To start with, let’s make it clear what a web push notification is. A web push (web notifications, push notification, website push) is a short prompt that appears in your browser window (typically bottom right) when you’re online. A web push from a particular website appears even if you’re not visiting this exact website at the moment.
Web notifications are permission-based messages, meaning the subscriber first needs to confirm they want to receive from you. That’s why websites that send web pushes first ask to allow their messages with a permission request. The users who click Allow automatically become subscribers.
Why to Use Web Pushes in Your Marketing Strategy
- Web pushes have an easy and quick subscription process. It takes one or two clicks (depending on the type of the permission request) to allow these messages, and the user doesn’t have to fill in any fields or provide personal information. And people are more eager to get engaged when it takes minimum effort.
- Web pushes are easy to build. One title, one or two sentences of text, and a CTA are a basic pattern, but for Chrome you can also add a big image and the second button. To send a simple push notification you don’t need to have code knowledge or be super good at image editing.
- They get in front of the audience and are hard to miss. While emails may not be opened for this or that reason, with web pushes you’re sure your message would hit the target.
- They’re suitable for both PC and mobiles. You’ll have to optimize some things like company logo or text length to be properly displayed in all operating systems, but that’s a one-time procedure. Once you figure out the right ratio, the future messages would be even easier to make.
- Since web pushes don’t collect any personal data they’re GDPR-friendly and don’t require privacy policy updates.
Web push notifications can back almost all your marketing routines from real-time communication with prospects to reactivation of old customers. Among other aims, web pushes are often used to:
- generate leads;
- increase conversions on a website;
- increasing sales,
- re-engage inactive users;
- promote new products;
- offer promo codes and discounts;
- notify of recent changes;
- refer customers to a particular page of the website, etc.
For what purpose you would use this channel depends on your brand, audience, business goals and overall marketing strategy. However, any company can find a way to employ web notifications to generate better customer response.
How to Improve Email Campaigns Using Web Push Notifications
While Email still remains the main communication channel, you can complement it with web pushes in many ways. Take a look at the following suggestions and pick the methods that may be applicable to your particular email marketing strategy.
- Send a web push with promo codes or other incentives (free shipping/delivery, % off first purchase, gift for a friend, etc.) to those customers who didn’t open the email with the same content. For example, you launch a birthday greeting with a promo code valid within 10 days since the birth date. If the recipient didn’t open the email after 3-5 days since its delivery, send a web push reminding to use the code before it’s expired.
- Those brands who often run webinars, online workshops or live streaming may use web pushes to encourage people to participate. Send an email describing the upcoming event: introduce topics and speakers, state the time and include a registration CTA. And on the day of the event (the best time is right at the start), send a web push inviting to join. The fear of missing out what’s already on can make people respond more actively.
- If you have a blog and send regular blog newsletters, consider backing them up with more specific web pushes. For example, you send a monthly digest campaign with 5 new articles to all of your contacts. Come up with an additional web push but include there one link to the article that may be of most interest (based on the previous clicks and website behavior) to the particular recipient.
- If you’re a multinational brand with several physical locations, sending personalized location-based web pushes aside regular email may be a good idea. Let’s say you’re announcing a big Christmas sale, both online and offline. While having the same conditions (70% off old collections + free delivery) for online customers, offline offers may depend on the particular location (holiday hours, not all categories are available, out of stock, etc.). Use geotargeting to segment your audience and deliver the most relevant offers to all of your customers.
The list goes on and entirely depends on your particular email campaigns. A web push can make any of them more personalized and targeted, or on the contrary, add important general information. But whatever web push you’re making, keep in mind the following:
- web notifications are space-limited so make sure you include only the most important and practical information;
- unlike email, the recipient can’t come back to the web push later; set the suitable TTL (time to live) during which a web push can be stored if the user is not online;
- push notification is closed after being clicked on. So if you use a promo code, try to make it simpler and easier to remember and use later: GIFT is a more user-friendly option than GH-7854-km-IUGT-89.
- double-check the message for broken links. If you offer to read the article How to Improve Email with Web Pushes, but the corresponding link leads to the page with pricing plans, you’ll get a reputation of an untrustworthy sender.
To sum up, Web Push is a great channel to generate more leads and sales. To offer a seamless omnichannel experience, it should be smoothly incorporated in your overall email marketing strategy. Use other solutions, like web tracking and geotargeting, to collect more data for more precise segmentation and more relevant campaigns. The more value your content (both email and web push) deliver, the bigger the response.