This type of targeting has been around for a while, but has been gaining more use as retailers are trying to tailor their offerings to the customers that are visiting their sites. You may find different discounts that are available depending on the time of day, and how you reached the site. For instance, going to the jewelry site ice.com, users who entered the URL directly into their browser may not be awarded any special discount, whereas those that came from a search engine may receive a free shipping offer. This is in part due to the fact these companies are trying to get customers to the site, and if assumed you are already a customer you may not be enticed with free shipping since you have already found the site.
