🏆How to Win Back Customers with Email Retargeting |
What exactly is email retargeting? |
Email retargeting is when you send tailored follow-up emails to people who've already interacted with your brand but didn't take that final step (like completing a purchase). |
Good thing is you're talking to warm leads – people who willingly gave you their email address. That makes them way more likely to buy than someone who just stumbled onto your site. |
How email retargeting works |
It's all about tracking what your visitors browse, click, and leave behind – then turning those actions into personalized follow-up emails. |
Here's the tech that makes this possible: |
Cookies and pixels: These track what someone views on your site and how far they get. Pixels hidden in emails also track if/when someone opens your message. Behavior-based automation: Your email platform can automatically send a message based on someone's action, like visiting a product page three times without buying.
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Unlike paid ad retargeting (which chases anonymous visitors), email retargeting focuses only on people who've opted into your list. |
That's why it's so powerful: you already have permission to talk to them. |
When should you use email retargeting? |
1. Cart abandonment |
This is the most obvious and common use case (and for good reason). Around 70% of online shopping carts get abandoned, which is basically a mountain of potential revenue left sitting there. |
A well-timed email reminds shoppers what they left behind, answers any hesitations they might have, and often sweetens the deal (free shipping, limited-time discount, low stock alert – whatever gets them back). |
💡Pro insight: There's more than one type of abandonment. |
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Each scenario needs a different tone and strategy. |
A browse abandonment email could highlight product benefits or customer reviews, while a cart abandonment email might go straight for urgency: "Your cart's waiting, and items are selling fast!" |
Here's a cart abandonment email from Rael: |
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2. Post-purchase upsells |
Your best customers are usually the ones who already trust you enough to buy once. |
Email retargeting is perfect for upsells and cross-sells. It helps you suggest products that naturally complement what shoppers just bought. |
✅ Bought a blender? Suggest your top-rated smoothie recipes ebook. |
✅ Bought running shoes? Offer performance socks at a discount. |
Here's how Athletic Greens encourages their customers to upgrade to a monthly subscription of their nutrition products. |
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Post-purchase upsells aren't just about the extra sale (although that's always a win). |
They show customers you understand their needs and want to enhance their purchase, which builds trust and boosts their overall lifetime value (LTV). |
3. Lead nurturing |
Not every visitor is ready to buy immediately, especially in B2B or high-ticket ecommerce. That's why lead nurturing emails are critical. |
These are gentle nudges to keep your brand top of mind while providing value, like: |
Sharing educational content Offering exclusive discounts Highlighting customer success stories
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Here's one from Bored Cow showing off happy reviews: |
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💡Pro insight: Use behavioral triggers and segmentation to personalize your nurture emails. If someone downloads a guide on eco-friendly home products, follow up with tips for sustainable living and a curated collection of your greenest products. |
5 tips for using email retargeting like a pro |
1. Gather and connect customer data |
Every email address you collect is an opportunity, but only if you track the right data alongside it. Here's some stuff you need to look at: |
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Capture every sign-up and purchase with tracking tools (like Meta Pixel), so you can match those email addresses to customer behavior both on your site and in your ads. |
Even better, connect this data across platforms so your ads and emails work together seamlessly. |
2. Personalize everything |
Personalized emails perform way better than generic emails, generating up to 20% more revenue. But it's not just about using names. It's showing you see their interests. |
Use product images of the exact items they browsed Reference their past orders Adjust your message based on how warm or hesitant they seem
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Real personalization is about understanding where buyers are in their shopping journey and sending the kind of email that makes sense for that moment. |
When your emails feel timely and helpful, customers are much more likely to open, click, and trust your brand long-term. |
3. Be helpful, not creepy |
Let's be real: most shoppers know brands are keeping tabs on what they browse. But just because you can mention every product they clicked on doesn't mean you should. |
There's a fine line between helpful reminders and feeling stalked, and the difference is all in how you frame your message. |
🚫 Instead of: "We saw you check out these sneakers five times this week. Ready to buy yet?" |
✅ Try: "Looks like you've got great taste! Here's 10% off your favorites, just in case you need a reason to treat yourself." |
Focus on delivering value, not on the fact you're tracking them. Helpful recommendations, reviews, and special offers feel natural. Calling out every move they make? Not so much. |
4. Don't crowd their inbox |
Retargeting emails work best when they stand out, not when they're buried under five other marketing blasts from your brand. |
If someone's already getting a personalized cart reminder, they probably don't need your weekly newsletter and a "Don't miss our flash sale!" email on the same day. |
Whenever someone enters a retargeting flow, consider hitting pause on your regular marketing emails for that customer. This keeps your messaging focused and makes sure your retargeting emails get the attention they deserve. |
5. Analyze every single campaign |
If you're not keeping an eye on your performance data, you could be leaving sales on the table. Here are the key numbers to watch: |
Open rate: Are your subject lines catching their attention? Click-through rate: Is your content actually compelling enough to get clicks? Conversion rate: Are they buying after they click? Unsubscribes & spam reports: Are you crossing the line from helpful to annoying?
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To get a clear picture of what's working, isolate your retargeting campaigns from your regular emails. That way, you can test variables like subject lines, offers, send times, and even tone without all the extra noise. |
Wrapping up |
Email retargeting works best when it's about helping, not harassing. |
Focus on timely reminders, helpful suggestions, and genuinely good deals – and your customers will actually want to open your emails. |
Ready to rescue those lost sales? Let's do this. |
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