Many potential customers visit your website, explore your products, and even add items to their cart—only to leave without completing a purchase. This is a common challenge for online businesses, but the good news is that these visitors don’t have to be lost forever.

Email retargeting is a powerful marketing strategy that helps your business re-engage potential customers by sending them personalized, timely emails that encourage them to return and complete their purchase.

Whether it’s a friendly reminder about their abandoned cart, a special discount, or product recommendations based on their browsing history, email retargeting keeps your brand top of mind and nudges users toward conversion.

Looking to implement it for your business?

In this article, we’ll dive into how email retargeting works, the key benefits it offers, and the best practices to follow so you can get the most out of your email campaigns.

What Is Email Retargeting?

Email retargeting is a marketing tactic that helps bring back potential customers who visited your website but didn’t complete a purchase.

It works by tracking website visitors using browser cookies and tracking pixels. When someone browses your site but leaves without buying, an email retargeting campaign can be triggered.

This could be a reminder email about their abandoned cart, a special offer, or a follow-up after a recent purchase.

How Retargeting Works: Turning Browsers into Buyers

Email retargeting follows a structured process to bring past visitors back to your site, which is as follows:

• Track what visitors do on your site: When someone visits your website, browser cookies and third-party applications track their actions. This includes pages viewed, time spent on a page, and items added to their shopping cart.
• Sort visitors into audience segments: Using an email marketing platform, visitors are grouped based on behavior. Someone who abandoned a cart will get a different email than someone who only browsed a category page.
• Send emails that match their actions: Based on the customer’s behavior, an automated triggered email is sent. This could be a reminder email, a discount code, or personal recommendations based on their interests.
• Track performance and optimize: Analyzing key metrics like click-through rate and conversion rates helps improve future email campaigns. Testing different subject lines and content also ensures your emails perform better over time.

Email Retargeting vs. Email Remarketing: What’s the Difference?

Email remarketing is used interchangeably with email retargeting. While both help re-engage potential customers to turn them into paying customers and are important tactics, they work differently.

Email retargeting tracks website visitors who didn't convert, while email remarketing uses customer data from previous email campaigns. Retargeting uses actions like abandoned carts or product views as triggers, while remarketing analyzes email subscriber behavior, such as low open rates or inactivity.

The two also differ by the goals they can achieve. Email retargeting aims to bring back past visitors to complete a purchase. On the other hand, email remarketing looks to keep email subscribers engaged with promotions and updates.

Why Email Retargeting Matters for Your Business

Email retargeting campaigns are among the most effective ways to bring back potential buyers and boost sales. Instead of spending more on paid ads, you’re targeting people who already showed interest in your products.

Here’s why email retargeting should be an essential part of your marketing channels:

Reignite Interest, Reclaim Sales

Many website visitors leave without making a purchase; in fact, according to industry data, over 70% of customers abandon their carts before checkout.

Email targeting can help you recover 10–15% of those lost sales by reminding shoppers to return. Retargeting emails also have a higher click-through rate than standard promotional emails.

The Power of Personalization

Customers respond better to emails that feel relevant. Sending irrelevant emails that don’t align with their interests can cause them to ignore or unsubscribe.

With email retargeting, you can send emails that match their behavior, such as personal recommendations based on browsing history. Triggered emails with the right message based on behavior also feel more natural and less like spam.

For example:

• A shopper who looked at a specific product multiple times might receive an email highlighting that item, along with social proof like customer testimonials or online reviews.
• Someone who recently purchased an item might receive a cross-selling email suggesting complementary products.

More Cost-Effective Than Paid Ads

Running paid ads on social media platforms or the Google Display Network can be expensive, especially if you're targeting cold leads.

Email retargeting campaigns focus on people who already know your brand, so you can maximize the value of your existing traffic. This can be more cost-effective for boosting sales compared to other campaigns, like paying for a display campaign to attract new visitors or running retargeted ads.

Not only that, the payoff is also better. Since these potential customers have already interacted with your brand, the conversion rates you get through email retargeting can also be higher.

In fact, reports say conversion rates can be as high as 30%, while the average ecommerce conversion rate is only about 2.5–3%!

Building Stronger Customer Relationships

Retargeting isn’t just about making a sale. It also helps build long-term customer relationships. Sending personalized follow-ups, re-engagement emails, and special promotions can encourage people to return for future purchases.

