How to re-engage customers and boost conversions — Stripo.email

Customer engagement is fragile. A user might browse your site, add items to their cart, and still disappear afterward. Some may sign up for your emails but never engage, while others buy once and never return. That’s where email retargeting comes in — to help businesses recover lost sales, win back inactive customers, and guide them further along the customer journey.

In this article, you’ll learn how email retargeting works, explore practical examples of campaign types, and follow a step-by-step guide to win back customers and increase conversion rates.

Key takeaways

1. Segment smartly. The more precisely you segment your audience, the more relevant and effective your retargeting emails will be.
2. Personalization drives results. Tailor your content to website visitor behavior, preferences, and purchase history to increase engagement and conversions.
3. Test and refine. Regularly monitor performance and run A/B tests to better understand what resonates with your audience and fine-tune your email marketing strategy with greater precision.

What is email retargeting?

Email retargeting is a marketing strategy that involves sending personalized email marketing campaigns to people who have previously interacted with your brand but didn’t complete a desired action, such as making a purchase, upgrading from a free to a paid plan, or leaving a review. It’s a way to re-engage site visitors who have shown interest but didn’t convert or customers who made a purchase but then disappeared without returning.

How does email retargeting work?

Email retargeting (sometimes referred to as email remarketing) typically involves the following steps:

1. Tracking customer activity on your website: The most common way to track these behaviors is by using website cookies — small pieces of data stored in a user’s browser that help capture actions like product views, time spent on a page, or items added to a cart. Other tools, such as tracking pixels and analytics platforms, can also perform this data collection by feeding captured user behavior into your email or ad systems.
2. Segmentation: Once you’ve collected customer data, segment your audience based on specific actions or inactions. For example, some customers may have abandoned a cart, while others may not have logged in for 30 days. Each group requires a different message and strategy.
3. Setting up automation flows (or launching targeted one-time email campaigns): With the right segments in place, you can build automated email sequences that trigger based on customer behavior. For example, if a customer made a purchase but hasn’t returned to your site in several weeks, you might send them an email with personalized product recommendations based on their previous order. Alternatively, you might send one-time campaigns to inactive users with personalized offers, reminders, or incentives to re-engage.
4. Monitoring performance: Finally, track email marketing metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and conversions. Use these data to refine your subject lines, content, and audience segmentation to improve results over time.

Examples of email retargeting campaigns

Email retargeting can take many forms, depending on how users interact with your brand. Below are some common types of retargeting campaigns and how they help re-engage your audience.

Cart abandonment emails

Cart abandonment emails are a simple but effective way to remind shoppers about the products they left behind and nudge them back toward completing their purchases. These emails are more effective when they highlight the benefits of shopping through your online store. For example, if you offer free shipping on orders above a certain amount, be sure to mention that in the email.

Browse abandonment emails

Browse abandonment emails target customers who visited specific product pages but didn’t add anything to their cart. This group may still be in the consideration phase, and a gentle nudge with product highlights, customer testimonials, or similar items can help rekindle their interests, supporting them through the purchase decision-making process. These campaigns work well when sent shortly after the visit while the product is still fresh in the customer’s mind.

When you know which products a user has viewed, you unlock a wide range of effective retargeting strategies. For example, you can send dynamic emails that showcase:

• the most recently viewed product(s);
• the top 3–5 products a user viewed most frequently;
• items the user spent the most time on;
• products where the user interacted with videos or image galleries.

You can also take it a step further by using collaborative filtering — a recommendation technique that suggests products based on the behavior of similar users. (You’ve probably seen messages like “People who viewed this item also viewed…” — that’s collaborative filtering in action).

Post-purchase follow-up emails

Post-purchase follow-up emails deepen relationships with customers who’ve already converted. These emails might recommend complementary products, offer post-purchase customer care, or invite the customer to leave a review. They can also be used to introduce loyalty programs or to provide updates on similar items they might be interested in.

Re-engagement campaigns for inactive users

Re-engagement campaigns for inactive users focus on subscribers or customers who haven’t interacted with your brand for a certain period — often 30, 60, or 90 days. These retargeting emails can serve as friendly reminders about product updates or include special offers to win customers back. Even if they don’t all lead to immediate conversions, these campaigns can help you identify which users are still interested.

For customers returning after a period of inactivity, you might as well consider reintroducing your brand as if they were new customers. While it’s not necessary to take them through the full onboarding process again, a single email that briefly highlights your brand’s value can be a great option to restart the conversation.

Personalized product recommendation emails

These retargeting email campaigns are based on a user’s previous activity, such as browsing history or past purchases. For example, if a user bought jeans from a specific brand and price range, you can send them personalized messages — like new arrivals from the same brand or similar products in the same category. When you demonstrate an understanding of the customer’s preferences, these messages are more likely to lead to upsells.

A step-by-step guide for sending retargeting emails

Email retargeting works best when it’s structured and intentional. It’s an ongoing process that requires regular analysis of customer behavior and campaign performance. Here’s a framework to guide your next campaign and build a system that adapts over time:

Step 1: Define your goal

Identify what you want to achieve. Are you trying to recover abandoned carts, win back dormant customers, promote a seasonal offer, or increase customer lifetime value? Your goal will shape your messaging, segmentation, and timing.

