How to Use eCommerce Push Notifications to Increase Revenue

If you want to grow your online revenue, learning how to effectively use eCommerce push notifications can help.

These handy messages pop up directly on your subscibers’ screens, even when they’re not actively browsing your site.

By conveniently grabbing their attention and delivering relevant content and targeted offers, push notifications can boost engagement, drive traffic, and ultimately increase your sales.

🔎 In this article, I’ll cover:

What Are eCommerce Push Notifications?

Push notifications are permission-based messages delivered directly to your subscribers’ mobile or desktop devices, bypassing crowded inboxes and getting your message straight to the point.

Unlike emails, push notifications don’t require users to actively check their inboxes to see them. Push notification messages appear right on their screen, grabbing their attention at the perfect moment.

This can be incredibly powerful for reminding customers about forgotten items in their cart or enticing them back to your store with a special offer.

To receive push notifications from your eCommerce store, customers need to opt-in by subscribing.

This means they’re already interested in hearing from you, making them a highly engaged audience for your marketing messages.

Types of Push Notifications for eCommerce

There are different types of push notifications you can use based on your specific goals. For instance, many eCommerce push notification campaigns are used for marketing and promotion purposes, whereas transactional push notifications are meant for later stages of the customer’s buying journey. 

Web push notifications, also called ‘browser push notifications’, are delivered to users’ browsers via mobile or desktop devices, even when users are not actively using your website or app. Before they’re able to see them, they have to subscribe or ‘allow’ the notifications.

Similarly, mobile push notifications are sent (with permission) from a website directly to a user’s smartphone or tablet, regardless of the app they’re using. App push notifications come specifically from downloaded apps.

Push notifications are a great way to stay connected with your customers and showcase your offerings. Use them to send updates on new products, sales, and discounts, and promote your content.

Importance of eCommerce Push Notifications

In today’s competitive online marketplace, finding ways to stand out and connect with your customers is crucial. This is where eCommerce push notifications come in.

The 2023 State of Messaging Report and other studies conducted in recent years highlight key push notification eCommerce statistics that demonstrate their power. For instance:

• 2x as many users subscribe to push notifications than to newsletters
• Push notifications can increase daily traffic for businesses by 25%
• Using 2+ channels to communicate with customers leads to 63% better performance than using only one
• The highest-performing channel combination is email, SMS, and push notifications

Still need more compelling reasons to consider incorporating these notifications into your digital marketing strategy? It can lead to:

• Increased sales: Push notifications boast impressive click-through rates, and more clicks translate to more sales. 
• Improved customer engagement: High push notification delivery rates allow you to reach your audience directly on their devices, even when they’re not actively browsing your site. This helps keep your brand top-of-mind and fosters stronger relationships.
• Enhanced brand awareness: Regular notifications help solidify your brand presence in the competitive online marketplace. By consistently delivering valuable and relevant content through these convenient messages, you can increase brand recognition.
• Boost customer retention: Reconnect with past customers and encourage repeat purchases with targeted notifications. Win-back and personalized offers can help bring back inactive customers and remind them why they loved shopping at your store in the first place.

Examples of eCommerce Push Notifications

To get a better sense of how you can build a solid and targeted push notification strategy, let’s explore some examples of commonly used and successful types of eCommerce push notifications. 

Flash Sales & Promotions 

Create a sense of urgency and excitement with limited-time offers and discounts delivered straight to customers’ devices. Flash sales are a powerful tool to boost sales during slow periods or generate excitement around a new product launch. 

A notification with messaging like “Last chance for 50% OFF your plan!” leverages consumer psychology tactics such as scarcity and FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). This can be an effective way to encourage immediate action. 

Using notifications for your product promotions can be incredibly effective. In fact, research shows that promotions are the most desired type (34%) of push content. With 34%, promotions are the most desired content of push, based on users’ opinions. 

New Product Announcements

Generate excitement and buzz around fresh offerings in your online store with new product announcement notifications. This is a great way to showcase your latest offerings and drive traffic to your site.

