How to Retarget Website Visitors (the Right Way)

Most of your visitors disappear. It’s not because your offer’s bad. It’s not because your headline missed. It’s just what people do.

They browse, they click around, they get this close to converting — and then life happens. Maybe they had to hop on a call. Maybe their kid spilled juice on the laptop. Maybe they decided to “think about it” and then never came back.

Here’s the issue: you already paid for that traffic. SEO, ads, content, social. And if you’re not retargeting, you’re basically funding your competitors’ sales funnel.

The fix isn’t to yell louder, it’s to follow up smarter. Retargeting lets you show the right ads to the right people at the right time, so those almost-customers turn into actual ones.

Retargeting, in plain English

Cold ads are like a stranger yelling at you from across the street. Retargeting is your friend waving you down because you forgot your jacket.

It’s not magic. It’s a little piece of code, or a pixel, quietly noting who visited your site, so you can talk to them again later. You can:

• Pop up in their feed on LinkedIn or TikTok
• Show up in Google Display banners while they read the news
• Reappear when they search the same keywords again
• Even sync your CRM to follow up across channels

This isn’t about chasing everyone who’s ever stumbled across your site. It’s about re-engaging the ones who’ve already signaled, “I’m interested.” And because they already know you, they’re far more likely to click, convert, and buy.

Why retargeting works so dang well

Visitors you retarget are more likely to convert because they already know you.

Retargeting keeps you…

• Relevant. You’re showing up in the moment they’re still thinking about you
• Memorable. Even if they don’t click now, you’re locked in their brain for later
• Efficient. You’re talking to people who’ve already raised their hand, not random strangers

When was the last time you impulse-bought from a brand you’d never heard of? 

Exactly.

The retargeting playbook

There’s no single way to run retargeting. The best campaigns layer different tactics depending on your audience, sales cycle, and channels. Here are the ones that actually move the needle.

Pixel-based retargeting 

Drop a tracking pixel on your site, and see who stopped by and how they engaged. Every page view feeds into an audience list. You can use that list to serve every visitor display ads, YouTube pre-roll, or banners across the web.

• Best for high-traffic sites with lots of casual visitors.
• Example: A cybersecurity vendor installs the LinkedIn Insight Tag. When IT managers or CISOs visit the pricing page but don’t request a demo, they start seeing LinkedIn ads highlighting case studies and webinar invites tailored to their industry.
  
  

List-based retargeting

Instead of relying on a pixel, you upload your email lists or sync CRM data directly with ad platforms. Perfect for keeping your brand in front of people who already opted in, but haven’t converted yet.

• Best for B2B marketers running longer sales cycles or nurturing leads.
• Example: A SaaS company syncs Salesforce contacts with LinkedIn to push demo ads only to leads in active opportunities.
  

Dynamic retargeting

Rather than a generic ad, dynamic retargeting automatically plugs in the exact product, service, or plan someone viewed. It’s hyper-personalized and feels like you built the ad just for them.

• Best for companies with multiple products, pricing tiers, or use cases.
• Example: A visitor checks out your “Pro” plan page, and the next day they see an ad for the Pro plan with a 14-day free trial offer.
  

Search retargeting (RLSA)

Google’s Remarketing Lists for Search Ads (RLSA) let you show tailored search ads specifically to past visitors when they look up relevant terms again. This keeps you top-of-mind when they’re actively researching competitors.

• Best for high-intent buyers in later decision stages.
• Example: Someone visits your pricing page, then searches for “best CRM for startups” a week later. Your ad appears at the top with a demo CTA.
  

Social retargeting

Social platforms thrive on behavioral targeting. By syncing pixel or CRM data, you can meet people where they scroll and catch them between cat videos and industry news.

• Best for both B2B and B2C audiences, depending on platform.
• Example: For B2B, LinkedIn retargeting campaigns push content downloads or demo signups. For B2C, Meta and TikTok retargeting ads remind shoppers about products they viewed but didn’t buy.

How to pull it off without creeping people out

1. Know what you want. Sales? Demo signups? Newsletter subs? Start with a measurable goal.
2. Install the pixel. Google, LinkedIn, Meta, TikTok… tag your high-intent pages, like product or pricing.
3. Segment ruthlessly. A pricing-page visitor gets demo ads. A blog reader gets a report or webinar invite. Different intent, different campaign.
4. Pick channels they actually use. No point chasing a B2B CFO on TikTok (probably).
5. Make the ad relevant. Mirror what they saw. Add urgency or extra value.
6. Don’t overdo it. 3–7 impressions a week is plenty. Be a gentle reminder, not a stage-five clinger.
7. Watch the numbers. CTR, conversions, ROAS. If it’s not working, fix it or kill it.

Avoid these rookie moves

We’ve all seen bad retargeting: the same banner ad following you across the internet for weeks. Or an ad for something you already bought. That’s not just wasted spend, it’s actively annoying.

The most common mistakes include:

• Blasting the same ad for everyone
• Ignoring mobile vs. desktop context
• Overexposing the same creative 20 times a day
• Letting ads go stale for months

How to know if your retargeting is working

If you’re spending money on retargeting, you should know exactly what you’re getting back. You should track:

• CTR (click-through rate): Are they paying attention?
• Conversion rate: Are they taking action?
• CPA (cost per acquisition): What’s each lead costing? Is it affordable?
• ROAS (return on ad spend): Are you actually making money here? Is it worth it?

💡Pro tip: Review weekly. Double down on what’s converting, cut the dead weight, and keep testing.

Retarget smarter with Vector

Here’s the thing: most retargeting is built on anonymous pixels and guesswork, which means you end up paying to follow the wrong people or worse, no one who matters.

Vector flips that script by helping you retarget real buyers with context. You’ll know exactly who hit your pricing page, reading your case studies, and clicking your ads but not converting—by name. Then you can serve the ad that gets them over the line, with match rates up to 45% on Google and Meta, and up to 90% on LinkedIn.

With Vector, you can:

• De-anonymize your traffic
• Build hyper-targeted ad audiences
• See exactly who’s engaging but not converting
• Layer in competitive intent to hit buyers before they hit your competitors

Get started for free →