Web Push Notifications

WHAT ARE WEB PUSH NOTIFICATIONS??

Web push notifications (also known as browser push notifications) are notifications that are sent to users via their web browser (such as Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari or Microsoft Edge) either on desktop or on mobile devices.?

These alerts are styled pop up messages that display either in the top or bottom right-hand corner on desktop web browsers (this varies in the different operating systems) and on mobile devices, they display in a similar way to mobile app push notifications (for example: how a new Whatsapp message is rendered).?

Web push notifications are displayed on user’s screens as long as the user has their web browser open, interestingly the actual website doesn’t need to be open in the web browser for these push notifications to be delivered.

Here's a quick example of Web Push Notifications for desktop and mobile:

It’s important to know that web notifications do vary in appearance slightly depending on the web browser and operating system.

Here’s what they are made up of:?

• Notification Title: The title of the message
• Notification Content: The message content of the notification, the trick here is to keep it punchy, short and sweet, a users intent whether to engage with the brand or not is based on this. Character count varies between browsers.?
• Notification URL: The domain which sent the web notification.
• Notification Icon: Typically the company’s logo is used but any other relevant image can be used.
• Browser Icon: The icon of the web browser sending the notification. This is included on notifications sent to Apple desktop or laptop devices.?

SO HOW DO WEB PUSH NOTIFICATIONS REALLY WORK??

From the company perspective

Companies wanting to make use of push notifications on their website can do so by installing certain code on their website, which is provided by a web push notification service provider. These third party services are actually the ones doing all the hard work of sending the push notifications, we are simply interfacing with their platforms so that our website can talk to the push notification service and send out the notifications when needed.?

We could develop a push notification service from scratch but that would take days if not weeks of work and wouldn’t be cost effective and frankly it’s not feasible to reinvent the wheel. However, there are some very cool customisations you can do through API integrations but these are fairly complex and beyond the scope of this article (however if you’re interested to find out more - give us a shout).

These service providers generally have their own interface which users are able to login to and from there they can fire off the notification messages. These are delivered to users with specific messaging and a link to a specific website URL.

How users opt-in and engage with push notifications

For users, firstly we need to get them to opt-in to receive these notifications. Push notifications are a permission-based marketing tool, meaning that we can only market to users who have opted in to receive this type of communication.

The opt-in is native to the user’s web browser, which we are sure that many of you have seen. This type of prompt is called a browser-based prompt and asks the user if they consent to that specific URL showing notifications. Obviously for us to be able to send push notifications to recipients they need to allow this permission.?

The push notification will appear on their screen (within the web browser) and users can click on the push notification which takes the user to the specific URL that the brand has predetermined.?

For example, if there is a new product that has been launched, the brand will send out a push notification with some catchy wording to capture the user’s attention and entice them into checking out this new product, which they can do by clicking on the push notification, which in turn takes the user to the product’s page.?

WHY MAKE USE OF WEB PUSH NOTIFICATIONS?

Web push notifications allow marketers and website owners to extend their marketing efforts by directly communicating with their opt-in subscribers with clever messaging which can direct users to review the latest product, service, or information that the brand is trying to promote.?

This fast tracks the engagement process, by getting prospects to engage with cunning calls to action.?

This communication channel keeps the brand top of mind and drives traffic back to their website.

Push notifications should form part of digital marketing strategies and provide marketers with another tool to achieve their marketing (and sales) objectives.

Due to the simplicity of push notifications, this is often overlooked and the impact of push notification marketing is often underestimated.

WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF USING THEM??

We always want to embrace technology that makes our lives and businesses better and the great news is that web push notifications have a load of awesome advantages for you to benefit from.

High opt-in rate

Unlike pop-ups that ask for your name and email address in order for the brand to send you newsletters and promotions, opting into a push notification (or giving the website permission), is literally a single click to start the process.?

Low opt-out rate

Users who have opted in to receive notifications rarely opt out. In fact, opting out is a lot more complex than opting in, as they need to do this in their web browser settings, which isn’t always quick and easy to find.?

However, if you’re keeping your push notifications to a reasonable amount, there should be no need for users to opt out.

