Making an online sale on the first try is a little like hitting a home run. One swing and you score (Cue the cheering sales-o-meter here!) But what about those other chances that don’t make it out of the park – the foul balls, groundouts and flat-out whiffs?

Retargeting is tailor-made for these occasions since they give you a means to stay in touch and ultimately – hopefully – make a sale. Here are some guidelines your small business can use to give sales a lift, right out of the park.

But First, a Definition of Retargeting

Retargeting is the process of following up with consumers who’ve visited your business website. By placing a marker called a ‘cookie’ on their computer, it allows you to touch base with them later on as they shop online or use social media. If you’ve ever shopped for something online and received an ad for the same item in your Facebook account later on, you’ve been retargeted.

What Retargeting Can and Can’t Do

What retargeting can do is give you instant access to an online audience, provided they’ve been to your site. In this respect, it’s quite powerful. However, while you can target site visitors precisely, you can’t tell why they didn’t make a purchase in the first place. Perhaps it was because you didn’t stock what they need. Or they found your website difficult to use. Then again, they may have seen what they wanted but were just waiting for payday to buy.

How to Market, Message and Master the Art of Retargeting

To retarget effectively, you must know as much as you can about the people you sell to. If you’re marketing cosmetics that aren’t tested on animals, make sure you’re retargeting to the right audience, such as millennial women. You must know what kinds of devices they’re using so that your message can be received. And you must know when to retarget, for instance, on weekends when women tend to shop for cosmetics.

Some Don’ts

While retargeting can be a powerful tool when used correctly, it can also be abused or used incorrectly. Here are just some of the things to avoid:

• Don’t over-retarget – Consumers have limits and will tune you out if you repeatedly fill their Facebook feed with product ads. A good number to shoot for is 15 ads a month.

• Don’t forget the consumer – Be conscious of the fact that there’s a human on the other side of your retargeting efforts. If your ad promoting gastric bypass surgery appeared in their Facebook feed for friends to see, how would it go over?

Some Key Take-Aways

Before we send you off on your own to pursue your second-chance sells let's recap over some key-takeaways:

• Know the audience which you're retargeting - people receive enough spam in their emails, lets not add to that with even more "spammy" advertising.
• Don't limit your audience - knowing your audience as well as similar audiences is important. Different groups may share comparable characteristics, which could qualify them as well.
• Retarget strategically - there are many psychological factors when consumers purchase; one of those being timing. Consider these external variables before blindly retargeting.

While retargeting gives you the power to swing for the fences keep in mind the preparation necessary before stepping up to the plate.