A beauty brand you follow might send a notification like: “New arrivals! ✨ Our hottest summer makeup collection is here!” 

Abandoned Cart Recovery

Abandoned cart push notifications offer a gentle nudge to remind customers about forgotten items and encourage them to complete their purchases.

Cart abandonment recovery notifications allow you to reconnect with potential buyers by reminding them about the product they were interested in and offering additional information or a special incentive.

Win-Back Campaigns

Don’t let valuable customers slip away! Win-back promos allow you to re-engage inactive customers with personalized incentives to bring them back to your store. This could be a special discount code, a reminder about a product they viewed previously, or an offer for a free gift with purchase.

“We miss you: Get 15% off your next order!” This win-back campaign offers a discount incentive to re-engage a dormant customer and encourage them to return to the store.

How to Send eCommerce Push Notifications

While you can technically build your own push notification system from scratch, the reality is that it’s a complex and time-consuming process.

The easiest and most efficient way to create, send, and schedule push notifications for your WordPress site or Easy Digital Downloads store is through a dedicated service like PushEngage:

PushEngage is a user-friendly platform specifically designed to help businesses leverage the power of push notifications. We even use it here at Easy Digital Downloads for sending our own notifications!

In my personal experience using PushEngage to create, schedule, and send push notification messages, it’s incredibly easy to use and packed with useful features. The interface is super intuitive and straightforward, even for beginners.

If you have a WordPress site, PushEngage is the perfect solution.

Key Benefits of PushEngage

• Seamless integration with WordPress & eCommerce plugins like Easy Digital Downloads (EDD) & WooCommerce
• A variety of push notification templates & styles
• Drip campaigns & automated triggers (abandoned carts, product browses, etc.)
• Powerful segmentation tools to personalize notifications for customer groups
• A/B testing to optimize the performance of push notifications
• Price drop & inventory alerts
• Detailed analytics to track results

While using their platform is an option, you’re not required to leave your site to create and use the push notification functionality.

🔎 For a comprehensive step-by-step tutorial on using PushEngage, check out our guide on how to send push notifications from WordPress.

Tips for Effective Push Notifications

To maximize the success of your push notifications, it’s important to learn some best practices.

Below, I’ll cover some key tips and strategies for creating and implementing push notifications for your eCommerce site. 

1. Personalization is Key

Don’t blast generic messages to your entire audience. Studies have found that personalizing push notifications can improve reaction rates by a whopping 400%.

Segment your customer base and tailor your notifications based on past purchases, browsing behavior, and interests.

For example, a customer who has recently purchased a camera might be interested in a notification about a new lens, while a customer who has browsed athletic wear might respond well to a discount offer on running shoes.

The more personalized your notifications are, the more likely they are to resonate with your customers.

One of the reasons I enjoy using PushEngage is that it makes personalization a breeze. It lets you tailor notifications using geolocation, language, and time zones.

It also has an Attributes API that lets you customize notifications with the subscribers’ first names, addresses, hobbies, and other available data. There are also powerful segmentation options.

For instance, you can group users based on the page they subscribed from, the pages they’ve previously visited on your site, the type of device they’re using, etc.

2. Create a Sense of Urgency

People are busy, and sometimes they need a gentle nudge to take action. Use time-limited offers and discounts to encourage immediate action.

Scarcity tactics can be a powerful tool for driving sales and improving conversion rates. For example, you could use push notifications to offer a 10% discount for the next 24 hours or free shipping on orders placed within the next hour.

3. Keep It Short and Sweet

Screens are small, and attention spans are short. You only have a limited amount of space to work with. Keep your eCommerce push notification messages concise and clear.

Focus on the most important information and avoid overloading your customers with text. Aim for around 35 characters for the title and about 50 characters for the body of your message.

With PushEngage, you can preview how the push notification will appear in different browsers and devices as you create it:

It also provides recommended character counts and image sizes for each field.

