Push notifications – not just for smartphone apps!

Push notifications have been in use on smartphones and tablets for some time, but they can also be easily used on desktop computers (PC, laptop – Windows/Linux)!

“Studies show that users who have enabled push notifications use an app an average of 14.7 times per month, while users without the service only do so 5.4 times – a difference of 171%. It's therefore worthwhile to engage each individual user with a personal and individualized approach.”

Whether for sporting events, current news from around the world or exciting company news: Push notifications have long been an extremely popular way to keep customers, followers and other interested users up to date and provide them with news on smartphones and tablets.

One of the main users of this technology are mobile apps , which use it to send news to their users' screens. According to studies, a mobile phone owner receives an average of 63 notifications per day – most of them through messaging apps like WhatsApp, Facebook, or email services.

Besides being displayed on mobile devices, push notifications are increasingly used for desktops and laptops , where the message is actively displayed on the subscriber's screen. For website operators, push notifications thus become an ideal opportunity to provide their target audience with new content.

The developers of current, popular web browsers have recognized this and now widely support the format. The only requirement for push notifications is that the recipient has actively opted in to receive them.

The advantages at a glance

• Increased visibility and presence among subscribers, even beyond direct customer contact or website
• Added value for the user through high individual relevance of the content
• Increased acceptance of push notifications through personalization

Push Notification Design

Quality over quantity

Given the high level of attention push notifications receive, some companies are tempted to send as many messages as possible. This is a mistake, as they risk disappointing their loyal recipients (who have, after all, previously consented to receiving them). Just like with newsletters, an excessive number of push notifications can quickly lead to a sender being perceived as irrelevant – or worse: spam. Therefore, it's crucial to ensure that push notifications offer added value. This can be achieved, for example, by..

• Product presentations
• new service offerings,
  information on upcoming trade fairs/events
• industry-specific market information
• Information on newly produced white papers

happen.

Hitting the right tone

The character set is limited, which is why short teaser texts are essential. Two to three memorable lines are crucial to pique the reader's interest in learning more. Personalization software can leverage past interactions with the recipient. A/B testing can also be used to explore different text variations.

Shipping time

If push notifications are always sent in the dead of night, they understandably receive far less attention and interaction than if they are sent during the day. However, even here, the success of a message depends on the precise timing. This varies depending on the industry, as the following example illustrates.

With the right software, the sender can ensure that their messages appear at the subscriber's inbox at the ideal time.

Select intervals

A constant barrage of push notifications is just as ineffective as sending them quarterly. New customers' interest is usually higher at the beginning and then wanes. Personalization software helps to account for this trend. If there's a lot of news, it's helpful if subscribers have the option to adjust the frequency of notifications.

Inclusion of additional communication channels

Since subscribers typically use various channels such as websites and social media, it's crucial to ensure that all communication channels are populated with content simultaneously. What's announced in the push notification must be present on the website, social media, etc. Otherwise, users risk becoming confused, quickly negating the positive impact of the push notification.

Personalization of push notifications

Personalized push notifications for mobile devices offer several advantages: They reach users quickly, anywhere, and provide even greater added value with their personalized content. This is achieved using personalization software that allows push notifications to be customized in a wide variety of ways.

How it works: A potential customer uses a provider's website or app and explores various products or solutions. The software records each step of the customer journey. It then combines this information with pre-written text on the topic, including relevant links, and delivers this as a push notification to the user's mobile device after a pre-defined time interval. Alternatively, a push notification is automatically generated and sent as soon as there is news related to the topic the potential customer is viewing.

As a result, the subscriber receives up-to-date information/offers from the area relevant to him/her, which massively increases the chance of interest/interaction/purchase.

Services for sending push notifications

To ensure that the messages achieve the desired effect, a wide variety of tools can be integrated: From tracking results to personalization, competent service providers ensure successful management of push notifications.

• Shipping on a wide variety of formats and platforms
• Easy integration and use across various software systems (WordPress etc.)
• Shipping: Segmentation by target groups, automatic shipping, shipping confirmation, detailed reporting tools, etc.
• Services: A/B testing, conversion tracking, localization, shipping optimization, segment identification, etc.

(1) When the website is accessed for the first time, the visitor is asked whether he or she would like to receive notifications (push notifications) in the future.

(2) You can also subscribe to notifications at a later time. The icon is always visible. You can also unsubscribe from notifications here at any time.

At a later time, when you send a push notification, your subscribers will receive a message on their desktop (also smartphone, tablet, etc.) without having visited your site at the time of the notification:

 

 

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