Push notifications: a powerful driver for your e-commerce

A push notification is a compelling marketing tool with an open rate 50% higher than email. This tool is especially suited to e-commerce and mobile users.

It is also a powerful lever to increase your qualified traffic. But why include it in your campaigns? And what are the practical applications? 

What is the purpose of push notifications?

What is a push notification?

It is “an instant message received by users who have allowed notifications from a website or who have installed an app on their phone” (source:  doofinder.com).

There are several types of push notifications: 

• mobile app
• website
• geolocation
• messaging apps

They are available on both desktop and mobile devices. 

Push notification example: Fnac

Please note that notifications sent directly from a browser are called ”web push”. They are mainly available on Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Opera. 

Interesting fact: 36% of French internet users use ad blockers. However, these do not block push notifications (source: wis-écoles.com).

Thanks to a high opt-in rate, your database grows significantly. This allows you to retarget later with automated or one-off campaigns. 

Why use push notifications?

They are essential for generating leads, retaining your customers and boosting your e-commerce sales. 

Push notifications help you acquire, convert and retain customers. They provide real added value that sets you apart from the competition in an innovative format. 

In fact, they can turn 30% of visitors into subscribers (source: komebak.com). Their conversion rate outperforms all other marketing channels and helps drive profitability from your traffic and your site.

What are the benefits of push notifications?

Instant access to your message

One of the key advantages of push notifications is that the app or website doesn’t need to be open as notifications appear directly on the user’s home screen. 

They easily capture the customer’s attention even when they’re not on the website or the mobile app. 

A simple opt-in process

To receive notifications, users simply click “allow” without having to fill out a form or share personal information. They will be less hesitant to subscribe. For you, it means no GDPR constraints.

And, there’s no need for a technician for installation of the push notification system. You can set it up yourself.

Quick to set up

Push notifications are quicker to create than a newsletter. Quick, but often (depending on the tools) just as complete as an email or newsletter, as you can add a title, text and an image. This saves you substantial time while keeping regular contact with your users. 

Cost-effective

Besides boasting a high open rate, push notifications are less expensive than SMS.

Reach a younger audience

Push notifications allow you to reach a younger audience that has grown up with smartphones. This communication channel is highly effective for building loyalty with this target group.

When should you use push notifications?

Push notifications are part of a push marketing strategy — “which consists in pushing the product directly to the consumer or via distribution channels” (source: blog.comexplorer.com).

Abandoned basket

A client might fill a basket on your e-commerce site but not complete the purchase. In such cases, you can send a reminder notification. This “brings 10–15% more business to your online store” (source: komebak.com). 

Delivery fees are the number one cause of basket abandonment (44%), so you can mention in your message that you offer free delivery (source: e-commerce nation.fr). 

Request for a review

Set up an automation scenario to ask your customer a few days after their purchase to leave a review. This way, you’ll see your number of reviews grow. This is essential, as many users read reviews before buying from your site. 

A thank you message

Notifications can also be sent when there’s a new sign-up on your site or newsletter: send a thank you or welcome message. 

For orders, this type of message reassures the customer their order has been received. Beyond the thank you, an voucher can be offered for their next purchase as a loyalty incentive.

Product back in stock

If your customer finds a product out of stock, ask if they want to be notified when it’s available again. 

This reduces the risk of disappointment and prevents them from shopping elsewhere.

Push notifications can also be used in the following scenarios:

• promotional offers
• flash sales
• new product launches
• product recommendations

Push notification example: Mano Mano

Setup is easy via online tools like 

• Push Crew
• FoxPush
• OneSignal
• Firebase
• Batch
• Shopimind, etc.

Best practices for push notifications

Define the action you want

Before creating your push notification, it’s vital to define the desired action behind it. Your message should be concise, brief and create urgency or emotion. 

Target, segment and personalise

Much like email, your customers receive huge numbers of push notifications. That’s why it’s important to target, segment and personalise (e.g. add their first name) to help you stand out. 

Personalise your opt-in request templates to encourage higher opt-in rates. 

“Opt-in” means: “the percentage of users who have installed an app and given permission to receive push notifications” (source: wis-écoles.com).

Add a CTA (Call To Action) at the end of your message.

Make sure users can easily disable notifications, or they might uninstall your app. 

Manage marketing pressure

Be mindful of marketing pressure to avoid a high unsubscribe rate. Communicate at the right times — only when you have something relevant to share, to have a positive impact on mobile users. 

It’s not always easy to manage marketing pressure, but some tools, such as Shopimind, will help you do this.

Include relevant elements

Ideally, a push notification should include:

• a title
• an icon 
• a message
• a URL 
• an image 

“A relevant and engaging image can boost conversion rates by 57%” (source: codeur.com).

The character limit is 60 to 90 for Android and no more than 120 for iOS.

Integrate push notifications into your automated e-commerce scenarios

There are many automation scenarios. The push notification will be triggered automatically based on the criteria you set. 

For example, if a user who’s subscribed to push notifications leaves your site after viewing a certain product, you can send them a notification with a 5% discount on that product.

To optimise the customer experience, give users time to browse before requesting push notification permission. Avoid asking on page load. Let users first discover your products and services. 

Test your push notifications

Use A/B testing! It allows you to compare different versions and test reactions, so you can learn what works. Once results are in, make the necessary adjustments.

To decide which channels to use for push notifications, analyse where your traffic comes from (for example, if 80% of your traffic is from Google Chrome, it makes sense to offer notifications on that browser).

Finally, KPIs, such as open, opt-out and uninstall rates should be monitored regularly.

Conclusion

Push notifications are an excellent way to increase your qualified traffic. They’re useful for a variety of scenarios, like abandoned baskets, promotions, and more. However, there are best practices to follow. Make them clear, attractive, and be sure to manage message frequency and character limits.

This push marketing strategy will help you gain new customers and build loyalty.

Now it’s your turn!