Targeting

Targeting

What it is: Targeting in ecommerce is the art and science of getting the right message to the right person at the right time. It involves leveraging data, demographics, behaviors, interests, and more ,to focus your paid media, email, and remarketing efforts on users most likely to engage and convert. Whether through geographic targeting, keyword strategies, or lookalike audiences, effective targeting shapes how every campaign is delivered.

Why it matters for ecommerce merchants: When every dollar counts, showing your ads or messages to a broad, unfocused audience isn’t a luxury most ecommerce brands can afford. Targeting ensures you’re spending efficiently, reaching only the people with the highest likelihood to act. According to HubSpot, targeted ads are twice as effective at driving engagement compared to non-targeted ones. For ecommerce, that translates into real revenue gains.

Challenges:

• Balancing personalization with privacy compliance and data collection limits
• Integrating multiple targeting strategies across platforms (social, search, display)
• Managing performance across segmented audiences
• Avoiding message fatigue or over-targeting