Retargeting vs. Remarketing: Which One Works Better?
Berry:Your Marketing Assistant
28 Feb 2025
5 min read
Retargeting vs. Remarketing: Which One Works Better?
In e-commerce, bringing in new customers is important, but bringing them back is just as critical. Many visitors check out your website, browse products, and leave without making a purchase. This is where two powerful marketing strategies come into play: Retargeting and Remarketing. Both methods help businesses reconnect with potential customers, but they work in different ways. Understanding their differences and strengths can help you create a more effective marketing strategy that maximizes conversions and increases revenue.
What is Retargeting?
Retargeting is a paid advertising strategy that helps you show ads to users who have visited your website but didn’t complete a desired action, like making a purchase or signing up for a newsletter. It works by using tracking cookies to follow users and display relevant ads when they browse other websites, use social media, or watch videos on platforms like YouTube.
For example, imagine a customer visits your online store, checks out a product, but leaves without buying. A few days later, while scrolling through Instagram, they see an ad featuring the exact same product. This is a retargeting ad, reminding them of their previous interest and encouraging them to return and complete their purchase.
Advantages of Retargeting:
Keeps your brand visible to potential customers even after they leave your site.
Works across multiple platforms like Google Ads, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Helps increase conversions by reminding users of the products they were interested in.
Allows for personalized ads, improving ad engagement and ROI.
How Does Retargeting Work?
A user visits your website but doesn’t complete a purchase.
A cookie is placed in their browser, tracking their visit.
Later, when they visit other websites or social media platforms, they see personalized ads featuring the products they viewed.
The goal is to bring them back to your store to complete their purchase.
Best Use Cases:
Recovering lost website visitors.
Promoting limited-time discounts or offers.
Encouraging product page viewers to complete their purchase.
What is Remarketing?
Remarketing is a customer re-engagement strategy that focuses on email marketing rather than paid ads. It helps businesses reconnect with past customers or people who have interacted with their website but didn’t finalize a purchase.
For example, if a customer adds an item to their cart but leaves without checking out, you can send them an automated email reminding them about their cart. You can even offer a small discount or free shipping to encourage them to complete the order.
Advantages of Remarketing:
Emails feel more personal and have higher engagement rates than ads.
Helps recover abandoned carts, increasing sales.
Can be used for loyalty programs, special promotions, and customer retention.
Strengthens brand relationships by keeping your business in customers’ minds.
How Does Remarketing Work?
A user interacts with your website, signs up for an account, or makes a purchase.
If they abandon their cart, an automated email is sent, reminding them to complete the purchase.
You can also send emails about new product launches, exclusive offers, or personalized recommendations.
This keeps the customer engaged and encourages them to return.
Best Use Cases:
Recovering abandoned carts with follow-up emails.
Sending exclusive promotions to past buyers.
Encouraging repeat purchases with personalized product recommendations.
Which One is More Effective?
The best choice depends on your goals:
If you want to convert website visitors into buyers, use retargeting.
If you want to keep past customers engaged and encourage repeat purchases, use remarketing.
For the best results, combine both strategies.
For example, you could:
Use retargeting ads to remind visitors of the products they viewed.
Send remarketing emails to those who abandoned their carts.
Offer discounts or free shipping in follow-up emails to boost conversions.
By using retargeting and remarketing together, you can increase sales, improve ROAS, and maximize conversions. The key to success is testing both methods, analyzing their performance, and optimizing your approach accordingly.
With Roasberry, you can track the performance of both retargeting and remarketing campaigns in one place. Monitor your ad spend, measure engagement, and optimize your strategies to get the best possible return on investment.