Push Notifications
Messages sent directly to a user's browser/app without email. Open rates: 7-12% (2-3x higher than email). Requires explicit opt-in. Tools: OneSignal, PushOwl.
In practice
Push notifications are 'an email that reaches the lock screen.' Most effective for: flash sales (urgency), browse abandonment (reminders), back-in-stock alerts. The limit: customers must opt in via their browser.
Common misconception
'Push notifications are spam.' Push with opt-in, relevant content, and low frequency gets high open rates. Push 'to everyone every day' leads to quick opt-outs. Rule: max 3-4 push messages/week, only to subscribers who signed up.
How to fix it
Low push opt-in? (1) Ask at the right time — 30 seconds after arrival is too early; after a purchase is ideal, (2) explain the value: 'get notified when this item is back in stock,' (3) check the permission prompt design — use a custom prompt before the browser's native one.
Example
A clothing store sent a back-in-stock push to everyone who'd requested an alert. A restocked item triggered 1,200 push notifications, 340 site visits, and 89 purchases within 4 hours. CR from push: 7.4%.
Priority
Push notifications are worth setting up after email and SMS. ROI is especially high for back-in-stock and flash sale alerts. OneSignal is free up to 10,000 subscribers.
Related terms
Keep learning. Metrics that touch the same area:
- Email MarketingMarketingA direct marketing channel. Average ROI: $36 for every $1 spent. Generates 20-30% of revenue for mature stores.
- SMS MarketingMarketingSending marketing messages via SMS. Open rate: 90%+ within 3 minutes. Requires opt-in.
- API – Application Programming InterfaceTechA 'language' for communication between systems. A store connects via API to shipping providers, Klaviyo, and payment platforms. The API is the 'pipe' through which data flows.
- Headless CommerceTechAn architecture that separates the front end (what the customer sees) from the back end (catalog, payments, inventory). Gives full freedom in design and channel integration.
- CRM – Customer Relationship ManagementTechA system for storing customer data, communication history, and purchase history. Enables segmentation, personalization, service tracking, and lifecycle management. HubSpot, Salesforce, Klaviyo.
- CDP – Customer Data PlatformTechConsolidates customer data from multiple sources into a unified real-time profile. More advanced than a CRM — pulls behavioral events and enables instant segmentation.
Jimmy tracks your Push Notifications, automatically
WhatsApp alerts when something important changes. No dashboards, no hassle.