18 Email Retargeting Optimization Must-Dos: A Checklist

Whether or not you’re an avid online shopper, you’ve probably realized that email retargeting is one of the most impactful tactics. Need to recover an abandoned cart? Let email retargeting work its magic. Perhaps u want to re-engage a browse abandoner? Email retargeting can help you with that, too.

Similar to ads, retargeting via email is an extremely powerful way to send friendly reminders to new shoppers and existing customers. It's simple to get started — especially if you have a robust marketing platform like AdRoll — but that doesn’t mean you’ll want to opt for a set-it-and-forget-it approach. 

For the best results, you’ll need to regularly review your numbers, update your targeting settings, and ensure everything from headlines to CTAs is working cohesively. 

Here are 18 email retargeting optimization tips all ecommerce stores could benefit from. We recommend bookmarking this page or downloading the interactive checklist below, so you can revisit and tweak your strategy every quarter.

The Email Retargeting Optimization Checklist

✅ Are your subject lines short and eye-catching? 

✅ Do you speak conversationally throughout the email? 

✅ Are you imparting a sense of urgency (especially when it comes to recovering abandoned carts)?

✅ Do you provide compelling offers that encourage users to take action? 

✅ Are you personalizing your emails based on users’ behaviors, demographics, and interests?

✅ Do you segment your retargeting list?

✅ Are you using strong CTAs that you’ve A/B tested?

✅ Do you use rich text to break up large blocks of text?

✅ Does your media load quickly?

✅ Do you have an easy-to-find “unsubscribe” link in the footer? 

✅ Are your layouts, images, and other media types optimized for mobile?

✅ Do you offer trust-building content, such as social proof in the form of user-generated content (UGC)
and testimonials?

✅ Are you A/B testing your retargeting emails? 

Beyond emails, you’ll want to optimize your email collection processes:

✅ Are you using exit-intent pop-ups?

✅ Is it easy for site visitors to find the subscription box on your site? (Ideally, in your footer or homepage?)

✅ Do you offer a compelling reason for them to subscribe?

✅ Are you transparent about how you’ll use and store their data?

✅ Do you use your other marketing channels (e.g., social media) to encourage followers to subscribe to
your emails? 

Last updated on May 6th, 2022.