How Does Remarketing Work?
One of the most common forms of remarketing usually works like this:
- A consumer visits your website and is cookied - This basically means that the individual's browser is 'tagged' so that other websites will know that this person has previously visited your website.
- As the consumer continues to browse the Web, comparison shop, etc., your ads will 'follow' the individual - As your former website visitors go to other websites within your remarketing ad network (IE Google Adwords), they will see your ads.
- Users can click on your ads and return to your landing page.
Why Remarketing Works
Re-marketing is quickly becoming a part of many businesses online marketing mix because it's an extremely logical and targeted marketing tactic compared to standard banner advertising. It's an effective branding and sales tool because it helps Web businesses to build a relationship with a website visitor beyond their initial visit. Since many visitors will come to your website and never return again, remarketing helps to bring them back and allow you to improve your conversions and branding.
Remarketing can be extremely effective when applied correctly. Some practical remarketing applications include:
- A busy eCommerce (shopping) website remarkets to all visitors who filled a shopping cart, but failed to checkout and complete the purchase. In this case, the remarketing campaign can encourage them to checkout, possibly by offering a small discount or other incentive.
- A B2B (business-to-business) company with a long sales-cycle 'follows' website visitors to keep on the top of their mind and to better brand themselves.
- A lead-generation microsite re-markets all prospects who did not convert.
- A hotel/resort website re-markets to visitors who are likely comparison shopping or doing vacation research on other travel websites.
While there are many options for remarketing, Google Adwords offers the largest network so it's usually the best place to start.
Quick Re-marketing Tips:
- Utilize ad and landing page creative keeping in the mind the existing relationship which you have with your remarketing audience. For example: Did your audience fill a shopping cart without completing the purchase? If so, give them a 10% discount and use your shopping cart page as the ad landing page.
- Consider your remarketing cookie-length. In short, you can set the remarketing cookie to last any period of time. If you're buying-cycle is short, you may not want to waste money showing ads to prospects for a long period time. Alternatively, if your buying cycle is long, make sure your showing ads for several months following your audience members' first visits.
