Don’t want visitors to leave money on your doorstep?
Say hello to a problem every ecommerce store shares.
Traffic visits your website, searches for products, adds items to their cart… and disappears.
That’s right. All signs point to a purchase and then. poof. They’re gone.
This has to stop.
The facts:
Online stores experience an average cart abandonment rate of over 70%. That’s according to recent research by Baymard Institute. Seven out of ten shoppers are leaving your store without buying.
The good news?
Online remarketing campaigns exist to win those lost customers back. And when implemented correctly they’re phenomenally effective.
So let’s take a closer look at ecommerce remarketing campaigns.
Outline
- What Are Ecommerce Remarketing Campaigns?
- Why Does Remarketing Work So Effectively For Online Stores?
- 4 Types Of Remarketing Strategies That Convert Shoppers
- Setting Up Your First Campaign
What Are Ecommerce Remarketing Campaigns?
Ecommerce remarketing campaigns are online ads that target past visitors to your store.
Let’s think about this through a practical example…
Alice searches for trainers on your website but doesn’t buy. Hours later she’s scrolling through Facebook when BAM! There’s an ad featuring the exact same trainers she viewed on your site.
That right there is remarketing.
Ecommerce remarketing campaigns use tracking pixels and cookies to identify previous visitors to your store. Then continue to target them with personalised ads across various platforms.
Reminding them of the products they viewed and encouraging them to return to complete their purchase.
Successful remarketing relies heavily on detailed tracking so most ecommerce owners will utilise PPC ecommerce services to optimise results without overspending on poorly targeted ads.
Why Does Remarketing Work So Effectively For Online Stores?
Online remarketing isn’t simply another marketing strategy you can throw into the mix. It’s one of the most powerful tools in your ecommerce marketing toolkit.
Here’s why…
We’re not talking about unqualified leads here. These are shoppers that have already taken action.
They visited your site. Searched for products. Added items to their cart. At some point during their journey they became a qualified lead.
Something made them leave without completing their purchase. But don’t worry.
By continuing to serve ads these lost shoppers are far more likely to return and buy.
Higher Conversion Rates
Remarketing campaigns achieve higher conversion rates than standard display ads.
How much higher?
Remarketing campaigns convert at an efficiency rate of 1,046% over other kinds of advertising. That’s how much more efficient they are at turning browsers into buyers.
Why such a big difference?
Intent. These people have already shown purchasing intent by visiting your store and searching for products. All you need to do is send them a well-timed reminder.
Better Return On Ad Spend
Display ads are designed to capture cold traffic.
Remarketing campaigns target warm leads.
And what’s the difference between warm and cold leads?
Warm leads know who you are.
That means…
- They cost less to acquire
- Have higher CTRs
- Allow you to get more out of your ad spend
- Perform better across the board
Your ads have a better chance of converting when customers are familiar with your store.
Decreased Cart Abandonment
98% of online shoppers abandon their carts at some point.
Sources:
Research carried out by Digital Commerce 360 discovered that out of 500 ecommerce retailers studied. Nearly every store suffered some degree of cart abandonment.
While there are many reasons carts are abandoned (slow shipping times, unexpected costs, distractions etc.). Remarketing allows you to reach these potential customers once they’ve left your store.
A friendly reminder showcasing the very products they originally intended to purchase.
4 Types Of Remarketing Strategies That Convert Shoppers
Not all remarketing campaigns are created equally. Four strategies above all others will net you the best results.
Dynamic Product Ads
Dynamic remarketing displays previous visitors the very products they viewed on your website.
Browsed red vans? Show them retargeting ads featuring red vans. Viewed kitchen appliances? Serve them kitchen appliance related ads.
Tailoring your remarketing campaigns in such a specific way vastly increases your chances of conversion. Visitors expect advertising this relevant to their interests.
Why should they click on generic ads pointing them towards your entire inventory?
Cart Abandonment Campaigns
If you only run ONE remarketing campaign this should be it.
Customers who abandon carts are hot leads.
They searched for products. Found what they were looking for. Added items to their cart. And were ONE single step away from completing their order.
Capturing these lost sales is paramount.
Structure your remarketing email sequences to reach these shoppers at key moments after they’ve abandoned their carts.
- Send one email 1-2 hours after abandonment
- Follow up 24 hours later
- Then make your final play 48-72 hours afterwards
Time these emails correctly and you’re much more likely to strike gold.
Browse Abandonment Campaigns
Not every site visitor adds products to their cart.
Some will visit category pages. View multiple products. Then simply leave.
These shoppers demonstrated interest in what your store has to offer but didn’t take action on a specific item.
Use browse abandonment campaigns to target these users.
Showcase your top selling products within the categories they explored. Display ads featuring best sellers across your entire inventory. Entice them with limited-offer messaging and new arrivals.
Cross-Sell And Upsell Ads
Previous customers are the most effective targets for cross-selling and upsell ads.
Purchased sneakers last week? Upload images of sneakers into your remarketing pool. Then target those customers with athletic socks, fitness clothes, and sportswear.
Once someone has made a purchase from your store they instantly become more receptive to your messages.
You’ve already proven trustworthy. Now you simply need to remind them of other products they viewed during past purchases.
Setting Up Your First Campaign
Implementing ecommerce remarketing isn’t as scary as it sounds. Let’s walk through the process.
Install Remarketing Pixels
Google Ads, Facebook Pixel, Pinterest tag. Install them all.
Pixel codes allow advertising platforms to track visitor behaviour on your website. Without these you cannot serve remarketing ads.
Create Audience Segments
Not every visitor should be targeted equally.
Separate your audiences into a few key segments.
- Product page viewers
- Cart abandoners
- Past purchasers
- High value clients
By creating targeted audiences you can personalise ad messaging to suit their actions.
Create Ads That Feature Viewed Products
Stock photography and blanket statements are a waste of money.
Make sure your ads feature the actual products visitors searched for on your site.
Highest quality images. Benefit-based messaging. Don’t be afraid to offer coupons or discounts. Above all direct your users with clear calls to action.
Test different versions of the same ad to see what works best.
Set Frequency Caps
This isn’t about who can see your ad the most.
Use frequency caps. Limit how many times a person can view your ad. Nobody likes being bombarded with advertising. Establish caps at 3-5 ad views per day.
Wrapping Things Up
Ecommerce remarketing campaigns win back lost visitors and turn them into happy paying customers.
Traffic visits your store, adds items to their cart and leaves. Simple remarketing strategies allows you to reach these past visitors across the web.
Motivating them to return and buy what they previously wanted.
Now it’s your turn.
Start with cart abandonment campaigns. Encourage past visitors to come back and finish what they started.
From there you can implement browse abandonment campaigns followed by dynamic product ads and cross-sell strategies.
At the end of the day your visitors have already made it clear they’re interested in your store. Your job is to remind them why they wanted to buy from you in the first place.
