If you’re running digital ads for your business, chances are you’ve heard the terms retargeting and remarketing. They often get used interchangeably—and while they’re related, they’re not exactly the same thing. Understanding the difference (and how to use each effectively) can be a game-changer for your conversion rates, ad performance, and overall marketing ROI.
At Golden Gate Digital, we specialize in helping local businesses and growing brands make sense of modern digital strategy. And today, we’re breaking down retargeting vs. remarketing—so you can choose the right approach for your goals.
So, What’s the Difference?
The short answer: both retargeting and remarketing focus on re-engaging people who have already interacted with your business. The difference lies mainly in how and where you reach them.
Retargeting
Retargeting typically refers to display ads or social ads that target users based on their past behavior. These are the ads that “follow” users around after they visit your website or interact with your content.
For example, if someone visits your website, views a product, and leaves without converting, you can show them a highly relevant ad on Facebook, Instagram, or Google Display Network as they browse other sites.
Retargeting relies heavily on tracking pixels or cookies placed on your website. These tools collect data about user behavior and feed it into advertising platforms to serve personalized ads.
Remarketing
Remarketing is traditionally used to describe email-based outreach to re-engage past customers or website visitors. Think of it as reaching back out to someone already in your database, typically through an email campaign.
This might include:
-
Cart abandonment emails
-
Re-engagement campaigns for inactive customers
-
Upsell or cross-sell sequences
Today, some platforms blur the lines and use “remarketing” to refer to both strategies, but it’s still useful to distinguish the two—especially when planning your next campaign.
Why It Matters: Timing, Tools, and Intent
Both retargeting and remarketing are essential tools for moving users further down the funnel. But they play different roles at different stages.
Retargeting is best used when you want to recapture attention soon after a potential customer leaves your site. It’s all about staying visible and nudging someone to take action while your brand is still top of mind.
Remarketing, on the other hand, is about relationship-building and reactivation. You’re talking to someone who’s already in your system—maybe a past buyer, a lead, or a newsletter subscriber—and you want to win them back with personalized messaging.
In other words, retargeting is great for quick conversions, while remarketing is better for long-term retention and repeat business.
Which Performs Better?
This depends entirely on your goals.
If you’re looking for fast conversions, retargeting ads can deliver strong ROI. According to industry data, website visitors who are retargeted with display ads are 70% more likely to convert than those who aren’t.
Retargeting is especially powerful for:
-
eCommerce product reminders
-
Local service providers (like dentists, plumbers, or salons)
-
Event or seasonal promotions
If your focus is on nurturing customer loyalty, increasing lifetime value, or recovering lost leads, remarketing via email is the better option. It allows for more personalized communication and is often more cost-effective over time.
Email remarketing is effective for:
-
Cart abandonment recovery
-
Limited-time offers for past customers
-
Re-engagement campaigns
Of course, the best strategies combine both. For example, a user abandons their shopping cart—you follow up with an email and retargeting ads to reinforce the message. This multichannel approach is significantly more likely to bring them back.
How to Get Started with Retargeting
To run a successful retargeting campaign, you need:
-
A pixel or tag installed on your website (e.g., Meta Pixel, Google Ads Tag)
-
A platform to run your ads (Google Display, Meta, TikTok, etc.)
-
Defined audiences—people who visited a product page, pricing page, or performed a certain action
-
Compelling creative—images, video, or copy that reminds them what they missed
Frequency and timing matter. You don’t want to show the same ad 15 times a day and annoy potential customers. Smart frequency capping and audience segmentation help avoid “ad fatigue.”
How to Run Effective Email Remarketing
If you’re collecting emails through your website, loyalty program, or POS system, you already have what you need to start remarketing.
Segment your list based on behavior—like:
-
People who purchased in the last 6 months
-
Abandoned checkout visitors
-
Subscribers who haven’t opened an email in 90+ days
Then create email flows or one-off campaigns that match your customer’s intent. Use strong subject lines, personalize the content, and include a clear call-to-action (CTA) with a reason to come back.
Automation platforms like Klaviyo, Mailchimp, or ActiveCampaign make this process efficient—and trackable.
Avoiding Common Pitfalls
Many businesses run into issues when they treat retargeting or remarketing like a one-size-fits-all solution. For both strategies to work, audience segmentation and message matching are critical.
Showing the same ad or sending the same email to everyone, regardless of where they are in the buying cycle, can waste budget and lose trust.
Also, don’t forget compliance—especially for email. Make sure you have permission to contact users and that you’re offering an easy way to opt out.
So, Which Should You Use?
Here’s our honest answer: Use both—but use them smartly.
If you’ve already paid to get someone to your website, it only makes sense to follow up. Retargeting can help bring warm traffic back to complete a purchase or book a service, while remarketing nurtures long-term customer relationships and maximizes the lifetime value of each user.
Together, these two tactics form the foundation of an effective conversion-focused digital strategy.
Ready to Bring Customers Back and Boost Conversions?
At Golden Gate Digital, we create retargeting and remarketing strategies that actually work. Whether you’re starting from scratch or want to improve existing campaigns, we can help you reach the right people with the right message at the right time—across every stage of the funnel.
Let us handle the setup, strategy, copywriting, and analytics—so you can focus on running your business.
Contact us today for a free consultation and let’s turn your missed opportunities into measurable results.
