It is essential for every e-commerce company to continuously increase traffic and connect with both new and old users. Therefore, e-commerce companies use various communication tools to grow their business, such as email, SMS, social networks, e-commerce push notifications, etc.
What is a push notification? #
A push notification is a pop-up message delivered to the user directly to the mobile device’s home screen. Push notifications are superior to email and other communication methods due to the delivery process. Like an SMS text message, push notifications are shown directly to the smartphone user. They are much harder to ignore than a crowded email inbox. This almost guarantees that the user will see the message the next time he checks his smartphone. The study showed that push notifications had an average open rate of 20% in all industries, unlike email, which has an opening rate of 2%.
What are web push notifications? #
Web push notifications are also pop-up messages that can be clicked on but are sent to visitors on browsers and appear right next to the taskbar. Web push notifications are delivered on a user’s desktop or mobile screen anytime their browser is open. If a user allows web push notifications, they will appear regardless of whether or not the user is on the website.
Why are e-commerce push notifications important? #
E-commerce push notifications help e-commerce businesses send content-rich messages that share important information for customers, such as payment reminders, price reductions, promotional codes, and more.
E-commerce push notifications are also used to recover abandoned carts. For example, if the user adds items to the cart but for some reason leaves without ordering, a push notification can remind him of an abandoned cart and encourage him to complete the purchase, instantly giving the company a revenue boost.
E-commerce companies use push notifications to send personalized offers to their customers. Target group segmentation based on online user activity and previous purchase history can help the business send personalized messages to increase conversion rate and also increase the customer lifetime value.
E-commerce push notifications help companies create a superior shopping experience and engage users to return to the app and re-purchase.
How to write e-commerce push notifications? #
E-commerce push notifications are a simple marketing method, but writing good text within a pop-up message can be a real challenge. A limited number of characters (between 40 and 120) need to convey all the information and engage users. If the character limit is exceeded, the message will be shortened, and users will not understand and react to it.
How to get consent for push notification #
Before getting to send e-commerce push notifications to your user, you must first get the consent.
All platforms, including web, iOS, and Android have made their systems to prevent unsolicited messages and notifications from reaching the user. Because of that, you must use a system dialog to obtain permission from the user so you can actually send them notifications later on.
But to increase the chance your user will give you the permission, you should prepare them. You can do it by giving them a reason for asking the permission, and also, you can explain how exactly you will use the notifications and what benefit will they have. This is a great user experience (UX) practice for e-commerce apps and will give your users more trust in you and your app, and increase the percentage of users opting in for the notifications.
The following points should be considered when creating e-commerce push notifications for better results:
- Precise message: Most people are impatient and do not read vague messages.
- Superior value through the offer: A clear and concise message that conveys the most crucial value offer is the key to push notification success.
- Frequency is essential: Push notifications should engage subscribers but not overwhelm them. Sending messages too often can irritate subscribers and cause them to unsubscribe from the website or uninstall the app. On the other hand, sending too rarely may not be enough for the user to remember the brand and gain loyalty.
- Time of sending push notification: The user is unlikely to respond to the company’s offer in the middle of the night. Understanding the time zones and locations of global subscribers can help a company schedule messages at the right time to get maximum conversions.
It is equally important to know what kind of messages will be sent at what time of the day.
Ideally, promotional messages give better results when users are more relaxed and mentally ready to react and purchase, perhaps in the morning or evening. On the other hand, funny messages work best during the afternoon when most people are bored and need something to encourage them.
Web and app push notifications are handy for e-commerce companies because they give them a broader marketing scope and help them scale their business.
Do you want to learn more about e-commerce? Continue reading about → Chatbot in e-commerce.
