Email retargeting workflows are automated email campaigns triggered by specific user actions or inactions on a website or application. These workflows leverage behavioral data to send targeted, personalized messages at strategic moments in the customer journey, aiming to re-engage users who have shown interest but haven’t completed a desired action. By automating follow-up communications based on real-time behavior, retargeting workflows significantly improve conversion rates and customer lifetime value.
Types of Retargeting Workflows
Cart Abandonment Workflows
Cart abandonment workflows target users who add items to their shopping cart but leave without completing the purchase. Typically consisting of 2-3 emails sent over 24-72 hours, these workflows remind customers of their abandoned items, often including product images, incentives like discount codes, and urgency-building elements such as low stock warnings.
Browse Abandonment Workflows
Browse abandonment workflows engage users who view products or content but don’t take action. These workflows are triggered when visitors spend time on specific pages without adding items to cart or making a purchase. They typically feature the viewed products, related recommendations, and compelling calls-to-action to encourage return visits.
Post-Purchase Follow-Up Workflows
Post-purchase workflows maintain engagement after a transaction, including order confirmations, shipping updates, review requests, and cross-sell opportunities. These workflows build customer relationships while identifying opportunities for repeat purchases through personalized product recommendations based on purchase history.
Workflow Design Principles
Effective retargeting workflows balance persistence with respect for user experience. Key principles include progressive incentivization, where subsequent emails may offer increasing discounts; message variation to avoid repetition; and clear value propositions that address potential objections. Workflows should have defined exit criteria to prevent over-messaging and include suppression rules for recent purchasers or unsubscribers.
Timing and Sequencing
Strategic timing is critical for retargeting success. The first email typically sends within 1-4 hours of the trigger event while intent is fresh. Subsequent messages space out over days, with common patterns being 1 hour, 24 hours, and 72 hours for cart abandonment. Send times should align with when users are most likely to engage, often determined through historical data analysis and A/B testing.
Personalization in Retargeting
Advanced retargeting workflows incorporate dynamic content, including product images, descriptions, pricing, and personalized recommendations based on browsing history and purchase patterns. Personalization extends to subject lines, sender names, and messaging tone. Segmentation refines targeting by considering factors like cart value, customer lifetime value, geographic location, and device type.
Measuring Workflow Performance
Key performance indicators for retargeting workflows include conversion rate, revenue recovered, email open and click rates, time to conversion, and unsubscribe rates. Advanced analytics track multi-touch attribution to understand how retargeting workflows contribute to overall conversion paths. Regular testing and optimization ensure workflows adapt to changing user behavior and maintain effectiveness over time.
Email retargeting workflows represent one of the highest-ROI marketing automation investments, with cart abandonment emails alone recovering 10-30% of potentially lost sales when properly implemented and optimized.