Imagine this: a shopper visits your website page, surfs around for a minute or two, and then jumps off without checking out.
You lost a prospective sale.
Reports indicate that, on average, less than 2-3% of visitors convert on the first visit.
Is there any solution for that?
Retargeting recaptures as many as 26% of the lost customers.
As an affiliate marketer, retargeting can be an effective weapon for re-engaging potential buyers who showed interest but didn’t complete the purchase. In this guide, we’ll explain how to use retargeting effectively to boost conversions and maximize your affiliate earnings.
What is Retargeting?
Retargeting or remarketing is a web advertising technique that targets customers who have already visited your website but didn’t complete the purchase. These customers see advertisements on other websites or social media sites, which helps to remind them about your offer and invite them back to buy.
For affiliate marketers, retargeting displays your advertised products to a person numerous times and therefore enhances the likelihood that they will buy.
Quick Facts:
- Retargeted visitors are nearly 43% more likely to convert than new visitors.
- Around 76% of marketers feel retargeting is the most underutilized online marketing tactic.
How to Set Up Retargeting for Affiliate Marketing
Retargeting is one of the best methods to regain lost sales and increase affiliate conversions. To use it, do the following:
1. Choose a Retargeting Platform
Choosing a platform is crucial to successful retargeting. The most widely used ones are:
1. Google Ads - Retargeting users on millions of websites.
2. Facebook & Instagram Ads - Best for visually engaging products and social media-oriented audiences.
3. AdRoll - A cross-platform solution that retargets users on multiple channels.
Each platform has unique strengths - Google offers vast reach, Facebook excels in engagement, and AdRoll provides multi-channel retargeting. Pick one based on where your audience spends the most time.
2. Set Up a Tracking Pixel
A tracking pixel is a crucial piece of code, usually a 1x1 pixel image or JavaScript snippet, that tracks visitor behavior on your website. When a visitor loads a page with the pixel, it sends data back to the retargeting platform.
Implementation Steps:
1. Generate the Pixel: Access the pixel code from your chosen retargeting platform (e.g., Google Ads, Facebook Ads Manager).
2. Installation:
- Google Tag Manager (Recommended): Use Google Tag Manager to deploy the pixel across your site without directly editing code. This allows for easier management and updates.
- Manual HTML Insertion: If you're not using Tag Manager, paste the pixel code directly into the <head> section of your website's HTML.
3. Verification: Use browser extensions like Facebook Pixel Helper (for Facebook pixels) or Google Tag Assistant (for Google Ads) to ensure the pixel is firing correctly and tracking data.
4. Event Tracking (Advanced): Consider setting up event tracking to monitor specific user actions, such as adding items to a cart or viewing product pages. This allows for more granular audience segmentation.
3. Segment Your Audience
Not all visitors should see the same ads. Segmentation improves relevance and conversion rates. Key segments include:
- Cart Abandoners - These users added items to the cart but didn’t complete the purchase.
- Blog Readers - Engaged with content but didn’t click offers.
- First-Time Visitors - Bounced quickly (use broad retargeting to reintroduce your offer).
Platforms like Facebook Ads Manager allow you to create custom audiences based on these behaviors.
4. Create Compelling Ad Creatives
Your ads must grab attention and drive action. Best practices:
- Eye-Catching Visuals - High-quality images or Banners of the product.
- Strong CTAs - Use urgency like "Limited-Time Offer!" or incentives like "Get 10% Off Today!".
- Personalization - Dynamic ads that show previously viewed products.
A/B tests different creatives to see what resonates best with your audience.
5. Apply a Frequency Cap
Showing the same ad too often leads to ad exhaustion and wasted spending. To avoid this:
- Set a frequency cap (e.g., 3-5 times per week per user).
- Rotate ad creatives to keep them fresh.
- Exclude users who have already converted to optimize the budget.
The optimal ad frequency is 3-5 exposures before diminishing returns kick in.
Retargeting Best Practices
To get the best results from your retargeting efforts, follow these best Basic practices:
1. Avoid Ad Fatigue: Keep your retargeting ads fresh and engaging. Running the same ad repeatedly can lead to ad fatigue, where users stop paying attention to your ads. Refresh your creativity and messaging to maintain interest.
2. Set Frequency Caps: Don't overwhelm your audience by showing them too many ads. Set frequency caps to limit how often your ads are shown to an individual user, ensuring a balance between visibility and annoyance.
3. Personalize Your Ads: The more personalized your ads, the better the chance of conversion. Tailor your messaging based on users' actions on your site. For example, if they abandoned a cart, show them an ad with the specific products they left behind.
4. Test Different Approaches: A/B testing is essential. Test various ad creatives, headlines, and calls to action to determine what resonates best with your audience.
Why Retargeting is Crucial for Affiliate Marketing?
Higher Conversion Rates
Retargeting helps convert warm leads - people who have already visited your affiliate page but didn’t purchase. Since they are already familiar with the offer, a well-placed ad can remind them of its value and nudge them toward buying. Unlike cold traffic (users who have never interacted with your website or brand), these users require fewer touchpoints to convert, making retargeting one of the most effective affiliate marketing strategies.
Better ROI
Since retargeting focuses on interested users, your ad spend is more efficient. Instead of targeting new audiences who may not convert, you’re reaching people who have already shown intent. By segmenting users based on their behavior - such as cart abandoners - you can personalize ads, improving click-through rates and reducing wasted spend.
Brand Recall
Users rarely buy on their first visit, and with so many competing offers, they can forget about your product. Retargeting keeps your affiliate offer in front of them across different platforms, reinforcing trust and increasing the chances of conversion. Seeing the brand multiple times makes them more comfortable with purchasing.
Stat Alert
Businesses using retargeting see a 147% higher conversion rate on average.
This proves how effective it is in turning interested visitors into actual buyers. You dramatically improve sales potential by staying visible and reminding users of their interest.
Conclusion
Retargeting is a highly effective strategy for affiliate marketers. By reconnecting lost visitors and pushing them toward a buy, you can increase earnings by leaps and bounds without using money on cold traffic.