Retargeting ads are relatively new and an incredibly powerful tool for marketers to get more impressions -  ultimately turning a higher percentage of searchers into buyers. As with any new Internet marketing or advertising technique however, there are a lot of misconceptions out there about what they do, how they work, and what businesses should do to take advantage of profitable retargeting campaigns.

To help you make the most of your pay-per-click advertising campaigns, here are three things you should know about retargeting ads:

#1: How Retargeting Ads Work

The technology behind retargeting campaigns is pretty simple. Once a searcher clicks on your online ad, they are identified with a small cookie that moves with them across the web. This tiny piece of software is innocuous and doesn’t capture any personal information – it just logs the user as having visited your website as a result of your ads.

Then, when the searcher visits other websites that allow advertising, a “follow-up” ad for your business or products is displayed. In that way, you essentially get a second chance at winning the sale after someone leaves your website. You can set your retargeting campaigns to go on for days or weeks, ensuring that your best prospects see your ads on multiple websites and locations.

#2: Why Retargeting Ads Can Improve Sales

The rationale for retargeting ads is sound. As any marketing student could tell you, it often takes several different exposures to an advertisement before a person will respond. In some cases, it may take a while for the message to sink in; in others, the shopper may want to do more research before making a final decision.

Either way, retargeting means that you can get in front of your best potential customers and stay there while the kind of product or service you offer is at the front of their minds.

#3: Retargeting Makes Conversion Optimization Even More Important

The only potential downside to retargeting is that you’re paying for more impressions than you would in a simpler pay-per-click advertising model. Because you are investing more money into each prospect, you need to ensure that you’re getting a higher value or return from them, as well.

That’s where conversion rate optimization comes in. All the elements of your landing pages need to be tested and tweaked to ensure that you’re turning as many guests as possible into buyers. Otherwise, you could increase your advertising costs without getting high enough return to justify the expense.

Used correctly, retargeting ads can keep your products and services in front of potential customers longer and ultimately help you turn more searchers into customers. If you feel like it’s time to give them a try, call us today and we can discuss how to help you get started.