Retargeting the people who browsed your menu but didn't order is the fastest way to convert warm leads into paying customers. Most meal prep and delivery services lose 95% of site visitors without ever reaching out—retargeting closes that gap. This guide shows you exactly how to structure ads that bring back hungry customers.
Why Retargeting Works for Food Delivery Businesses
People researching meal prep services don't always buy on their first visit. They compare prices, check delivery zones, read reviews, and often abandon their cart mid-checkout. Retargeting keeps your brand visible across Google, Facebook, and Instagram while they're still deciding.
For meal delivery specifically, retargeting works because you're targeting people with proven intent—they've already landed on your site, looked at meal options, or clicked your pricing page. That's infinitely more valuable than cold traffic.
Set Up Pixel Tracking First
Before you run a single retargeting ad, install conversion pixels on your website. Google Ads, Facebook, and TikTok all provide tracking code that records who visits your site.
Place pixels on:
- Your homepage
- Menu or meal selection pages
- Pricing and checkout pages
- Thank you pages (for successful orders)
Most meal prep businesses see pixel installation take 30 minutes to 2 hours with basic technical help. If you're using Shopify, WooCommerce, or Squarespace, pixel installation is built into the platform settings.
Segment Your Audience into Retargeting Lists
Not every visitor deserves the same ad. Someone who viewed your $12 individual meals needs a different message than someone who abandoned a $200 corporate catering order.
Create separate lists for:
- Cart abandoners: People who added meals but didn't complete checkout (typically 40-60% of your traffic)
- Menu browsers: Visitors who spent 1-3 minutes on your meal selection page but didn't add anything
- Pricing page visitors: People researching your costs but hesitant about value
- Corporate/bulk order viewers: Users checking catering or corporate meal plan options
Retarget cart abandoners within 24 hours with a discount code (5-10% off) and emphasize delivery speed or freshness. Retarget menu browsers after 3 days with a "most popular meals" carousel ad showing your best-sellers. Retarget pricing page visitors with social proof—customer testimonials and before-after energy/fitness results if applicable.
Creative Strategy: Show Real Meals, Not Stock Photos
Your retargeting ads should feature actual meals your service delivers. Use high-quality photos of prepared meals, close-ups of fresh ingredients, or short video clips of packaging.
Generic images of salads don't convert. Specific meals do—"Grilled Salmon with Roasted Asparagus + Brown Rice" outperforms "Healthy Protein Meals" by 3-4x on retargeting campaigns for meal prep services.
Include clear copy stating:
- Delivery timeline (e.g., "Fresh meals delivered Monday-Friday")
- Price per meal (e.g., "$11.50 per prepared meal")
- A single clear offer ("Free delivery on first order" or "15% off this week")
Budget and Bid Strategy
Most meal prep services allocate $300-$800/month to retargeting ads, depending on site traffic volume.
A typical breakdown:
- Budget: $400/month
- Daily spend: $13-15
- Expected reach: 3,000-8,000 retargeted users per month (depends on your site traffic)
- Target ROAS: $4-6 revenue per $1 spent
Start with Facebook and Instagram retargeting—meal delivery converts well on mobile feeds. Add Google Ads retargeting (search and display) if your budget allows, especially for cart abandoners searching meal prep-related keywords.
Bid $0.50-$1.50 per click for meal prep retargeting. If your average order value is $35-50, you can afford higher bids than most niches.
Track Results Weekly
Monitor these metrics every 7 days:
- Click-through rate (aim for 1-3%)
- Conversion rate (aim for 8-15% for cart abandoners)
- Cost per acquisition (CPA—divide ad spend by new orders)
- Return on ad spend (ROAS)
If your CPA exceeds 30% of your average order value, reduce audience size or refresh creative. If ROAS is above $5, scale spend by 25-30% the following week.
Getting found and winning leads is easier when you list your meal prep or catering service on Mercoly—you'll reach customers actively searching for services like yours while building your own retargeting audience simultaneously.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How long should I retarget someone who visits my site? A: Retarget cart abandoners for 7-14 days, menu browsers for 14-30 days, and pricing visitors for 30 days. After 30 days, most users have made a decision.
Q: What discount code should I offer in retargeting ads? A: Offer 10-15% off first orders or free delivery on orders over $30—both outperform generic "save now" messaging for meal prep services.
Q: Should I retarget customers who already ordered? A: Yes—retarget them with subscription discounts, referral programs, or upsells to larger meal plans. Repeat customers cost 60% less to acquire than new ones.
Start retargeting this week, and you'll recover lost meals—and revenue—by month two.