Black Friday is over. You invested tens (or hundreds) of thousands of reais in Google Ads , Meta Ads , and influencers. As a result, your traffic exploded. However, now you look at your funnel and see the harsh reality: the overwhelming majority of those visitors, for whom you paid dearly, looked, compared, and… left. Unfortunately, that's the average for e-commerce. But what do you do now with this mountain of data? Do you simply give up on this investment? Never. This is where the real performance work begins: remarketing.
Basically, remarketing isn't just "another ad," it's the most profitable strategy at your disposal . This is because it focuses on re-engaging an audience that has already shown interest, drastically reducing the customer acquisition cost (CAC) and significantly increasing the conversion rate. Therefore, this complete guide was created for you , the e-commerce manager. After all, by the end of this reading, you will have a clear action plan to build a remarketing machine that recovers abandoned shopping carts and transforms lost visitors into loyal customers.
What is remarketing? And how does it differ from retargeting?
First, let's align the concepts. Although used synonymously in everyday language, there is a subtle technical difference that reveals the depth of the strategy.
- Retargeting: This is the tactic of displaying ads (usually display or social ads) to people who have visited your website, based on cookies. For example, the banner ad that "follows" you on news portals.
- remarketing: It is the broader strategic concept of re-engaging a customer or lead. Therefore, Ad retargeting is a form of remarketing.But the abandoned cart email is also included.
In summary, retargeting is the advertising itself , while remarketing is the complete re-engagement strategy. In this guide, we will use the term remarketing to cover the entire strategy.
The 3 Pillars of a Successful Remarketing
First and foremost, to re-engage someone, you need three things: to know who visited, what they did, and where to find them.
Pillar 1: Pixels and tags (the "eyes" of your store)
Without a doubt, this is the foundation. Without it, you're blind. Basically, these are small pieces of code that you install on your website.
- Google tag (via GTM): essential for your campaigns Google Ads (Display, YouTube, Demand Gen, Search).
- Meta Pixel: Essential for your Facebook and Instagram campaigns.
- Pinterest tag: essential if you (and you should) use the pinterest ads.
Therefore, the first step on your checklist is to ensure that your tags are installed and, most importantly, capturing the correct conversion events ( For example: view_content, add_to_cart, initiate_checkout, purchase ).
Pillar 2: Intelligent Segmentation (the “art” of strategy)
This is where most people go wrong. Unfortunately, many managers only create a list: " Website visitors – 30 days ". However, this is inefficient. After all, a visitor who only saw your homepage is completely different from one who almost made a purchase.
Your remarketing segmentation should, at a minimum, be divided by intent:
1- Homepage visitors (Low intent):
- Window: 7 days.
- Action: Remarketing for branding. Showcase your value proposition, not a specific product.
2- Category visitors (Medium intent):
- Window: 15 days.
- Action: Show a carousel with the best sellers of that category.
3- Product visitors (High intent):
- Window: 15-30 days.
- Action: Dynamic Remarketing (DPA), showing exactly the product that he viewed.
4- Abandoned cart (Very high intent):
- Window: 3-7 days (with high frequency).
- Action: Total focus on recovery.
5- Buyers (Focus on LTV):
- Window: 30-90 days.
- Action: Remarketing cross sell ou upsell.
Pillar 3: Exclusion (the “secret” to ROI)
Equally important to segmentation is exclusion. After all, there's nothing more irritating (and expensive) than showing a " 10% OFF " ad to a customer who just paid full price.
Therefore, your remarketing lists should always have exclusions :
- Your list of “Abandoned Cart"You MUST delete the list of "Buyers – Last 7 days".
- Your list of “Product Visitors"MUST exclude"Abandoned Cart"and "Buyers".
This way, you ensure the right message reaches the right person and you don't spend a penny on those who have already converted.
4 Advanced Remarketing Strategies for E-commerce
With the technical pillars in place, let's move on to practical strategies that go beyond the basics.
1: The unbeatable duo: Ads + email for abandoned carts
When a customer abandons their shopping cart, speed is everything. That's why you need to attack them on two fronts.
1: Email (Via RD Station, etc.)
- Accelerated flow: (As partners) RD Station(We recommend this agility)
- Email 1 (After 1 hour): "Did you forget something?"– Friendly Tom, focused on saving the cart. No discount."
- Email 2 (After 23 PM): "Your products are running out!"Focus on scarcity and urgency."
