How many of your customers do you think are ready to make a purchase when they come across your brand or product for the first time? The answer might surprise you. Many local businesses do a good job of marketing. However, many of them drop the ball when it comes to following up on their initial marketing - and that can hurt them. Marketing is not a one-time encounter with a customer. It's an ongoing effort, a way to build relationships and convince customers that your product or service is the best solution to their problems.
The importance of retargeting
Research shows that only a small percentage of customers convert (i.e. make a purchase) on their first visit to a website or online shop. This means that the overwhelming majority of people who click on an advert or social media post do not make a purchase. How can you get these people to come back to your website? The answer is retargeting.
Retargeting is a form of advertising that is specifically aimed at people who have visited your website. For example, you can target people who have visited your opt-in page without signing up to your list, or people who have added items to their basket but not completed the purchase. Most customers need an average of eight encounters with a brand or product before they make a purchase, especially if it's a new brand.
This means that retargeting is your best option for targeting leads and converting them into paying - and hopefully returning - customers. All you need to do to make retargeting work for you is to install a Java code on your site. The code installs a cookie that tracks the customer's actions and allows you to follow up when necessary.
Secure retargeting options
The good news is that you have several options when it comes to retargeting potential customers. Here are three methods you can use.
Method #1: Facebook Retargeting
One of the most popular retargeting methods is offered by the social media giant Facebook. With well over a billion users, many of whom are highly engaged and visit the site daily, Facebook is a powerful marketing tool for local businesses. Facebook's retargeting tools are easy to use. All you need to do is install a Facebook pixel on the page you want to use to create your target audience. The pixel tracks the behaviour of visitors to your page and allows you to create a custom audience based on this information. As mentioned above, you could choose to target people who have visited your site without making a purchase. Once the cookies are installed and you create your ad campaign, Facebook will only show your ad to people who have your cookie stored on their computer. This means that you pay for the people you have targeted, but not for others. This makes Facebook retargeting a cost-effective way to build your list or increase your sales. One option to keep in mind when using Facebook is the "Call Now" feature. This is a feature specifically for mobile users who can call your business with the touch of a button. If you choose to target your advertising to mobile users, the "Call Now" feature is a great way to connect.
Method #2: Adroll Retargeting
The second method you can use for retargeting offers the ability to reach potential customers almost anywhere they are online. Adroll is an online advertising service that offers retargeting as one of its options. Because it has access to all major Internet ad services, it can place ads on any of its partner websites, giving you multiple ways to reach your target audience. The basic setup is the same as Facebook. You install a bit of Java code on your homepage and specify what information you want to collect. One of the advantages of Adroll is that you can segment your list. This means that you can target customers who have viewed specific products. For example, a customer who has looked at jumpers on your website could be shown an advert featuring one of those jumpers. This is a more personalised way of retargeting and can be very effective. In addition to general internet retargeting, Adroll also offers specialised options such as Facebook and Twitter retargeting and mobile customer retargeting.
Method #3: Google AdWords Remarketing
There's no denying the importance of Google for local businesses. Whilst competition for the top keywords can be fierce, local keywords are generally less expensive and less competitive than general keywords. Google is the largest search engine in the world and is likely to be the first port of call for any potential customers visiting your website. It is also a likely destination for people who leave your website without making a purchase. Google offers several ways to retarget your customers.
- Standard retargeting targets customers as they browse websites and apps on the Google Display Network
- Dynamic retargeting targets customers with specific products or messages based on their browsing behaviour with you
- Mobile retargeting targets people who have used your mobile app or website while using other mobile apps or websites on the Google network
- Search retargeting targets people who have visited your website when searching for related products on Google
- Video retargeting finds your customers on YouTube, which is owned by Google, and shows them video adverts before they watch a video
The beauty of all three methods is that you have a lot of leeway when it comes to who you want to target - and how you want to target them. Best practice for retargeting suggests that it's best to target customers based on specific actions they take on your website, rather than using generic targeting. By reminding customers that they have items in their shopping cart or that they were interested in a particular product, you significantly increase the likelihood that they will return to your website - and make a purchase.
Deutsch 
English (UK)