If you have ever put something in an online shopping cart, but didn’t buy it, only to have it haunt you by popping up on every webpage you visit for the next 30 days—you have been retargeted. Retargeting is a marketing approach that aims to “retarget” consumers who browse a site, but fail to convert the purchase. When you consider that only 2 percent of web traffic converts on the first visit, it is clear why this is such an effective strategy.
How Does Retargeting Work?
By placing a small, unobtrusive piece of code on your website (sometimes called a pixel), an anonymous browser cookie is dropped onto the visitor’s computer. Later, when cookied visitors browse the web, your retargeting provider (Facebook, Google, etc.) is notified to display your ads. Retargeting is so effective because it targets potential clients who have already shown an interest in your firm. They may be narrowing down the field of prospective representation, and it can help to keep your name on their screens and in their minds.
List Based Retargeting
Arguably, the less common “list based retargeting” is a better choice for law firms than the pixel based retargeting described above. After a lead fills out your online contact form or leaves their email address, you can upload a list of these leads to Facebook or another platform, then further customize criteria for your ads. For example, you can set a gender restrictor (i.e. only show ads to females); set a geographic radius; or extend the membership duration period (retarget for 60 days instead of the traditional 30).
One of the greatest advantages of list based retargeting is the ability to set a frequency cap. This limits the number of time your ads are shown to a person who sees your retarget ad, but doesn’t convert or reengage with your site. This is probably one of the most critical features you can employ. Ad click through rates can influence your “ads quality score,” affecting your placement on a website. Google doesn’t want to feature ads that have low click through rates—they want to feature ads people care about.
More importantly, if you set a high frequency cap, you run a high risk of alienating prospective leads.
How Much Does a Retargeting Campaign Cost?
Ideally, you want to hire a web-developer to assist you with implementing a retargeting campaign, but you could attempt to do it yourself. On February 15, 2017, Facebook will unveil an even better version of their popular conversion pixel. Called a “Facebook pixel,” it offers even more customization options than before. If you have an outdated conversion pixel, it will be disabled by Facebook on February 15.
There are many other options available for retargeting, some of which work similar to a pay-per-click service and can be extremely expensive.
As always, a retargeting campaign should be part of a holistic marketing approach that emphasizes a strong website with dynamic, quality content.