Most website visitors don’t convert on their first visit. In fact, studies show that only 2-3% of users take action immediately, while the remaining 97-98% leave without purchasing or signing up.
That’s where remarketing (also called retargeting) comes in. By showing targeted ads to people who have already interacted with your brand, you can bring them back and increase conversions significantly.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to use remarketing effectively in your paid traffic campaigns to get more sales, leads, and engagement.
1. What is Remarketing and How Does It Work?
Remarketing is a digital advertising strategy that targets users who have previously visited your website, engaged with your content, or interacted with your brand.
📌 How Remarketing Works:
1️⃣ A visitor lands on your website but doesn’t convert.
2️⃣ A tracking pixel (Facebook Pixel, Google Tag, etc.) collects their data.
3️⃣ They leave your site and continue browsing the internet.
4️⃣ Your ad appears on social media, YouTube, or other websites to remind them of your offer.
5️⃣ They click the ad and return to complete the conversion.
💡 Pro Tip: Remarketing keeps your brand top-of-mind and encourages users to take action.
2. Why is Remarketing Important?
If you’re not using remarketing, you’re losing potential customers who were already interested in your offer.
✅ Benefits of Remarketing:
✔ Higher Conversion Rates – Targets users who are already familiar with your brand.
✔ Lower Cost Per Acquisition (CPA) – Remarketing ads are cheaper than regular cold traffic ads.
✔ Improved Ad Relevance – Since users already engaged with your site, they are more likely to convert.
✔ Stronger Brand Recall – People need to see an offer multiple times before taking action.
💡 Pro Tip: Remarketing ads often have a 2-3x higher ROI than standard prospecting ads.
3. Types of Remarketing Campaigns
There are different remarketing strategies depending on your goal and audience behavior.
📌 1️⃣ Website Remarketing (Pixel-Based Retargeting)
✔ Shows ads to people who visited your website but didn’t convert.
✔ Best for bringing back users to complete a purchase or sign-up.
📌 Example:
✔ A user visits your e-commerce site and views a pair of shoes but doesn’t buy.
✔ Later, they see a Facebook ad saying: “Still thinking about these shoes? Get 10% off today!”
💡 Pro Tip: Set up Google Ads Remarketing and Facebook Pixel Retargeting to track website visitors.
📌 2️⃣ Cart Abandonment Remarketing
✔ Targets users who added products to their cart but didn’t check out.
✔ Best for recovering lost sales.
📌 Example:
✔ A user adds a phone case to their cart but leaves before paying.
✔ They later see an ad saying: “Complete your order now and get FREE shipping!”
💡 Pro Tip: Offer an extra incentive (discount, free shipping, or bonus gift) to increase conversions.
📌 3️⃣ Video Remarketing (YouTube & Social Media)
✔ Shows ads to people who watched a portion of your video but didn’t take action.
✔ Best for engaging warm leads and driving traffic back to your site.
📌 Example:
✔ A user watches 50% of your webinar ad on YouTube.
✔ They later see an ad saying: “Finish watching and claim your FREE eBook!”
💡 Pro Tip: Retarget users who watched at least 50% of your video to increase engagement.
📌 4️⃣ Email List Remarketing
✔ Uses your email list to show ads to past leads or customers.
✔ Best for upselling, cross-selling, or re-engaging old customers.
📌 Example:
✔ A user bought a laptop 3 months ago.
✔ They now see an ad saying: “Upgrade your setup with a new wireless mouse – Special discount for returning customers!”
💡 Pro Tip: Upload your email list to Facebook & Google Ads to retarget past leads and buyers.
📌 5️⃣ Dynamic Product Remarketing (E-commerce Focused)
✔ Shows ads featuring specific products users viewed.
✔ Best for e-commerce brands with multiple products.
📌 Example:
✔ A user views a black leather bag but doesn’t purchase.
✔ Later, they see a Facebook ad showing that exact black leather bag with a discount.
💡 Pro Tip: Use Dynamic Ads on Facebook & Google Shopping Ads to personalize product recommendations.
4. How to Set Up a Remarketing Campaign
✅ Step 1: Install a Tracking Pixel
To track visitors, you need to install a tracking pixel on your website.
✔ Google Ads → Use Google Tag Manager to set up remarketing tags.
✔ Facebook & Instagram Ads → Install Facebook Pixel to track user activity.
✔ YouTube Ads → Set up Google Ads Video Retargeting.
💡 Pro Tip: Use Google Analytics to create detailed remarketing audiences.
✅ Step 2: Create a Remarketing Audience
Once the pixel collects data, you can create custom audiences.
📌 Best Audience Segments for Remarketing:
✔ Users who visited your website in the last 30-60 days.
✔ People who added products to cart but didn’t buy.
✔ Visitors who viewed key pages (pricing, product page, etc.).
✔ Users who watched your video but didn’t click the CTA.
💡 Pro Tip: Exclude users who already converted to avoid wasting ad spend.
✅ Step 3: Design a High-Converting Ad
Your remarketing ad should be specific and compelling to encourage users to return.
📌 Best Practices for Remarketing Ads:
✔ Use urgency – “Limited Time Offer – 24 Hours Left!”
✔ Personalize messaging – “Still interested in [Product Name]?”
✔ Offer an incentive – “Come back now and get 10% OFF!”
✔ Use high-quality visuals – Show the exact product the user viewed.
💡 Pro Tip: A/B test different ad creatives and offers to find what converts best.
✅ Step 4: Set Up Budget & Bidding Strategy
Since remarketing targets warm leads, you can allocate a higher budget to maximize ROI.
📌 Best Bidding Strategies for Remarketing:
✔ Maximize Conversions – Lets Google optimize for the best results.
✔ Target CPA (Cost Per Acquisition) – Controls costs while maximizing conversions.
✔ Manual CPC – Gives full control over cost per click.
💡 Pro Tip: Start with a small budget and scale as performance improves.
Final Thoughts: How Remarketing Boosts Conversions
Remarketing is one of the most cost-effective paid traffic strategies. It helps businesses re-engage potential customers, recover lost sales, and increase conversion rates.
📌 Key Takeaways:
✅ Use website & cart abandonment remarketing to recover lost sales.
✅ Leverage video & email list remarketing to engage past leads.
✅ Set up dynamic product ads for personalized retargeting.
✅ Optimize ad creatives with urgency, discounts, and clear CTAs.
✅ Monitor performance and adjust bidding strategies for better ROI.
🚀 Now it’s your turn! Start using remarketing today and watch your conversions grow!