to video ads to native content.
Why It Matters
Only about 2-3% of website visitors convert on their first visit. Retargeting gives you another chance to reach the other 97% who left without taking action. Because these people already know your brand, retargeting ads typically have 10x higher click-through rates and significantly lower cost-per-conversion than regular display ads.
Retargeting is one of the most cost-effective advertising strategies available because you're spending money on people who have already expressed interest, rather than trying to reach cold audiences.
Real-World Examples
An e-commerce store retargets cart abandoners with ads showing the exact products they left behind, recovering 15% of abandoned carts
A SaaS company shows a case study video ad to people who visited their features page but didn't sign up, resulting in a 22% lower cost-per-trial than cold traffic campaigns
A travel agency retargets people who searched for specific destinations with personalized package deals, achieving a 5x return on ad spend
A B2B company runs sequential retargeting: first showing brand awareness ads, then testimonials, then a limited-time offer, guiding prospects through the funnel over 30 days
Related Terms
PPC (Pay-Per-Click)
PPC is an online advertising model where advertisers pay a fee each time someone clicks their ad, commonly used on search engines like Google and social media platforms.
Conversion Rate
Conversion rate is the percentage of website visitors who complete a desired action, such as making a purchase, filling out a form, or signing up for a newsletter.
CPC (Cost Per Click)
CPC is an advertising metric that measures the average cost paid by an advertiser each time a user clicks on their ad, used to evaluate and optimize pay-per-click campaigns.
ROI (Return on Investment)
ROI is a performance metric that measures the profitability of an investment by comparing the net profit or loss relative to its cost, expressed as a percentage.
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