Web Push Notifications: Your Guide to Using them in 2019

What mobile device features are missing from the web? If you ask a room full of marketers, push notifications might be at the top of the list. Web push notifications are a great way to reach an active and engaged audience. But, choosing when to use web push notifications isn’t always easy. To use push notifications correctly, it’s important to understand the behavior of your online audience. Thankfully, we can help you understand exactly how and when to use web push notifications in 2019.

The opportunity

There’s no denying that the world is moving towards mobile devices. When it comes to checking social networks or playing games, mobile use is on the rise. But, there is still a fair share of desktop use. Especially when it comes to more intensive tasks like shopping, planning travel, or reading long-form news articles. In fact, 48.65% of people worldwide access the internet from a desktop computer.

With almost half of the world still using PCs and laptops, this is a segment that you shouldn’t ignore. The opportunity, though, lies in understanding when our audience engages with us online, in an app, or via email. Through proper segmentation, we can start to see which message to deliver through which communication channel. For now, let’s focus on web push notifications and when to use them.

What are web push notifications?

Push notifications are alert-style messages that appear at the top or bottom-right corner of your web browser. They’re usually used and seen by people using desktop computers, but you can deliver them to any device that has an internet browser. Let’s look at some advantages of using them.

● Your customers don’t need to download an app to receive the notifications
● People can opt-in to your notifications with a single click
● The simple opt-in process leads to high opt-in rates
● You can send them in real-time

Dos and don’ts of web push notifications

Web push notifications are great when used correctly. But, don’t forget to consider things like time zones, frequency, and segments. Web push notifications are attention-grabbing. This has its pros and cons. They easily break through the clutter and get your audience’s attention, but they can also easily feel invasive. Make sure you don’t overdo it with how many notifications you send. Otherwise, you run the risk of having people unsubscribe from them.

Do create segmented lists based on user characteristics. Like all communications, make them valuable and specific to your customers. Don’t send irrelevant notifications to all subscribers. It’s almost as easy to unsubscribe to your notifications as it is to subscribe, so tread carefully! Also, A/B test to make sure you’re using phrases, headlines, and CTAs that work.

Use Cases

E-commerce and Retail

E-commerce and retail are a natural place for web push notifications. Studies show that they actually increase e-commerce engagement by 278%. Alert your customers about your latest offers and promotions directly to their phones. Bring your audience up to date effortlessly. At Routee, we see our clients using push notifications to alert their customers about:
● Discounts and sales
● Shopping cart products
● Delivery updates
● Upselling products
● Items back in stock
● Abandoned Carts
● Price drop alerts

All of these e-commerce and retail use cases provide real value to customers.

Digital Media

When it comes to digital media, notifications and updates are common. To start, online publishers and news outlets can segment their audience. For example, create a list of people who consume media online vs. mobile. Add segments based on interests and behavior and location. Then, send notifications about the stories and articles the reader might be interested in. This could include:
● Breaking news
● Notifications about new stories
● Updates on newsletters

Travel

Travel is another industry that could benefit from web push notifications. Remember, most people rely on their mobile devices when they’re actually traveling. Use web push notifications to help customers leading up to their trip. For example, this could include:
● Flight price drop alert
● Helpful information about destinations
● Reminders about reservations

Gate, check-in and baggage claim information might be better off sent to mobile devices. Again, consider when your customers will be on-the-go versus when they might be on a tablet or PC.

How to get started

With Routee, you can send Web Push Notifications to people through any existing browser and user desktop. We make it easy to segment your customers and deliver notifications that add value. Also, you can easily and instantly view comprehensive reports that measure the effectiveness of your campaigns. So, what are you waiting for? Learn more about how we can help here. Or, get in touch with Routee, today. Start using the power of web push notifications to your advantage.