Step 2: Segment your audience based on website behavior

Look into your audience’s behavior and try to draw meaningful conclusions. For example, let’s say you’re an eCommerce brand selling cosmetics. You might create a campaign targeting “female customers who recently purchased a gentle cleanser in the $30–$50 price range and also viewed related products like serums or facial rollers.” When you combine these behaviors, you’re outlining a segment with clear indicators of interest in a specific skincare routine.

Based on that, you can suggest products that naturally follow, such as recommending a hydrating serum. You can also tailor your messaging to reflect specific use cases, like highlighting “sensitive skin-friendly” details for customers who previously chose dermatologist-tested products.

Step 3: Layer in other segmentation options

In addition to tracking on-site behavior, monitor how your email subscribers interact with newsletters to add another layer of visibility to their preferences and intent. These data can also inform other marketing channels, such as retargeted ads on social media or display networks, to reinforce your messaging beyond the inbox.

Finally, don’t stop at behavior-based segmentation. Consider customer data such as demographic information, user roles (like job positions for B2B audiences), subscription tiers, or the devices and operating systems they use. The more relevant your segmentation, the more impactful your email campaigns will be.

Step 4: Create compelling content

Effective retargeting emails are clear and action-oriented. Use concise language and a well-placed CTA and make sure users understand what you want them to do next. In addition, ensure that your emails use a responsive design so they display properly across all devices and screen sizes.

Step 5: Choose your sending strategy

You can automate retargeting flows, where emails are triggered by user actions (like cart abandonment or inactivity). Alternatively, you may opt for a highly personalized one-time campaign that targets a specific audience segment.

Step 6: A/B test your campaigns

Try out different versions of your retargeting emails — experiment with subject lines, images, CTAs, and even content formats. A/B testing helps you understand what resonates best with each audience segment and provides insights into how to improve existing automated workflows or future one-time campaigns.

Step 7: Monitor performance

Track key metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, conversions, and unsubscribes. Measuring the success of your email marketing campaigns allows you to refine future segmentation and outreach strategies with greater precision.

For example, imagine you’re a streaming platform reaching out to former subscribers with an announcement about a new season of a show they previously watched. You can monitor who didn’t open the email at all (suggesting low interest or poor timing), who opened it but took no further action, and who clicked to watch the trailer (a clear sign of interest). Those who watched the trailer could be strong candidates for follow-up emails with more news or updates related to that series.

When should you consider a retargeting campaign?

Here are common scenarios where launching a retargeting campaign makes sense:

• your abandoned cart rate is high. Set up triggered emails reminding shoppers to complete their purchase and recover potential lost sales;
• you have one-time customers who haven’t returned. A gentle nudge or relevant offer might bring them back for a second purchase;
• a large number of new subscribers never engaged beyond the welcome email. These users may need clearer value propositions or more tailored content to stay interested;
• you’re preparing for seasonal promotions and want to re-engage inactive or lapsed customers. The shopping season often brings attractive discounts or bundled offers, which can be a strong incentive for inactive customers to make a purchase;
• you want to increase customer lifetime value with post-purchase offers. Timely suggestions, such as complementary products or additional paid features, can turn occasional buyers into loyal customers;
• you want existing customers to become advocates. A post-purchase reminder can encourage them to leave online reviews, recommend your brand on social media, or join an affiliate program.

Common mistakes to avoid in retargeting campaigns

Now that you’ve walked through the key steps for building effective email retargeting campaigns, let’s look at a few common pitfalls. These are mistakes we’ve seen often — and sometimes made ourselves — so consider this your cheat sheet for what not to do.

Overwhelming customers with emails

When adding selected audiences to email retargeting campaigns, email marketing sometimes overlooks the fact that these users are already subscribed to other newsletters. As a result, recipients may feel overwhelmed by the volume of emails, which can lead to your messages being ignored or flagged as spam. To avoid this, consider excluding them from other email marketing communications during the retargeting period and focus on delivering the most personal and relevant content possible.

Ignoring analytics and A/B testing

You’ll never know whether your subject lines are boring, your CTAs are unclear, or you’re simply targeting the wrong audience if you ignore campaign results and avoid testing different content.

Neglecting email list hygiene

Poor list hygiene can cause your retargeting emails to land in spam folders and negatively affect campaign performance metrics. Always include a clear unsubscribe option and monitor spam complaints to protect your sender reputation. Remove hard-bounced contacts (invalid or non-existent addresses) immediately.

For inactive email subscribers who haven’t opened any of your emails in 60–90 days (or whatever time frame suits your business), consider giving them one last chance to stay by sending a “Still want to hear from us?” message. If they remain inactive, it’s best to remove them, as continuing to email unengaged users will only lower your overall engagement rate.

Wrapping up

Email retargeting gives you an opportunity to re-engage users who’ve already shown interest in your brand and turn that interest into action. By segmenting your audience thoughtfully, personalizing your content, and tracking performance, you can create campaigns that bring back lost customers, boost sales, and turn buyers into brand advocates. Email retargeting doesn’t just bring users back; it strengthens your overall email marketing strategy by adding precision and long-term value.