Retargeting is the closest thing to a sure bet in paid advertising. You're showing ads to people who already know you. They've visited your site. They've seen your products. They just need a nudge.
Here's how to build retargeting campaigns that convert without annoying your audience.
Segment Your Audiences
Not all website visitors are equal. Someone who viewed a product is hotter than someone who bounced from the homepage. Treat them differently.
Basic segments:
- All website visitors (broad, low intent)
- Product viewers (medium intent)
- Add to cart (high intent)
- Checkout initiated (very high intent)
- Past purchasers (retention, not acquisition)
Match Message to Intent
Your ad should match where they are in the journey.
Homepage bouncers: Brand awareness. Social proof. Why you exist.
Product viewers: Specific product benefits. Reviews. Comparisons.
Cart abandoners: Reminder with urgency. Maybe a discount.
Checkout abandoners: Remove friction. Address objections. Offer help.
Frequency Capping
This is where most people screw up. Showing someone the same ad 47 times doesn't make them buy. It makes them hate you.
Set frequency caps:
- Meta: 2-3 impressions per day per person
- Google Display: 3-5 impressions per day
- YouTube: 2-3 per week
If someone hasn't converted after seeing your ad 10-15 times, they're probably not going to. Let them go.
Time Windows
Shorter windows mean hotter audiences but smaller reach. Longer windows mean bigger audiences but colder intent.
Recommended windows:
- Cart abandoners: 1-7 days (hot, act fast)
- Product viewers: 7-14 days
- All visitors: 14-30 days
- Past purchasers: 30-90 days (for replenishment)
Creative Rotation
People tune out the same ad. Rotate creatives every 1-2 weeks. Show different angles, different social proof, different offers.
Sequence your messaging:
- Week 1: Product benefits and features
- Week 2: Social proof and reviews
- Week 3: Urgency or limited offer
- Week 4: New creative angle
Exclusions Are Critical
Exclude recent purchasers from acquisition retargeting. Nobody wants to see an ad for something they just bought. It's wasteful and annoying.
Also exclude people who have seen too many ads (high frequency) and people who have complained or hidden your ads.
Budget Allocation
Retargeting should be 15-30% of your total ad budget. It's efficient, but the audiences are small. You can't scale retargeting infinitely.
Prioritize by intent:
- Cart/checkout abandoners (highest priority)
- Product viewers
- All visitors
Measure Incrementality
Some retargeting conversions would have happened anyway. Run holdout tests occasionally. Exclude 10% of your retargeting audience and compare conversion rates.
If the non-retargeted group converts at almost the same rate, your retargeting might not be adding as much value as you think.