Have you heard of push notifications? Probably yes, but might have no idea what is behind this technology. If so, this article will surely be helpful.
What Are Push Notifications?
Push notifications are short messages that a web resource or mobile app sends to a user’s device. They appear on the screen even if the app or website is not currently running.
These simple messages are used for various purposes:
– Informing users about new events or offers: For example, an online store might send a push notification about a sale or the arrival of a new product.
– Encouraging users to return to a site or app: Push notifications can remind users about an unfinished transaction or suggest visiting a specific section of a site.
– Promoting products or services: Push notifications can be used to advertise new products or services.
Based on their functional load, push notifications can be classified as:
– Content Messages: These messages are intended for news announcements, new product presentations, announcements of promotions, and providing special offers.
– Transactional Messages: Their primary function is to inform users about the status of orders, stock availability, and payment confirmations.
– Trigger Messages: These are targeted to interact with the user on a more personal level. They include welcome messages, reminders of abandoned carts, and expressions of gratitude for a completed order.
Push notifications are non-intrusive. Unlike banners and pop-up windows, they do not interfere with browsing and barely distract users. Moreover, users are aware of the temporary nature of the message, encouraging them to take action, such as clicking the link or closing the message. Additionally, web push notifications are an alternative for those who don’t yet have the means or need to create their own mobile app.
Important: to receive push notifications, the user must allow them in the settings of their device or application.
How Do Push Notifications Differ from SMS?
The main difference is immediately noticeable: to read an SMS, users need to open the respective folder on their mobile device, whereas push notifications appear automatically. Furthermore, today’s reality shows that SMS services are becoming obsolete. People check content on platforms like YouTube and social networks daily, while the SMS section often remains neglected for weeks.
Other drawbacks associated with mobile messaging include:
– Bulky Process of Database Collection: People are not always willing to share their phone numbers, whereas subscribing to push notifications requires just one click.
– Functional Only in a Mobile Environment: SMS notifications are limited to mobile devices, while push notifications can reach the user across various platforms.
– Inability to Add Images in Text Messages: SMS doesn’t support image embedding, whereas push notifications can include graphical content.
– Uniform SMS Format: SMS has a limited standardized format, often inadequate for marketing campaigns’ needs.
Additionally, the cost of sending automated SMS mailings is significantly higher than push notifications. The SMS method remains relevant only when targeting an older audience (50+).
How to Create Push Notifications
We’ve covered the main concept in the realm of push notifications. Now, let’s delve into the methods of interacting with users through web push technologies.
Integrating Push notifications services into a mobile app may be tricky. Luckily, there are mobile app builders that come with the Push Notifications functionality and you only need to define sending your pushes to the correct recipients.
For example, the Push Notifications feature from Appery.io allows sending push messages to users who have installed your app.
Getting Started
It all begins with simple database collection. Given the simplicity of subscription (just one click), gathering subscribers usually happens swiftly. It’s essential to note that compared to email newsletters, push notification subscribers appear three times more frequently. Users are willing to subscribe to push notifications since this technology doesn’t require collecting personal data like postal addresses, phone numbers, or full names.
Moreover, subscribing to push notifications is always voluntary. This means that using this tool does not involve imposing products and services without user consent. Spam distribution is impossible here since such practices instantly result in unsubscribing. Users can always opt out if the messages become irrelevant, intrusive, or too frequent.
Push notifications on mobile devices can come from both websites and mobile apps. According to statistics, notifications received from mobile apps can increase user retention rates by up to 88%.
To handle push sending, Appery.io offers an option of simple fine-tuning sending push notifications to the right recipients. You can watch this video to learn how to do that:
Also, Appery.io has a wide range of settings that make adding this functionality a breeze.
The stage of planning your notifications is crucial in maintaining customer interest in the site’s information. The following factors are important:
– Frequency of Distribution: Determined by the necessity and interests of the audience. Sending repetitive messages too frequently can tire users, so maintaining variety without overloading them with information is essential.
– Timing and Duration of Sending Messages: The timing of sending messages depends on the nature of your business and your target audience. For instance, for an accounting services site, the optimal time to send messages is weekdays during business hours; while reminders for utility payments are best sent on weekends or weekday evenings.
– Notification Display Duration on the recipient’s screen: This defines how long the message remains visible on the screen. This parameter should also be adjusted considering your business specifics and audience preferences.
– Relevance of Topics: Keeping the audience interested is achievable only by sending relevant and engaging messages. Therefore, it’s crucial to define your campaign goals during planning, such as segmenting subscribers, informing about new services, payment reminders, etc., and adjusting the message format and appearance accordingly.
Remember that subscribers value variety and engaging offers. Planning distributions should be based on the logic and interests of your audience, not on excessive monotony.
The third stage involves the actual sending of push notifications.
A handy approach is implementing this functionality for both platform: iOS and Android.
With Appery.io, you can do that from one place.
To learn how, watch our video tutorials:
- Watch to learn how to configure pushes for sending them to mobile devices running on Android:
Push notifications are a powerful tool for businesses, enhancing audience engagement, improving communication with customers, and increasing conversions. They enable quick and effective delivery of relevant information to clients, fostering loyalty and retaining audiences. Thanks to the easy subscription process and high click-through rates, push notifications have become an integral part of modern marketing strategies.
