The SME guide to remarketing: How to turn website drop-offs into global customers

Every e-commerce owner and marketer is familiar with the troubling challenge of receiving high website traffic but frustratingly low conversion rates. You have thousands of international window shoppers browsing your products and adding items to their carts, only to leave before completing a purchase.

This is a massive missed opportunity. But remarketing could be the most effective solution, turning abandoned sessions from any country into paying customers for your e-commerce business.

In fact, 92% of marketers believe retargeting performs better than other ad strategies¹, proving that if you're not already using it, it is time to start. However, closing an international sale successfully is not just about the ad; it also depends on reliable logistics.

This guide will cover how to convert website visitors into customers through a powerful e-commerce retargeting strategy and highlight the importance of partnering with a global logistics expert like DHL Express to ensure seamless international shipping that meets today's increasing customer expectations for speed and transparency.

What is remarketing and why it matters for global e-commerce

Remarketing is the practice of showing targeted ads or content to people who have previously visited your website or engaged with your brand. Simply put, if someone browses your site and leaves, you use a retargeting ad to bring them back and complete the sale.

The power of re-engaging a global audience

A significant number of online window shoppers don't convert on their first visit. The reality is, 98% of first-time shoppers typically leave a site without completing a purchase³. This is often due to immediate factors like complex currency conversion, perceived high international shipping costs, or concerns over customs duties.

Fortunately, retargeting is a cost-effective way for an e-commerce business to address these concerns by delivering personalized ads that turn interest into a completed sale. Reports suggest that 26% of customers will return to a website due to remarketing, and retargeting can lower cart abandonment rates by approximately 6.5%².

More critically, retargeted users are 43% more likely to convert leads to customers than first-time visitors¹. Additionally, market research suggests that retargeting ads keep brands top-of-mind, boosting conversions by up to 150% and brand recall by 57%¹.

Your step-by-step guide to a winning campaign

A successful e-commerce remarketing campaign doesn't require a massive budget, but it does require a clear strategy. Here's an overview of how to successfully convert browsing customers into buyers:

Step 1: Set up your tracking

Remarketing begins with accurate tracking. The foundational step is installing a pixel (such as the Meta Pixel or the dedicated Google Ads tag) on your e-commerce website. This tracking is essential for accurately understanding where your international visitors are coming from, what specific pages they viewed, and where they dropped off in the purchase funnel. Without properly installed tracking, your entire campaign strategy will lack the necessary data to target users effectively.

Step 2: Segment your international audience

To effectively convert window shoppers to customers, you must then move beyond basic retargeting and strategically segment your audience. This layered approach is vital for precise global marketing in cross-border e-commerce. It is critical to segment audiences by location (e.g., US, UK, Southeast Asia) so you can offer country-specific incentives or localized messaging.

Providing location-based clarity instantly addresses shipping cost anxiety, which is a major factor in international cart abandonment. Effective segments for e-commerce include cart abandoners from a specific country, visitors who viewed products priced in a different currency, or users who spent more than three minutes browsing — indicating high purchase intent.

Step 3: Craft compelling ads with a global view

Next, businesses must create personalized retargeting ads using dynamic product images and messaging specifically tailored to different international regions. For instance, an ad targeting a buyer in the US should clearly display pricing in USD, instantly eliminating a common source of friction.

Including clear pricing, realistic shipping details, and upfront information regarding potential customs or duty concerns is crucial, as this transparency builds immediate trust with international buyers. This direct approach answers key customer questions and significantly helps turn window shoppers into buyers.

Best practices for long-term success

Beyond setting up your initial campaign, these strategies will help your e-commerce business maximize your ROI and build a loyal customer base, securing your position in cross-border e-commerce:

1. Leverage dynamic ads and lookalike audiences

Dynamic carousel ads are a powerful tool because they automatically show recent visitors the exact products they viewed or added to their carts, saving e-commerce brands substantial time and effort. This personalized presentation significantly increases the likelihood of conversion.

Furthermore, lookalike audiences offer a powerful way to find new customers as they allow you to utilize the data from your existing remarketing lists to target users who share similar demographic and behavioral characteristics. This efficiently expands your reach beyond just existing visitors to boost leads.

2. Integrate email remarketing

Combining paid retargeting ads with targeted email campaigns is a powerful strategy, particularly for recovering abandoned carts. This dual-channel approach hits the potential customer across multiple touchpoints. Leveraging the customer's email address allows you to deliver more personalized and direct messages, such as a one-time shipping discount or a detailed explanation of return policies, significantly boosting the chance of recovering a lost sale.

3. The final piece of the puzzle: world-class logistics

Now that your remarketing campaign has done its job and successfully turned a global visitor into a customer, your logistics partner must deliver on your promise. A reliable global logistics partner, like DHL Express, provides a seamless final step to the customer journey. By partnering with a globally recognized brand like DHL Express, you instantly gain credibility and customer confidence with international buyers, mitigating the very shipping concerns your promotions had to overcome.

DHL Express is also committed to helping small businesses grow internationally. We offer shipping tools for small businesses that simplify processes, combined with deep global expertise and a comprehensive network. We also provide sustainable shipping solutions (like GoGreen Plus) that resonate with modern, environmentally conscious consumers, further enhancing your brand image.

The smart way to go global

Remarketing is a powerful, essential tool for e-commerce businesses looking to turn browsers into buyers and attract international customers, but it's only half the battle. A successful global sales strategy requires a seamless combination of smart marketing and world-class logistics. By applying a cohesive e-commerce retargeting strategy and ensuring reliable international shipping through partners like DHL Express, your business is positioned not just to survive, but to truly ship globally and thrive.