Retargeting helps you get more value from the traffic you are already paying for by re-engaging visitors who have shown interest but haven't made a purchase yet. The article explains how to avoid coming across as intrusive by targeting messages based on behavior and purchase intent, and why effective retargeting is closely linked to good tracking, sharp conversion optimization, and a well-thought-out customer experience across channels.
You know the scenario: You pay for traffic, people click in, look around a bit, and then leave again. This rarely happens because your webshop is uninteresting. It happens more often because most people are not ready to buy on their first visit. Retargeting allows you to pick up the thread and guide the user further when the timing is better.
What is retargeting?
Retargeting is advertising aimed at people who have previously visited your webshop or interacted with your content. The targeting is based on tracking data, typically through a pixel or a tag, which records relevant events. The purpose is to remind the user of products, categories, or next steps, thereby increasing the likelihood of conversion without starting over with a completely cold audience.
Retargeting vs. remarketing
Many use retargeting and remarketing as synonyms. In practice, they often cover the same principle, namely re-engaging people based on previous behavior. Some differentiate by stating that remarketing can also include email flows, while retargeting typically refers to paid ads. Regardless of the terminology, it’s about working with an audience that has already shown interest, and therefore it can be much cheaper to convert than first-time visitors.
Retargeting strategy for e-commerce
If retargeting is to be experienced as a service rather than something intrusive, it requires a clear logic. It's not about more ads, but about better segmentation, better messaging, and better timing. A good strategy starts with understanding where the user is in the customer journey and what can realistically move them forward.
A practical starting point is to divide your target audiences by intent, that is, how close they are to making a purchase:
- Product visitors who are still exploring and need reassurance or inspiration.
- Added to cart, where interest is clear, but there may be doubts about price, delivery, or variant.
- Started checkout, where the barriers are often practical or mental, such as shipping, returns, payment options, or uncertainty.
- Previous customers, where you can work on repeat purchases, upselling, and relevant recommendations.
Once the segments are in place, the next step is to ensure that your landing pages and your offer can handle the traffic pressure. If a product page is unclear, or the checkout process creates friction, retargeting quickly becomes an expensive reminder of a problem. Therefore, it makes sense to think of retargeting alongside ongoing conversion optimization. You can read more about our approach to conversion rate optimization if you want to work systematically on improvements over time.
Retargeting on Google Ads and paid social
Retargeting typically operates in two realms: Google Ads and paid social. They can do some of the same things, but they behave differently in practice, so you should choose the channel based on both purpose and creatives.
In Google Ads, you often see retargeting through Display and YouTube, where you can build visibility and frequency. On paid social, for example, Meta, you can often work more creatively and use formats that feel natural in the feed, while also being able to segment very precisely based on behavior.
Match message with behavior
A simple rule makes retargeting noticeably better: The closer the user is to making a purchase, the clearer the message should be. If a person has only viewed a category, you can inspire them. If the person has abandoned the checkout, they typically need clarity.
It may be relevant to test, for example:
- Specific delivery and return in ads for the checkout segment
- Social proof and reviews in ads for product visitors
- Product bundles or relevant alternatives for those who have added to the cart.
If you want to align the disciplines so that tracking, campaigns, and landing pages point in the same direction, you can see how we work across our services.
Retargeting on Shopify with tracking and product data
On Shopify, retargeting is closely linked to data hygiene. This means proper setup of tracking, consistent events, and product data that can be used in dynamic ads. When your data is stable, it becomes easier to segment correctly, measure accurately, and scale without losing oversight.
Dynamic retargeting is often relevant in e-commerce because you can show exactly the products the user has viewed without having to manually create ads for each item. This requires that the pixel and product catalog work together, and that you continuously ensure the quality of the setup when themes, apps, or checkout processes change.
If you are facing major changes in your webshop anyway, it might make sense to incorporate retargeting into the platform work. Read more about platform activation and how it can create a more robust setup.
Retargeting and conversion rate optimization (CRO)
Retargeting is not a magic wand. It is an amplifier. If your offer is unclear, your product page is cluttered, or the mobile experience is sluggish, retargeting can bring people back, but it cannot do the convincing work for you.
Therefore, Shopify conversion optimization works best as an ongoing discipline, where you continuously improve the key parts of the customer journey. This can involve small changes in forms, clearer messaging, better product information, or a more frictionless checkout. When you work in iterations, you learn along the way, and your retargeting campaigns have better foundations.
If you want to work more strategically with the overall customer experience, you can also read about our UX strategy.
A rule of thumb you can use right away.
Retargeting should follow the user's next question, not your next campaign theme.
Would you like feedback on a retargeting strategy that fits your webshop, your tracking, and your customer journey? Write to contact@mercive.com or call at+45 61 60 29 83.