- Email 3 (After 48 PM): "Here's a gift for you to come back."– A 10% discount coupon or free shipping as a last resort."
2: Ads (Meta/Google)
- Timing: It starts running immediately after abandonment (real-time lists).
- Creative: "Hey, your cart is waiting for you. Complete your purchase with free shipping."
2: Dynamic Remarketing (DPA): The Personal Salesperson
This is perhaps the most powerful remarketing tool for e-commerce . DPA (Dynamic Product Ads) uses your catalog (product feed) to display 100% personalized ads.
Fictional example:
- A customer visits your store and sees a “Nike Blue Sneakers Size 40” and a “White T-shirt, Size M".
- Hours later, he opens Instagram. The carousel ad that appears to him isn't a generic banner for his store. It's a carousel showing exactly the blue sneakers and the white t-shirt.
Target Audience: Ideal for List 3 (Product Visitors), who demonstrated high intent but did not complete their shopping cart.
3: Focus on LTV: Cross-selling to those who have already purchased.
Remarketing isn't just for the first sale. On the contrary, it's vital for increasing LTV ( Lifetime Value ).
Audience: “ Buyers – Last 30 days ” (EXCLUDE “Buyers – Last 7 days” to avoid being intrusive).
Fictional example:
- A customer bought a “Shampoo for Blonde Hair".
- 15 days laterShe starts receiving remarketing ads.
- Creative"Complete your treatment! Did you love the shampoo? Discover the Conditioner and the Toning Mask from the same line.. "
Result: You use the data from the first purchase to boost the second, increasing LTV and building customer loyalty.
4: YouTube Video Remarketing
Many people forget the power of YouTube . After all, Google Ads allows you to create very granular remarketing lists.
The strategy: Create a skippable 15-second video campaign.
Audience: "Website visitors – Last 7 days".
The message: Don't try to sell. Instead, reinforce your value proposition.
Fictional example:
- "We know you're shopping for Black Friday deals. At [INSERT YOUR STORE NAME HERE], in addition to the price, you get a 3-year warranty and real technical support. Come back and buy with confidence.. "
Result: You use the video to overcome objections and build the trust the customer needed to complete the purchase.
CONCLUSION: REMARKETING IS YOUR ALLY
In short, the traffic you just generated on Black Friday (and generate all year round) is a very valuable asset . Therefore, giving up on a visitor after the first "no" is the biggest waste of e-commerce budget.
Remarketing is your second-chance machine. It allows you to continue the conversation, overcome objections, offer incentives, and, most importantly, stay top-of-mind for the consumer at the exact moment they are ready to (re)decide.
As performance specialists, we at e-Plus understand that the sale doesn't end with the click . In fact, it begins there. Implementing remarketing strategies (DPA, Email, Google, and Pinterest) is fundamental to the success of any operation.
Want to turn your lost traffic into real profit? [Talk to one of our specialists] and discover how our team can implement a high-performance remarketing strategy for your e-commerce business.
Frequently Asked Questions about Remarketing
What is remarketing?
Basically, remarketing is a digital marketing strategy focused on re-engaging users who have already had prior contact with your brand (such as visiting your website, opening an email, or abandoning a shopping cart), with the goal of bringing them back to complete a conversion.
What is the difference between remarketing and retargeting?
Although used synonymously, "retargeting" is technically the tactic of displaying cookie-based ads to those who have visited a website. "Remarketing," on the other hand, is the broader re-engagement strategy that includes ad retargeting, but also email marketing, among other channels.
What are the main platforms for e-commerce remarketing?
The main ones are: 1. Google Ads (for ads on the Display Network, YouTube, Gmail, and Search – RLSA); 2. Meta Ads (for dynamic ads on Facebook and Instagram); and 3. Email Marketing (with abandoned cart automations, such as those from RD Station).
Is remarketing only for those who abandoned their shopping cart?
No. Actually, that's just one type of remarketing (and the most famous one). However, you can (and should) create remarketing campaigns for visitors who only viewed the homepage, who visited a category, or even for those who have already purchased (focus on cross-selling and LTV).
What is the biggest mistake in remarketing?
Without a doubt, it's the lack of exclusion. The most common mistake is continuing to show abandoned cart ads (often with a discount) to a customer who has already completed the purchase, which wastes money and irritates the loyal customer.
