Engagement at every step of the customer journey is critical in the modern digital marketing world for conversion.
The most effective way to do that is through behavioural retargeting, which aims to target users based on past behaviour online, thereby giving them a more personalized experience, which may enhance the possibilities of conversion.
This article will explore behavioural retargeting in-depth, explaining its key components, how to build a strategy around it, and how it can boost conversions.
Additionally, we’ll dive into actionable techniques and real-world examples and provide answers to common questions about this innovative approach.
What is Behavioral Retargeting?
Behavioural retargeting is often referred to synonymously with remarketing.
It is a digital form of advertising whereby individuals are targeted based on previous interactions that they have made with your website or other online media.
The central idea here is the use of a user’s browsing behaviour to serve them ads that would be of interest to their interests as they continue surfing the internet.
How It Works
Whenever a visitor opens a website, a tiny amount of information is recorded in his browser in the form of a cookie.
These cookies track whatever actions are taken and can further reveal how long a user stayed on a page, the pages that he viewed, and which items he clicked on.
If they leave the site and do not complete a wanted action—such as making a purchase or filling in a form—cookies allow the marketer to show ads to the user the next time he accesses other sites, reminding him about the product or service of which he interacted.
This makes behavioural retargeting a very effective tool for engaging users who have shown an interest in your offerings but did not convert initially.
This way, you keep them top-of-mind and present personalized ads, thus increasing the chances of bringing them back to your site to complete the desired action.
Difference Between Behavioral Retargeting and Display Advertising
Behavioral retargeting is, however, different from display advertisement.
The latter is based on broad demographic factors like age, gender, and location.
In contrast, behavioural retargeting focuses on much more granular targets of users, basing them on actual online behaviour.
This makes the ads more relevant and increases the likelihood of conversion.
For instance, when a person is on an e-commerce site and views a pair of shoes and leaves without purchasing, a behavioral retargeting campaign will be serving these people ads of those very same shoes or related items during their surfing of other web pages.
It’s personalized to convert that person many times more likely than with some generic display ad.
How To Make A Behavioral Retargeting Strategy
The art of building a successful behavioural retargeting strategy encompasses many key steps.
Below are the steps you can take to implement and refine your retargeting efforts.
1. Segment Your Audience
Not all visitors are the same.
Based on your behaviour, it’s essential to segment your audience.
The type of users may need different messaging or offers.
Standard audience segments include:
- Cart Abandoners: People who have added items to their cart but did not make the final purchase.
- Product Viewers: Users visit product pages but do not put anything in their cart.
- Frequent Visitors: Those visiting your website regularly but have never made a purchase yet.
- Lead Form Abandoners: People who initiated to fill out a contact form or join a newsletter but never submit it.
By creating these divisions, you can tailor messaging to them and their actions, making them have more relevance and personalization.
2. Interesting Ad Creatives
Your adverts need to grab the audiences’ attention, they should appear relevant and must engage users.
When planning to build ad creatives for behavioural retargeting, some things to consider are shown below:
- Show the product or service: Use the images of the exact product or the service that the user has previously interacted with.
- Give them a discount or incentive: Provide a discount for a short time or create other incentives that can get them to return and complete a purchase.
- Utilize dynamic ads: Dynamic retargeting ads automatically pull in personalized content, like showing the user exactly what products they have viewed so that an ad becomes relevant.
3. Setting Up Multiple Platform Retargeting Campaigns
You can retarget users across a variety of online platforms, including Google Ads, Facebook, Instagram, and more.
Each platform offers different targeting capabilities, so setting up campaigns on multiple platforms ensures that your ads reach users wherever they go online.
For example, users who abandoned their cart on your website might see your ads on Facebook and Google Display Network.
This multi-platform strategy maximizes visibility and increases the chances of conversion.
4. Optimize for Frequency and Timing
Don’t flood your audience with ads.
Ad fatigue can quickly set in if there are too many ads within a very short time.
Ensure a balance of ad frequency by capping the number of times an ad is shown to a user.
Additionally, timing is crucial.
Retarget users at the right moment—when they’re most likely to convert.
For instance, a reminder ad right after a cart abandonment is more effective than one shown a week later.