4. Craft a Compelling Call to Action (CTA)

A call to action is crucial for many things in your website and marketing materials. When it comes to push notifications, effective and proper CTAs can increase conversions by more than 40%. 

Your CTA should be clear, concise, and easy to understand. Tell your customers exactly what you want them to do after reading your notification. Don’t leave them guessing.

Use strong action verbs like “Shop Now,” “View Product,” or “Learn More.” A few well-chosen words are more likely to be read and acted upon than a long, convoluted message.

As I mentioned, personalization is important. Tailor the CTA to each customer based on their browsing behavior and preferences. For example, a customer who has viewed a specific product could receive a notification with a CTA like “Buy Now” or “Add to Cart.”

Also, ensure that the CTA aligns with the content of the notification. If the notification is about a new product, the CTA should encourage customers to learn more or purchase it. If the notification is about a sale, the CTA should direct customers to the sale page.

5. Strategically Schedule the Notifications

Figuring out the best time to schedule push notifications for your specific audience can go a long way. Studies have shown that tailoring your notification send times can improve reaction rates by as much as 40%.

While research shows that, typically, the highest push reaction day of the week is Tuesday, there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

Use analytics tools and monitor engagement to see when your subscribers are most active online. In most cases, I recommend sending them during work hours.

PushEngage offers advanced notification scheduling features that allow you to optimize the delivery of your push messages for maximum impact. You can schedule notifications to be sent at specific times of day or week, ensuring that they reach your subscribers when they’re most likely to engage.

You can also set them as recurring.

To schedule a notification in PushEngage, you can use the platform’s built-in scheduler or integrate with the PushEngage WordPress plugin. With the scheduler, you can set the time and date you want your notification to be sent, and select the audience segments you want to target. 

6. Use Emojis

Emojis can add personality and grab attention in your push notifications. They’ve been shown to boost open rates by 20%! 🤯

However, it’s important to use them sparingly and strategically.

Too many emojis can come across as unprofessional or overwhelming. Stick to relevant emojis that complement your message and avoid using them excessively.

Emojis can be found on most smartphones and computers. You can also copy and paste them from Getemoji.com.

To pick the right emoji, consider the tone and message of your notification. Choose emojis that are relevant to your brand and audience.

7. A/B Test Different Variations

Don’t assume you know what will work best with your audience. A/B testing can improve open rates for push notifications by more than 50%.

Use PushEngage’s A/B testing feature to experiment with different variations of your notifications:

Test various headlines, visuals, and CTAs to see what drives the most clicks and conversions. This data-driven approach allows you to continuously optimize your push notifications for maximum effectiveness.

8. Focus on Value, Not Just Sales

The likely goal of your notifications is to increase revenue for your eCommerce business. But keep in mind that to drive sales, you need to provide your subscribers with content and offers that are both relevant and valuable.

Diversify your messages to incorporate different types of content and promotions. This could include product updates, blog post notifications, or early access to exclusive offers.

By providing value, you’ll build trust and loyalty with your customers, making them more receptive to your future marketing messages.

9. Track Your Results & Make Adjustments

Don’t set your push notifications and forget them! Regularly monitor your results in PushEngage’s analytics dashboard. See which notifications are performing well and which ones need improvement.

Use this data to make adjustments to your messages and optimize them for better performance over time.

By following these best practices, you can create high-performing push notifications that will grab your customers’ attention, drive sales, and grow your online business.

FAQs About eCommerce Push Notifications

Let’s wrap up with some frequently asked questions about push notifications for eCommerce.

Drive Sales With eCommerce Push Notifications

By incorporating these strategies and leveraging the power of PushEngage, you can create compelling push notifications that drive results for your Easy Digital Downloads store. Remember, the key is to be informative, provide value, and personalize your messages for maximum impact.

Don’t have an Easy Digital Downloads pass yet? Grab yours today and unlock the full potential of your online store!

Ready to keep learning about eCommerce success? Check out 8 digital product store features that customers love.

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