Additionally:

• Sending a next-purchase discount can increase repeat purchases.
• Thank-you emails after a recent purchase improve brand loyalty.
• Triggered emails based on past interactions keep customers engaged.

By maintaining contact and sending relevant content, your business stays top of mind, which can lead to higher lifetime value per customer.

How to Implement Email Retargeting: A Step-By-Step Guide

Setting up an email retargeting campaign isn’t complicated, but it does require the right approach. A well-executed strategy makes sure your emails reach the right people at the right time to re-engage them, increase conversion rates, and reduce lost sales.

To get started, your business needs an email marketing platform, the ability to create audience segments, and a clear email retargeting strategy.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to making it work.

Step 1: Build Your Retargeting List

The foundation of email retargeting is having a list of website visitors and email subscribers who have already interacted with your brand.

There are several ways to collect email lists for marketing, such as:

• Sign-up forms: Forms for newsletter subscriptions or account creation can help you gather information you can use for your email marketing efforts.
• Checkout process: Capture emails at checkout, even if the customer doesn’t complete the order.
• Lead magnets: Offer discounts, free resources, or exclusive access in exchange for an email address.
• Tracking pixels and cookies: Use browser cookies and tracking pixels to track visitors and segment them based on their behavior.

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Step 2: Segment Your Audience for Maximum Relevance

Not every visitor should receive the same email. Segmenting your audience makes it easy to send emails that contain relevant content based on previous behavior instead of random marketing emails that get ignored.

Here are some ways to create audience segments for email retargeting campaigns:

• Abandoned cart: Reminder emails with product image and a discount code.
• Product browsers: Personal recommendations based on browsing history.
• Past buyers: Cross-selling email suggesting related products.
• Inactive subscribers: Re-engagement email offering a special incentive.

By segmenting your audience, your email campaigns will feel more personal, leading to higher click-through rates and increased repeat purchases.

Step 3: Choose the Right Email Marketing Platform

An email marketing platform is essential for setting up email retargeting campaigns. The right platform allows you to automate triggered emails, track performance, and integrate with other marketing channels.

Some of the best platforms for email retargeting include:

• Klaviyo: Best for ecommerce brands with advanced audience-based segmentation.
• Mailchimp: Great for beginners looking for automation and cross-channel retargeting.
• HubSpot: Ideal for businesses that need an all-in-one email marketing strategy with CRM integration.

These platforms make it easy to set up email retargeting best practices, track visitor behavior, and send targeted emails based on the user's browser activity.

Step 4: Automate Triggered Emails for Retargeting Success

Once you have your audience segments set up, it’s time to create triggered emails that automatically send based on customer behavior.

Some of the most effective types of email retargeting campaigns are:

Cart Abandonment Emails

Sent within a few hours of a customer leaving their shopping cart behind, these emails can include a reminder email, a special discount, or a limited-time offer.

Best practices for using cart abandonment emails include:

• Sending the first email within one to three hours after the cart is abandoned. This keeps your brand fresh in the shopper’s mind.
• Including a product image of the items left behind to personalize the message.
• Using a clear call to action (CTA) like "Complete Your Purchase" or "Return to Your Cart."
• Offering an incentive (discount, free shipping, or bonus item) if the customer still hasn’t purchased after 24–48 hours.

Re-Engagement Emails

Not all email subscribers remain active. Some may stop opening emails or forget about your brand over time. A re-engagement email helps bring them back.

To do that, you should first identify subscribers who haven’t engaged in the past 30–90 days and craft a personalized message with their name and past purchase history. Ask for feedback or offer a small incentive to spark interest and let them update their preferences to receive more relevant emails.

Exclusive Offers and Limited-Time Discounts

Sometimes, a simple discount email is enough to bring customers back. Limited-time offers create urgency and can significantly increase conversion rates. For example, a countdown timer emphasizes the time limit in which they need to complete a purchase.

You can personalize your emails based on past behavior (e.g., "We saved this deal just for you"). Keep your CTAs clear and direct (e.g., "Claim Your Offer").

Step 5: Track, Test, and Optimize Your Email Retargeting Campaigns

Successful email retargeting isn’t just about sending emails—it’s also about improving performance over time. The best way to do this is by tracking key metrics and making adjustments based on data.

