Nailed It! The Best of Retargeting in 2015

Seventy-two percent of online shoppers are likely to abandon their carts before checking out. Without retargeting, only eight percent of those customers return to complete their transaction according to data from Syndacast.

This is one reason why retargeting has become such a popular tactic for advertisers, as it helps to bring back customers who have already shown interest in a brand and/or product. To be effective, however, ads must capture consumers' attention, as there is a lot of other content fighting to be seen on the Web. For inspiration, check out the four brands featured below who executed some of the best retargeting campaigns of the year:

Why It's Awesome: Boosts Consumer Confidence

After browsing around Nordstrom for winter boots and abandoning boots in my shopping cart, the retailer retargeted me on my very next Web destination - Facebook. The ad not only features the exact pair of boots that I was looking at, but also tells me to "go for it" and offers incentive with free shipping and returns. This is noteworthy because often times consumers are hesitant to purchase apparel items online because they cannot try them on, but with free shipping and returns that concern is taken away.

Alex and Ani

Why It's Awesome: Cross-Channel Retargeting

Earlier this year, Website Magazine's Managing Editor Amberly Dressler conducted a retargeting experiment by baiting companies into following her around the Web. One of the most impressive retargeting campaign she found was from retailer Alex and Ani. Not only did the retailer retarget Amberly after she visited the company's website, but when the ad was clicked Amberly was directed to a near-identical landing page - which is definitely a retargeting best practice.

What's more, Alex and Ani later retargeted Amberly on her mobile phone via Twitter. This means that Alex and Ani leveraged a cross-device retargeting strategy, as the retailer's first interaction with Amberly was from a display ad on her work desktop. Further research shows that Alex and Ani was part of an AdRoll alpha test for retargeting on Twitter. The companies who were part of this test saw engagement increase by as much as 170 percent and acquisition costs decrease by up to 74 percent.

thredUP

Why It's Awesome: Heartfelt Message

Retargeting strategies can also be used in email, as is seen in this example from thredUP. After browsing the retailer's website and abandoning a shopping cart full of items, the retailer reached out to the shopper via email. The very personalized message comes directly from the CEO and asks for feedback as to why the shopping cart was abandoned. In addition, the CEO offers a discount in the message, prompting the customer to come back and finish the purchase with 40 percent off.

Vineyard Vines

Why It's Awesome: Personalization

Another Website Magazine retargeting example from earlier in 2015 is Vineyard Vines. This retailer leverages relevance to grab consumers' attention. For instance, the company retargets site abandoners with content that is not only personalized to the type of items they were visiting, but also the specific product - such as Chicago Bears ties in the example below.

By displaying relevant content to consumers, Vineyard Vines will likely increase click-through and conversion rates because it reminds consumers of items that they have already shown interest in. Additionally, the retailer includes a value add-on (free shipping on order of $125 or more) to further convince consumers to convert. If the retailer didn't take consumers' preferences and past behavior into consideration, the chances of conversion are much less. For instance, a Bear's fan certainly wouldn't be interested in a Green Bay Packers' tie, and vice versa.

What are your favorite retargeting examples from 2015? Sound off in the comments below!