Push notification is not just an ordinary message. Ever found yourself wondering how some mobile apps keep you hooked with updates and offers that just seem to resonate every single time? Well, that’s the magic of push notification.
Now, imagine if you could harness that same magic for your online business. Push notifications aren’t just an ordinary feature. It’s a way to instantly connect with your audience, ensuring your messages are noticed promptly.
While it is true that some may argue push notification can be irritating, it is essential to recognize their potential value when implemented thoughtfully. When executed without due consideration, push notification may indeed do more harm than good.
You need to be mindful of the timing of the notifications. Avoid sending them during inappropriate hours when users may be busy or likely to find it irrelevant. Respecting time zones and user preferences must always be high in priority.
The utility of push notification lies in their ability to deliver relevant and timely information.By striking a balance between providing valuable content and avoiding annoyance, push notifications can serve as a powerful tool for user engagement and communication.
Push notifications are dead is simply a hoax. An aspiring online merchant will never fall for it and eventually limit his opportunities to boost mobile app engagement.
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Unlocking the power of push notifications extends beyond mere marketing—it’s a chance to elevate your mobile app engagement. Embracing push notifications for your mobile app will strengthen your chance to connect with customers, drive conversions, and foster brand loyalty.
The key lies in adopting push notifications for below scenarios to deliver timely, relevant, and personalized messages that add value to the user’s shopping experience.
Notification Idea: Discover Your Style
Push notifications allow you to send personalized recommendations based on the user’s previous purchases or browsing history.
A user frequently looks at women’s dresses on your fashion app. You can send a push notification highlighting a new collection of dresses, along with a personalized discount code.
Push Notification Idea: Exclusive Early Access for You!
Push notifications can create a sense of urgency by promoting flash sales or limited-time offers, driving instant action from users.Sending a push notification announcing a 24-hour flash sale on selected fashion items.
It will encourage users to explore the app and make a purchase before the offer expires.
Push Notification Idea: Don’t Miss Out Again!
Notify users when a previously out-of-stock or highly-demanded item is back in stock, ensuring they don’t miss the chance to purchase it.
A popular dress that was out of stock is now available again. By notifying users about the availability of a previously out-of-stock item, the store re-engages with customers who have shown interest in that specific product. This keeps the users actively involved with the app and its offerings.
Moreover, Users are instantly notified about the restocked item, ensuring they are among the first to know. Being among the first to know about the restocked item provides customers with a sense of exclusivity. It makes them feel valued and special, creating a positive emotional connection with the brand.
Push Notification Idea: Abandon Cart Alert: We noticed you left something behind! Complete your purchase now to secure them. Don’t let them slip away again!
Push notifications addressing customers by name or highlighting the specific items in their abandoned cart adds a human touch to your communication. It makes the customers feel seen and valued.
Therefore, they are motivated to act quickly to secure the items they are interested in, fearing missing out on a great deal.
Push notifications not only prompts immediate action but also minimizes the likelihood of customers abandoning their carts.
Push Notification Idea: Complete Your Look
Encourage users who have recently made a purchase to explore complementary items or upgrades. Suppose a customer buys a pair of shoes. Send a push notification suggesting matching accessories like a handbag or offering an upgrade to a premium shoe care kit.
Push Notification Idea: Winter Sale – Extra Savings
This push notification will help you capitalize on seasonal changes to clear out inventory and offer attractive discounts. Notify users about a winter sale with an extra discount on winter clothing, encouraging them to shop for seasonal essentials.
The Pro Tip – Emojis in push notification boost reaction rates by 20%, rich formats enhance engagement by 25%, and individualized send times tailored for each user increase response rates by 40%.
Post notifications are among the highly rewarding features to add in your mobile app but implementing them is not a cake walk. Below challenges can arise from numerous factors but successful implementation of push notifications is possible with the right solution.
Overwhelming users with irrelevant or excessive push notifications often lead to app uninstalls,
increased opt-out rates, and a negative perception of the brand. It can be avoided by leveraging the user preference settings that allow users to choose the types of notifications they want to receive and the frequency.
Additionally, utilizing machine learning algorithms to analyze user behavior helps in sending personalized recommendations
Convincing users to opt in for push notifications can be an uphill task, as some users are hesitant due to privacy concerns or fear of receiving too many messages.Users want assurance that their personal information is secure and that granting permission for push notifications won’t expose them to privacy breaches or data misuse.
The solution will be while requesting permission for push notifications, provide a clear and concise explanation of the benefits users will receive by opting in, such as exclusive discounts, early access to sales, or personalized product recommendations.
Ineffective segmentation can lead to sending irrelevant notifications, causing user disinterest and annoyance. Failing to target the right audience can result in decreased engagement, wasted marketing efforts, and a negative impact on the overall user experience.
