Retargeting ads are an invaluable tool for eCommerce marketers because when used correctly, they can help maximize spending while increasing customer engagement.
Retargeting campaigns provide the opportunity to reach customers who have previously interacted with your business’s website or mobile application. This allows your eCommerce site to utilize more targeted messaging that resonates better with potential buyers.
By using remarketing strategies such as marketing funnels and responsive adverts to create retargeting ads, eCommerce sellers like you can increase ROI by optimizing the effectiveness of retargeting efforts. In this blog post, we will discuss some highly effective retargeting ads that can be used to get the most out of your digital marketing strategy.
Retargeting campaigns are used to reach customers who have already visited your seller website, app, or social media profile. This is different from marketing strategies such as SEO and PPC, which are used to reach potential leads who have not yet interacted with your business.
In a typical retargeting campaign, ads are served up to customers based on their previous interactions with your store. For example, if someone visits your online store but doesn’t make a purchase, you can serve them an ad that offers a discount on the item they were browsing. By tailoring the messaging of each ad to fit the customer’s needs or interests, you can increase conversions and maximize ROI.
There are various kinds of retargeting ad campaigns that savvy eCommerce sellers can take advantage of. These include techniques such as abandoned cart ads, win-back campaigns, and cross-sell/upsell ads. Each of these types of retargeting campaigns has its own purpose and can be used to great effect in increasing both customer engagement and overall spending.
Abandoned Cart Ads
Abandoned cart ads are one of the most effective retargeting campaigns for eCommerce sellers. As the name suggests, these kinds of ads target customers who have left items in their online shopping cart without completing their purchase. By providing your target audience with an opportunity to revisit their abandoned cart and complete a purchase, your business is able to increase conversions.
You can further optimize this type of ad by including a discount code or other incentive that encourages users to complete the final purchase. This strategy is especially effective if your would-be buyer has already shown some level of intent from previous online visits.
Additionally, you can customize your site's messages for each user depending on how far along they were in the checkout process. For example, a customer who has completed every other step but just needs a final push to finish the transaction could be reminded about any loyalty program or discounts available to them.
You should also consider setting up automated abandoned cart emails that get sent out whenever a customer abandons an item in their cart. This increases top-of-mind awareness, providing an additional touchpoint for customers and giving them extra reminders about any products they have already shown an interest in purchasing.
Win-back campaigns are another example of effective retargeting ads in the eCommerce sphere. These types of campaigns are used to reach out to customers who have not made a purchase in a while or who may have stopped visiting your website or app altogether.
By targeting these customers with specific messaging, you can gently encourage them to come back and make their first new purchase in a while.
These types of campaigns typically involve email marketing, personalized recommendations, and social media retargeting outreach. For example, your team could send out emails offering special discounts on certain qualifying orders.
You could also provide these kinds of customers with personalized recommendations based on previous purchases or past browsing history. In addition, you can use social media platforms, such as through Facebook retargeting campaigns or Google ads, to reach out to target audiences and remind them about products they may be interested in purchasing.
Win-back campaigns also provide the opportunity to upsell current customers by offering them discounts on higher-priced items that are related to items they've previously bought. For instance, if a customer has purchased a smartphone case from your online store, you could next target them with an ad for a new phone accessory or a wireless charging device with a discount code attached.
Cross-Sell/Upsell Ads
With cross-sell/upsell ads, your online business can target customers who have already made a purchase with advertisements for similar products that may be of interest to them. By offering product recommendations based on previous purchases, you can provide potential customers with more personalized and relevant messaging and thereby increase your site's ROI
The primary advantage of these types of targeted ads is that their added level of personalization and convenience tends to resonate better with potential buyers. By catering your ads to what a customer already wants, you make it easier for them to make the purchasing decision you want them to.
By strategically utilizing cross-sell/upsell ads, you can not only maximize customer spending but also deepen customer engagement. These types of campaigns provide your business with the opportunity to reach out to current and potential buyers with more personalized messaging that resonates better and encourages a higher conversion rate.
The Ad Funnel Concept
All of these marketing techniques work thanks to the power of the ad funnel. Ad funnels allow businesses to segment customers into smaller groups based on their level of engagement and intent. This allows your business to focus its message on users who already have some degree of interest in what you are offering, thus increasing your chances of securing a sale at your online store.
By creating a series of well-targeted retargeting ads that build off each other, you can create an effective ad funnel that increases customer engagement and overall spending. For example, you could start with a broad remarketing campaign targeting all website visitors to your site or app.
From there, you could move on to more specific campaigns such as abandoned cart or win-back ads that target users based on their previous website visits or purchases. Finally, you could use cross-sell/upsell campaigns in order to upsell current customers while also providing potential buyers with product recommendations tailored to their needs.
The only thing better than an idea that sounds great on paper is a concept that actually works in practice. Here are a few examples of effective retargeting ads in the eCommerce space:
1. Amazon
Amazon is well-known for its retargeting campaigns, such as its "items you left in your cart" email notifications. By taking advantage of abandoned carts, Amazon is able to increase its already-impressive sales conversion rates.
2. Starbucks
Starbucks marketing often features personalized messages based on a customer’s previous purchases through their app. They also take advantage of location-based targeting to remind customers about specific drinks they may be interested in ordering when they're near one of their stores.
3. Zara
Zara takes advantage of email marketing and social media outreach to get in touch with past customers. The clothing giant then provides new offers and promotions for current products that could pique the interest of re-converted buyers.
4. Nike
Nike's classic ad funnels allow them to track how customers interact with different parts of their website or app so that they can target specific groups with different types of ads depending on their level of engagement.
5. eBay
eBay lets its users take advantage of responsive advertising campaigns that adjust each ad based on buyer activity. This allows sellers to provide customers with personalized recommendations that meet them where they're at.
To create ads that form part of a retargeting platform within your eCommerce business, here are some steps to get started:
Study up on the different types of retargeting ad campaigns you can use to reach potential buyers.
Use ad funnels to track how customers interact with your website or app. This lets you target them with specific messages that resonate better with each individual buyer.
Create responsive search ads that adjust content based on where people have interacted in the past. This develops a more personalized experience for customers, which in turn increases your chances of making a sale.
Set up personalized remarketing campaigns tailored specifically for individual customers based on data from past interactions with your website or app. This can help increase customer loyalty.
Monitor the performance of your retargeting campaigns so you can make adjustments and optimize them for better results.
Retargeting campaigns are an effective tool for eCommerce sellers looking to maximize their spending and increase customer buy-in. By leveraging the power of ad funnels, responsive ads, and personalized messaging, your online store can create a retargeting ad campaign that helps drive more sales with less effort.
If you need help implementing some of these changes to your marketing strategy, our team of experts is here to help with all your eCommerce marketing needs. Interested in e-commerce paid advertising services? Contact our team at Bluetuskr, an e-commerce marketing agency today for more information on how we can help take your online store to the next level!