Affiliate marketing is an incredible revenue driver for eCommerce brands, but if you’re not retargeting your affiliate-driven traffic, you’re leaving money on the table. Most visitors don’t convert on their first visit—studies show that, on average, 97% of first-time site visitors leave without making a purchase. That’s where retargeting comes in. By strategically bringing these potential customers back, you can dramatically increase conversion rates and maximize the ROI of your affiliate program.
Why Retargeting is a Game-Changer for Affiliate Marketing
Affiliates work hard to drive traffic to your store, but traffic alone doesn’t pay the bills—conversions do. Retargeting helps bridge the gap by keeping your brand in front of potential customers after they’ve clicked an affiliate link but didn’t convert. Here’s why it’s essential:
- Higher Conversion Rates: Retargeted visitors are more likely to complete a purchase than first-time visitors.
- Maximized Affiliate ROI: You’re optimizing the traffic affiliates send you, making their efforts more effective.
- Better Affiliate Relationships: When affiliates see that their traffic is converting, they’re more likely to prioritize your brand.
Retargeting Strategies to Boost Affiliate Conversions
1.
Segment Your Audience
Not all affiliate-driven traffic is the same. Some visitors abandon carts, some bounce off product pages, and others browse multiple pages but don’t add anything to their cart. Use behavioral data to create retargeting campaigns tailored to different visitor segments:
- Cart Abandoners: Show dynamic ads featuring the exact products they left behind.
- Product Viewers: Retarget them with ads reminding them of the products they browsed.
- General Visitors: Offer discounts or incentives to bring them back to the site.
2. Leverage Dynamic Product Ads (DPAs)
Dynamic product ads automatically show users the exact products they viewed, making retargeting highly relevant and personalized. When a customer clicks an affiliate link and browses a specific product, you can use DPAs to remind them of that product later, increasing the likelihood of conversion.
3. Offer Exclusive Affiliate-Only Discounts
Affiliate traffic is highly trackable, meaning you can create retargeting ads that offer unique discounts or incentives specifically for users who arrived via affiliate links. A limited-time discount creates urgency and encourages conversions.
4. Use Email Retargeting
Email is still one of the highest-converting channels. If you capture a visitor’s email before they leave (via a pop-up or checkout process), you can send retargeting emails featuring product reminders, special offers, or testimonials to encourage them to return and complete their purchase.
5. Utilize Social Media & Display Retargeting
Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Google Display Network allow you to retarget users across multiple touchpoints. A potential customer may have left your site, but when they see your ad on Instagram featuring the exact product they viewed, they’re much more likely to return and buy.
6. Optimize for Mobile Conversions
A significant portion of affiliate traffic comes from mobile users. If your retargeting strategy isn’t mobile-optimized, you’re missing out. Ensure your ads, landing pages, and checkout process are seamless on mobile devices.
7. Cap Your Frequency & Rotate Creative
Nobody likes seeing the same ad 20 times in a row. Set frequency caps to avoid ad fatigue and rotate different creatives to keep your retargeting fresh and engaging.
Measuring Success: Key Metrics to Track
- Conversion Rate: How many retargeted visitors complete a purchase.
- Click-Through Rate (CTR): How many people click on your retargeting ads.
- Return on Ad Spend (ROAS): How much revenue you’re generating compared to your retargeting ad spend.
- Affiliate-Driven Conversions: Track how much of your affiliate traffic converts after retargeting.
Final Thoughts
Affiliate marketing and retargeting go hand in hand. Without retargeting, you’re relying on a single click to drive conversions. With it, you’re optimizing every visit and maximizing the effectiveness of your affiliate program. If you want to scale your affiliate sales, start implementing a retargeting strategy today—your affiliates (and your bottom line) will thank you.