5. Analyze and Optimize
Just like any other marketing tactic, behavioural retargeting also needs tracking and optimization continuously.
Monitor significant metrics such as CTR, conversion rate, and return on ad spend to have an idea about the relevance of your campaigns.
All these data allow you to fine-tune your strategy, tighten up targeting parameters, or test new ad creatives.
Why Behavioral Retargeting Increases Conversions
1. Greater Relevance Leads to Higher Engagement
Behavioural retargeting lets you serve ads that are highly relevant to the actions of users, increasing the chance that they will engage with the ad.
If a user has shown interest in products and sees an ad about them, there is a higher chance of clicking the ad and converting.
2. Higher Brand Recall
Since retargeting ads keep reminding users of your brand and the products you interact with, it increases the recall of the brand.
This constant exposure ensures that users will remember your brand once they are ready to decide.
3. Better Return on Ad Spend
Because behavioural retargeting targets users who are already familiar with your brand, it usually brings a higher conversion rate compared to traditional advertising.
As a result, you get more value from your ad spend.
4. Lost Opportunities Minimization
Many users abandon their shopping carts or leave websites without converting for various reasons.
Behavioural retargeting helps you recover lost opportunities through timely and personalized reminders to bring them back to your site.
Real-World Examples of Behavioral Retargeting Success
1. E-Commerce Websites
A retailer in the e-commerce segment observed that there was a 25% rise in sales by targeting cart abandoners using behavioural retargeting campaigns.
Serving relevant ads on the same products users abandoned in the cart was effective in making users return to the website to complete the purchase.
2. Travel and Hospitality
A travel agency used behavioural retargeting to engage users who had previously searched for flights but hadn’t booked.
The agency increased bookings by 18% by showing dynamic ads with discounted fares or special packages.
3. B2B Services
A B2B company providing software solutions used behavioural retargeting to re-engage leads who visited the pricing page but didn’t ask for a demo.
They enhanced demo requests by 30% by offering a limited free trial for a time.
Conclusion
Behavioural retargeting is one of the most effective strategies for increasing conversions and maximizing your digital marketing ROI.
Targeting users based on their previous online behaviour helps you create personalized, relevant ads that are more likely to lead to a conversion.
Be it an e-commerce store, a service-based business, or a B2B enterprise, implementing a well-thought-out behavioural retargeting strategy will give you the edge you need to stay competitive in today’s crowded online marketplace.
By splitting the audience, creating compelling ad creatives, and optimising the campaigns, you will unleash the full power of behavioural retargeting to sell more, increase the recall value of brands, and achieve overall better performance.
FAQ
What is the difference between behavioural retargeting and behavioural targeting?
Behavioural retargeting is when your ads are served to people who have interacted with your site or content before.
That’s often done by means of cookies.
Behavioural targeting is a process where audiences are divided based on their general behaviour on the internet, including websites visited or keywords typed in, without previous contact with your brand.
How does retargeting enhance conversion rates?
Retargeting improves conversion rates by reminding users of products or services they have shown interest in.
These users already know your brand and, therefore, are likely to come back and perform the desired action, make a purchase or sign up.
Is behavioural retargeting available for mobile devices?
Yes, behavioural retargeting can be used on both desktop and mobile devices.
Ads can be served to users across multiple platforms, including mobile apps and mobile web browsers, ensuring that your retargeting efforts reach users wherever they go.
How do I track the success of my behavioural retargeting campaigns?
Track success for behavioural retargeting by KPI, such as CTR, conversion rate, and return on ad spend.
Analytical tools from Google Analytics, Facebook Ads Manager, or any other can be utilized for such detailed tracking and reporting features.
What’s an appropriate frequency for serving retargeting ads?
The ideal frequency to show retargeting ads varies depending on your audience and the kind of business.
However, avoid bombarding users with too many ads.
The frequency cap will limit how often a single user is exposed to your ad.
This would make sure it is positive for the user.
Is behavioural retargeting appropriate for every type of business?
Yes, behavioural retargeting can be applied by businesses in nearly any industry, from e-commerce and travel to B2B services and lead generation, among others.
The winning factor here is that it is the tailoring of your ads to meet their specific needs and interests.