Real-time fast delivery

Web push notifications allow for instant communication with your opted-in audience. The notifications are delivered to subscribers as soon as they are sent from the sending service.

Great engagement rates

Unlike Email or text messaging where the URL to redirect the user to the desired web page is located inside the content, web push notifications only need one click or tap (on mobile) to take the user to the specified URL.

This is where crafting clever messaging and call to actions result in higher engagement.?

Drive traffic to your website

Every website needs loads of traffic and with web push notifications, we’ve added another tool that you can use to boost your website traffic. The best results are seen when the messaging is enticing and grabs the user’s attention. “Limited time promotions” can bring big spikes in traffic.?

Increased sales

Web push notifications are a fantasy mechanism to bring your subscribers back to your online shop and encourage them to shop. In fact, you can easily grab user attention quickly due to the simplicity of how web push notifications work, especially when compared to email where promotional emails get lost in a tidal wave of other mails.?

Complements marketing activities

They’re a good way to unify your cross-channel marketing efforts and get users to take action. This culminates in the success of digital marketing campaigns as a whole.

No need for a mobile app

Let’s be frank, mobile apps are cool but at the same time, they are also really expensive to develop. A major benefit of web push notifications is that they are a cost-effective alternative to developing a mobile app.?

This is especially true if your website is highly functional and works really well on all mobile devices (responsive), which in this day and age it should be.

WHICH WEB BROWSERS PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR WEB PUSH NOTIFICATIONS??

It’s important to know that while most devices and operating systems (OS) allow web push notifications, it’s equally important to know what devices, OS, and web browsers aren’t supported.?

Chrome, Firefox, Opera and Safari currently support web push notifications and supported web browsers vary by vendor. The major web browser not supporting web push notifications being Safari on mobile phones and tablets.

There are also some differences in that notifications vary in appearance between browsers and operating systems. Some notifications use native notification centers, and others don’t — keeping in mind, this also varies by browser and operating system.

WEB PUSH NOTIFICATION API?

There is a way that more sophisticated logic can be developed to determine when to send push notifications to your subscribers. To put it into context you can send out normal (simple) web push notifications, for example, a promotional notification or a notification to inform subscribers of a new product that’s just been launched.?

However, we can develop many more custom push notifications based on certain events, conditions and processes, together with hyper-targeting individual users.

Let’s use an example. A customer bought a really sweet pair of shoes from an eCommerce store and they just can’t wait to get them and show these to their friends.?We can use push notifications to keep that user informed of their delivery status. These notifications are completely specific to that user and based on where they are in their transactional journey.?

Many big brands are using web push notifications in intelligent ways so that they can increase engagement and ultimately their sales and customer retention.

TRACKING AND MEASURING PERFORMANCE

Tracking and measuring push notifications is a straightforward process compared to other communication channels.?

Many of these push notification providers offer a variety of reporting and measuring tools that can allow you to get great insights into your subscribers and your push notification activities and engagements.?

WHAT ARE MOBILE APP NOTIFICATIONS?

Because this article is focused on web push notifications, we aren’t going to cover this in detail.

In a nutshell, these mobile app notifications are different in that they send notifications to users who have the mobile app installed on their mobile phone and have the correct settings on their phone (they’ve enabled that specific app to send them push notifications) so that the app notifications can be delivered.?

Once a user receives and clicks on an app notification, the mobile app opens and takes the user to the appropriate screen.?

THE BOTTOM LINE

Now that we’ve covered many aspects of what web push notifications are and how they work. It’s really clear to see that this underutilised piece of technology has loads of potential and can really make a massive difference to brands and companies looking to extend their marketing reach and customer engagement.?

The big bonus is that they are not even too complex to set up, but the key is to craft a well thought out strategy, with strong calls to action, using tempting text, prompting users to engage.?

Push notifications are not only useful for marketing and promotional activities but can also be used for other facets like customer service, improved communication with stakeholders and operational notifications.?

LET'S GET YOU STARTED?

Are you looking to add web push notifications to your website or web app? Speak to us about how we can assist with this integration.?