Retargeting
Advertising that targets people who have previously visited your website or engaged with your brand, keeping you top-of-mind as they browse elsewhere.
Definition
Retargeting (also called remarketing) shows ads to people who have previously interacted with your website, app, or content. When someone visits your site without converting, retargeting serves ads to them across other websites, social media, and platforms they use.
This works through browser cookies or platform pixels that "tag" visitors, allowing ad platforms to identify and serve ads to them elsewhere. Retargeting can be basic (showing the same ad to all site visitors) or sophisticated (customized ads based on specific pages viewed or actions taken).
Why It Matters
Most website visitors don't convert on their first visit—typically only 2-3% do. Retargeting captures the other 97% who left interested but not ready to commit. By staying visible as they continue researching, you dramatically increase the likelihood they'll return and convert.
Retargeting consistently delivers the highest ROI of any digital advertising channel. Prospects already familiar with your brand convert at 2-3x higher rates than cold traffic, making the cost per acquisition significantly lower despite appearing more expensive per click.
Examples in Practice
An ecommerce site shows product-specific ads to visitors who viewed but didn't purchase, generating 400% ROI on retargeting spend.
A SaaS company retargets free trial signups who didn't convert with customer success stories and limited-time offers, converting an additional 15% of trials.
A B2B service provider sequences retargeting ads—first reinforcing benefits, then addressing objections, finally offering consultations—moving prospects through awareness to decision over 30 days.