Important metrics to measure include:

• Open rate: Measures how many people opened your email. Strong subject lines can improve this metric.
• Click-through rate (CTR): Shows how many recipients clicked on links in your email.
• Conversion rate: Tracks how many email recipients completed a desired action, such as making a purchase.
• Unsubscribe rate: Helps you understand if you’re sending too many marketing emails or if they are irrelevant emails.

A/B testing different subject lines, layouts, and email timing can significantly improve your email retargeting strategy.

Target the Right Audience at the Right Time With Capturify

Capturify enhances email retargeting by providing real-time, high-intent leads and advanced visitor tracking. With access to a vast database of 600 million contacts, Capturify delivers leads enriched with over 40 data points, ensuring 95% accuracy. This results in 2-3x higher conversion rates while reducing acquisition costs by up to 50%.

Unlike traditional methods that rely on opt-ins, Capturify identifies anonymous visitors by capturing essential details such as names, emails, and locations. This data seamlessly integrates with your CRM and marketing tools, which enables automated outreach at the moment when potential customers are most engaged.

Beyond email, Capturify also strengthens ad retargeting efforts by addressing challenges like cookie depreciation and platform restrictions. With Conversion API event tracking, businesses can improve their Event Match Quality Score and expand their retargeting reach.

The seamless integration with existing marketing platforms also leads to precise customer insights, which makes it easier to execute targeted email retargeting campaigns and improve overall ROI. By leveraging Capturify, you can engage the right audience at the right time, which can increase the effectiveness of your email marketing strategy.

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FAQs About Email Retargeting

How to do retargeting on email?

Email retargeting works by tracking website visitors and sending them personalized marketing emails based on their behavior. To set up email retargeting campaigns, follow these steps:

• Collect customer data: Use browser cookies, tracking pixels, or an email marketing platform to monitor user behavior.
• Segment your audience: Create audience segments based on actions like abandoned carts, product views, or inactivity.
• Automate triggered emails: Set up remarketing emails for different customer behaviors (e.g., cart abandonment emails within a few hours).
• Personalize the content: Include personal recommendations, past browsing history, and relevant offers to increase engagement.
• Track performance and optimize: Monitor click-through rates, conversion rates, and A/B test subject lines for better results.

What are the 5 T’s of email marketing?

The 5 T’s of email marketing refer to five key elements that make marketing emails successful. These are:

• Targeting: Send emails to the right audience using audience-based segmentation and behavior tracking.
• Timing: Deliver emails at the right time based on predictive analytics to maximize conversion rates.
• Testing: A/B test different subject lines, email designs, and CTAs to improve performance.
• Transparency: Clearly communicate the purpose of the email and provide an easy unsubscribe option to maintain trust.
• Tracking: Measure key metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates to refine your email retargeting strategy.

By applying these principles, businesses can optimize email retargeting campaigns and drive better engagement.

What is an example of retargeting?

An example of email retargeting is a cart abandonment email sent to a customer who added items to their shopping cart but didn’t complete the purchase.

Example scenario:

• A customer visits your website, browses a pair of shoes, adds them to their cart, but leaves without checking out.
• Within an hour, they receive a remarketing email with the subject line: "Forgot something? Your shoes Are still waiting!"
• The email includes an image of the shoes, a limited-time discount, and a CTA button that says "Complete Your Purchase."
• If the customer still doesn’t buy, a follow-up email campaign is sent 24 hours later with social proof, such as online reviews from other shoppers.

What is direct mail retargeting?

Direct mail retargeting is a marketing strategy that sends physical mail to potential customers who have interacted with a brand online but didn’t complete a desired action. Instead of a retargeted email, you can send a postcard, letter, or catalog to encourage the customer to return.

How it works:

• A visitor browses your website but doesn’t make a purchase.
• Their data is collected using tracking pixels or customer opt-ins.
• A personalized direct mail piece is sent to their physical address, featuring a special offer or reminder.
• The customer receives the mail, increasing the chances of a next purchase.

This method is often used by ecommerce brands and high-ticket businesses to create a more tangible customer touchpoint. When combined with email retargeting campaigns, direct mail can further improve conversion rates.