Retargeting: Guide to Exit-Intent Strategies For E-Commerce

Retargeting is a digital marketing strategy that involves targeting users who have previously interacted with your website or mobile app. It's a powerful tool that can significantly increase your conversion rates and ROI. This glossary entry will provide a comprehensive guide to retargeting, focusing specifically on exit-intent strategies for e-commerce.

Exit-intent strategies are techniques used to engage users who are about to leave your website. These strategies can involve presenting the user with a special offer, a reminder of items left in their shopping cart, or a request to subscribe to a newsletter. The goal is to convert a potential exit into a successful action.

Understanding Retargeting

Retargeting, also known as remarketing, is a form of online advertising that allows you to keep your brand in front of bounced traffic after they leave your website. For most websites, only 2% of web traffic converts on the first visit. Retargeting is a tool designed to help companies reach the 98% of users who don’t convert right away.

Retargeting works by placing a small, unobtrusive piece of code on your website (this code is sometimes referred to as a pixel). The code, or pixel, is unnoticeable to your site visitors and won’t affect your site’s performance. Every time a new visitor comes to your site, the code drops an anonymous browser cookie. Later, when your cookied visitors browse the web, the cookie will let your retargeting provider know when to serve ads, ensuring that your ads are served only to people who have previously visited your site.

Types of Retargeting

There are two main types of retargeting: pixel-based and list-based. Pixel-based retargeting is the most common type and works by using cookies to track visitors on your website. The pixel is triggered when a visitor browses your site, and they are "cookied." Once they leave your site, they can start seeing ads for your site elsewhere on the internet.

List-based retargeting, on the other hand, works after you have already collected some information about your visitors, typically in the form of an email list. When the users visit a social media site or another platform where they use the same email address, they can see your ads.

Benefits of Retargeting

Retargeting is a powerful branding and conversion optimization tool, but it works best if it’s part of a larger digital strategy. Strategies involving content marketing, AdWords, and targeted display are great for driving traffic, but they don’t help with conversion optimization. Conversely, retargeting can help increase conversions but it can’t drive people to your site. Your best chance of success is using one or more tools to drive traffic and retargeting to get the most out of that traffic.

Retargeting is a great way to re-engage visitors who left your website without making a purchase. By displaying personalized ads based on the products or services they viewed on your website, you can increase the likelihood of them returning and making a purchase. It's also a great way to increase brand awareness and stay top-of-mind with your audience.

Understanding Exit-Intent Strategies

Exit-intent strategies are techniques used to engage users who are about to leave your website. These strategies can involve presenting the user with a special offer, a reminder of items left in their shopping cart, or a request to subscribe to a newsletter. The goal is to convert a potential exit into a successful action.

Exit-intent technology works by tracking the user's mouse movements and velocity to predict when they are about to leave a webpage. When the technology predicts an exit, it triggers a pop-up message or special offer to try and engage the user and encourage them to stay on the site.

Types of Exit-Intent Strategies

There are several types of exit-intent strategies that e-commerce businesses can use. One common strategy is to offer a discount or special offer. This can be a percentage off the user's purchase, free shipping, or a free gift with purchase. The goal is to provide an incentive for the user to complete their purchase.

Another common exit-intent strategy is to remind users of items left in their shopping cart. This strategy is effective because it reminds users of what they were interested in and encourages them to complete their purchase. It can also be combined with a special offer to provide an extra incentive.

Benefits of Exit-Intent Strategies

Exit-intent strategies can significantly increase your conversion rates and ROI. By engaging users who are about to leave your website, you can turn potential exits into successful actions. This can result in more sales, more newsletter subscriptions, and more user engagement.

Exit-intent strategies can also provide valuable insights into user behavior. By tracking which offers or messages are most effective at engaging users, you can refine your strategies and improve your results over time. This can lead to a more effective and efficient marketing strategy.

Combining Retargeting and Exit-Intent Strategies

Retargeting and exit-intent strategies can be used together to create a powerful e-commerce marketing strategy. By using retargeting, you can engage users who have left your site and encourage them to return. Then, by using exit-intent strategies, you can engage users who are about to leave your site and encourage them to stay.

This combination can result in a significant increase in conversion rates and ROI. It can also provide valuable insights into user behavior, allowing you to refine your strategies and improve your results over time.

Best Practices for Combining Retargeting and Exit-Intent Strategies

When combining retargeting and exit-intent strategies, it's important to remember that not all users are the same. Different users may respond to different strategies, so it's important to test different approaches and see what works best for your audience.

It's also important to remember that timing is key. You don't want to bombard users with too many messages or offers, as this can be overwhelming and lead to a negative user experience. Instead, try to time your strategies so that they are most effective.

Examples of Successful Retargeting and Exit-Intent Strategies

Many e-commerce businesses have successfully combined retargeting and exit-intent strategies to increase their conversion rates and ROI. For example, some businesses use retargeting to remind users of items left in their shopping cart, then use an exit-intent strategy to offer a discount or special offer when the user tries to leave the site.

Other businesses use retargeting to increase brand awareness and stay top-of-mind with their audience, then use an exit-intent strategy to engage users who are about to leave the site. This can result in more sales, more newsletter subscriptions, and more user engagement.

Conclusion

Retargeting and exit-intent strategies are powerful tools that can significantly increase your e-commerce conversion rates and ROI. By understanding these strategies and how to use them effectively, you can engage users, increase sales, and improve your overall marketing strategy.

Remember, the key to successful retargeting and exit-intent strategies is testing and refinement. By tracking your results and refining your strategies based on what works best for your audience, you can continually improve your results and achieve your e-commerce goals.