They Clicked But Didn’t Convert? Here’s How to Bring Them Back

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98% of visitors leave a website without converting. That’s not a failure — it’s an opportunity.

Retargeting (or remarketing) is your chance to re-engage those visitors — the ones who bounced, got distracted, or just weren’t ready to buy — and give them a reason to come back.

Done right, retargeting can boost your conversions by 2x–4x. Done wrong, it’s just another ad that gets ignored.

In this edition of Startup Stoic, we break down how startups can set up effective retargeting campaigns — with clear strategies, ad formats, and audience segments that actually bring users back to buy.

What Is Retargeting?

Retargeting is the practice of showing ads to users who have already visited your site or interacted with your brand — but didn’t convert.

This is typically done via:

• Pixel-based retargeting: Using cookies or tracking pixels to serve ads to visitors

• List-based retargeting: Uploading user emails or phone numbers (from your CRM) to target them on platforms

The goal? Reignite interest, rebuild intent, and push prospects further down the funnel.

Step 1: Define Your Retargeting Goals

Before running ads, get clear on what you want to achieve. Common retargeting goals include:

• Abandoned cart recovery

• Lead magnet follow-ups

• Free trial to paid conversion

• Demo reminders or scheduling

• Brand recall and engagement for top-of-funnel traffic

Each goal should shape your audience segmentation and ad creative.

Step 2: Segment Your Retargeting Audiences

Retargeting isn’t one-size-fits-all. Visitors behave differently — so your campaigns should too.

Key segments to consider:

1. Homepage Viewers Only

   • Low intent, just browsing

   • Show soft offers: free resources, newsletters, or educational content

2. Product/Feature Page Visitors

   • Medium intent

   • Use benefit-driven ads, customer testimonials, or product demos

3. Cart Abandoners or Pricing Page Visitors

   • High intent

   • Offer urgency (limited-time discounts, free trial extensions) or social proof

4. Engaged Blog Readers or Content Consumers

   • Nurture with case studies, retarget with gated content

5. Email Openers or CRM Leads

   • Sync your email lists to platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, or Google

   • Reinforce messaging from your email funnel visually

Tip: Use exclusions wisely. Don’t show the same ad to someone who already converted or booked a demo.

Step 3: Pick the Right Platforms

Where you retarget depends on your product, audience, and stage of the funnel.

Options include:

• Facebook & Instagram: Great for visual retargeting, eCommerce, and B2B/B2C hybrids

• Google Display Network: Ideal for reach across websites and apps

• LinkedIn Ads: Works best for high-ticket B2B offers or SaaS trials

• YouTube Pre-roll Ads: Perfect for retargeting top-of-funnel traffic with educational or founder-driven videos

• Twitter/X & Reddit: Niche audiences, especially for devtools, crypto, and startup SaaS

Start where your audience already spends time.

Step 4: Match Ad Creatives to the Funnel

Retargeting only works if your messaging aligns with user behavior.
Don’t show a generic “Sign Up Now” ad to someone who already hit the pricing page.

High-performing retargeting ad types:

• Dynamic product ads (for eCommerce)

• Video ads with short product demos or testimonials

• Carousel ads showing feature highlights or comparison points

• Lead gen ads for users not ready to convert

• “You left this behind” reminders for abandoned carts or trial drop-offs

Bonus Tip: Add UGC (user-generated content) or reviews from real users to your retargeting creatives — it builds trust fast.

Step 5: Use Smart Frequency and Timing

Retargeting is effective, but it can also get annoying. Bombarding someone with the same ad 12 times a day won’t win you conversions — it’ll win you ad fatigue.

Best practices:

• Cap frequency to 2–3 impressions per day

• Create a retargeting timeline:

  • Day 0–3: Urgency ads

  • Day 4–10: Testimonial ads

  • Day 11–20: Educational or softer re-engagement

• Rotate creatives every 10–14 days to avoid ad blindness

Track CTR and conversion drop-offs to spot when users are tuning out.

Step 6: Measure What Matters

Retargeting isn’t just about clicks — it’s about conversions and cost-efficiency.

Key metrics to track:

• Click-through rate (CTR)

• Cost per acquisition (CPA)

• Conversion rate (CVR) from retargeting

• View-through conversions (especially for display or video)

• ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) if you’re tracking revenue

Use tools like Meta Ads Manager, Google Ads, or third-party platforms like AdEspresso, Criteo, or Madgicx for detailed attribution.

Most startups focus heavily on acquiring new traffic — and forget to optimize what they already earned.

Retargeting isn’t just a “bonus channel” — it’s the bridge between interest and intent. When done right, it turns window shoppers into paying customers.

So instead of chasing new eyes, start re-engaging the ones who already saw you — and just need the right nudge to act.

More Startup and Branding Tips:

Until next time,
– The Startup Stoic Team