7.5: Retargeting: Reminding the People Who Visited Your Website but Didn't Book

Retargeting means showing ads again to people who already visited your website or your Facebook or Instagram page but didn't book. To do it with a website, you add a small piece of code called the Meta Pixel (for Facebook and Instagram) or the Google tag (for Google). You install it once, and it usually takes 15–30 minutes.

Picture someone walking into your shop, reading the price list, saying "let me think about it" and leaving. Retargeting is like running into them a few days later and mentioning: "We still have openings this Saturday."

Why do people visit and not book?

It's completely normal, and rarely because your shop isn't good. Usually:

• •They're comparing two or three shops.
• •They looked while busy: at a red light, on a lunch break, with a crying child.
• •They don't need it yet and plan to book next week.
• •They meant to ask a spouse or a friend and then forgot.

Most first-time visitors to a website don't book right away. They haven't said no. They just haven't decided. A well-timed reminder is enough to bring many of them back.

What are the Pixel and the Google tag?

Each is a small piece of code placed on your website. Visitors can't see it.

It does one job: it tells Facebook or Google "someone just viewed this page". Like a door chime that counts people coming in.

It does not give you anyone's name, phone number or address. You get an anonymous group, such as "people who visited the website in the last 30 days", and you can show ads to that group.

Besides retargeting, the code also helps measure which ad led to bookings, which fixes mistake number 4 from post 7.1.

Installing the Meta Pixel, step by step

Meta's screens change fairly often, but the order stays the same.

Step 1. Create the Pixel

1. •Go to business.facebook.com on a computer and log in.
2. •Open Events Manager.
3. •Click Connect Data Sources and choose Web.
4. •Give it a name, such as "[Shop name] Pixel", and create it.

Step 2. Add it to your website

Meta will ask how you want to install it. There are two routes:

• •A website built on a common platform (WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, Shopify): choose the partner integration. Usually you just log in, or paste a number called the Pixel ID into your website's settings.
• •A custom-built website: copy the code Meta gives you, send it to whoever built the site, and ask them to paste it into the <head> of every page. For a web developer that's about ten minutes of work.

Step 3. Check that it works

1. •In Events Manager, open the Test Events tab.
2. •Open your website in another tab and click through a few pages.
3. •If a "PageView" line appears, the Pixel is working.

Step 4. Don't forget the booking page

Many shops use third-party booking software. When a customer taps "Book", they leave your website for that software's page, where there's no Pixel.

Open your booking software's settings and look for "Facebook Pixel" or "Tracking". Many have a field for the Pixel ID. If yours doesn't, ask their support team.

For Google the process is similar: get the Google tag from your Google Ads account and add it to the website the same way.

No website? You can still retarget

Good news for shops that only have a Facebook page and Instagram.

Facebook lets you build a group from people who interacted with your page:

• •People who messaged the page.
• •People who liked, commented on or saved a post.
• •People who watched part of one of your videos.
• •People who visited your Instagram profile.

No code required. If your shop posts video regularly (as in series 6), video viewers are a very worthwhile group to remind.

Building the audience

In Ads Manager, go to Audiences:

1. •Click Create Audience → Custom Audience.
2. •Choose the source: Website (if you have the Pixel), or Facebook Page / Instagram account.
3. •Choose the time window. For a local shop, 30 days is a sensible start.
4. •Give it a clear name: "Website visitors 30 days".

When you create the ad, choose this audience instead of drawing a circle as in post 7.2.

Worth adding: if your website has a "Thank you, your booking is confirmed" page, create a group of people who reached that page and exclude it. Someone who already booked doesn't need a reminder.

What should a reminder ad say?

Don't rerun the same ad. These people already know your shop. They need a reason to decide.

Three kinds of content work well:

• •Proof: a real review, a photo of a customer's finished nails. "Over 200 five-star reviews."
• •Availability: "We have three afternoon openings left this weekend."
• •A small incentive: "Book this week and get a complimentary hand treatment."

Two things to remember:

1. •Don't hover. Nobody enjoys seeing the same ad ten times in a week. Your report has a Frequency column showing how many times each person saw the ad on average. If it climbs high, lower the budget or change the ad.
2. •Keep the budget small. This group is small, so it only needs a small share of your ad money.

Three things to know before you expect too much

I'd rather be straight with you than have you disappointed.

1. A quiet website makes a group that's too small. If only a few dozen people visit each month, the retargeting group may be too small for the ad to run at all. In that case, bring people in first (posts 7.2 and 7.4) and retarget later. Or use the group of people who interacted with your Facebook and Instagram, which is usually larger.

2. The numbers will be incomplete. Many phones and browsers now let people refuse tracking. So the Pixel doesn't capture everything. Treat the figures as estimates, and keep asking new customers how they heard about you.

3. Respect privacy. Your website should have a Privacy Policy page that says you use cookies and advertising tools. I'm not a lawyer. If your shop collects a lot of customer information, ask someone qualified in Canadian privacy law.

Summary

• •Retargeting reminds people who visited your website or page but didn't book.
• •A website needs the Meta Pixel or Google tag. One-time setup, about 15–30 minutes.
• •Without a website you can still do it using people who interacted on Facebook and Instagram.
• •A reminder ad should offer proof, availability or a small incentive. Don't hover.
• •If the group is too small, focus on bringing people in first.

The last post in this series (7.6) helps you read an ad report: what CPL, CPA and ROAS mean and which numbers deserve your attention.

In Wizy's Full Funnel plan, retargeting and landing page optimisation are both included. See our Google & Facebook Ads service or book a free 15-minute consultation.

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✍️ About the author: Do Ngoc Hoan Founder of Wizy.ca, a marketing agency for Vietnamese businesses in Ontario. I write to make marketing simple for busy shop owners — no confusing jargon. More at dongochoan.com.