Therefore, it is suggested to use customer data to create segments based on factors such as purchase history, location, and browsing behavior.
Poorly timed or excessively frequent notifications can irritate users, leading to app uninstalls and negative reviews. It undermines the goal of push notifications by turning
them from a valuable communication tool into a source of frustration for users.
Now these notifications sent in quick succession will annoy the user, making them more likely to disable notifications or, in extreme cases, uninstall the app
Hence, it is recommended to conduct A/B testing to determine the optimal times for sending notifications based on user engagement patterns. Even better will be to implement frequency capping to limit the number of notifications sent to each user within a specific time period.
Lack of personalization can result in generic messages that does not resonates with individual users.
Sale Alert! Shop Now for Amazing Deals!
Above is a generic notification and users are more likely to ignore such generic messages. After all, it does not take into account the individual preferences, interests, or behaviors of users
Hi Charlie, Your Wishlist Items Are On Sale! Grab Your Favorites Now!
This personalized message increases the relevance of the notification and successfully captures the user’s attention.It is essential to analyze customer data to deliver personalized recommendations. For instance,send a push notification recommending products similar to those a user has previously purchased.
Imagine you visit an online store, and the website welcomes you by name, recommends products tailored to your preferences, and even offers a special discount on your favorite items. Sounds fantastic, doesn’t it? Well, that’s exactly what personalizing push notifications does for your users when they’re shopping online.
In the above examples, it is evident personalization goes beyond basic messages. It’s like talking directly to your customers, giving them exactly what they want and when they want it.
Therefore, personalized push notifications have been found to improve open rate by 9%. And, with tailored send times it increases the reaction rates by a whopping 40%.
As an online merchant, you might be interested in the nitty gritty of how to personalize push notifications for delivering superb user engagement. Well, below features play a key role in turning your notifications into personalized gems customers can’t resist. Let’s dive in.
Unlike traditional push notifications that primarily rely on text to convey information, rich push notifications enhance the user experience by incorporating visually engaging and interactive content.
The rich push notification doesn’t just tell you about the new arrivals; it shows you. The colors and relevant visuals create an engaging experience, making the notification more noticeable and memorable.
As a result, it helps to grab attention despite other notifications.
Under the advanced targeting option you can customize your messages to specific segments of your audience under different criteria. Moreover, a customer is more likely to engage with notifications that speak directly to their needs.
When customers find notifications personally relevant, they are more inclined to click through and explore further. This leads to higher click-through rates.
The welcome push notification is meant to create a positive first impression by guiding users through the initial onboarding process.
Moreover, the welcome notifications set the tone for a positive user experience. It will ensure users feel valued and informed right from the start. An opportunity to guide users through the app’s features, highlight special offers, and create a warm onboarding experience.
Image Credit: NotifyVisitors
Welcome notification is all about crafting a memorable first experience that leaves users excited and eager to explore. Just like a warm greeting at the entrance of a store or a friendly welcome at a hotel, the app’s welcome notifications are best suited for an impeccable first experience.
A customer shows interest in your products, adds items to their cart, but hesitates to complete the purchase. Now, is when personalized abandoned cart notifications come into play.
By reaching out with a gentle reminder tailored to their unique preferences, you’re not just encouraging them to return; you’re making them feel valued and understood.
Personalized abandoned cart notifications enable you to include tailored discounts or promotions on the items left behind. This not only rekindles interest but also adds value for the user, making them more likely to complete the purchase.
Hence, we can conclude abandoned cart push notifications play a pivotal role in turning potentially lost opportunity into a sale.
Image Credit: MessageGears
Users may become inactive for various reasons, such as changing preferences or forgetting about the app. Sending push notifications to inactive users will reignite their interest.
Also, letting customer know about personalized incentives or showcasing new features, it will be successful in bringing back users into the app.
As a result, it will not only improve user retention but also contribute to sustained engagement over time. Re-engaging inactive users is essential for sustaining app relevance and preventing churn.
Image Credit: MBurger
Sending push notifications under these scenarios is a form of proactive communication to enhance shopping experience and eventually elevate mobile app engagement rate.
Achieving high level mobile app engagement is an uphill task without push notifications. Far beyond being mere alerts, push notifications serve as the heartbeat of user engagement by acting as a direct channel to connect, captivate, and cultivate lasting relationships.
Let us take a dive into strategies that enable push notifications to create meaningful customer interactions for long term loyalty.
Push notifications are easy to send. Measuring the right outcomes is where most merchants slip. Open rates and clicks might look good on a dashboard, but they don’t tell you whether pushes are actually driving revenue or quietly pushing users away. If you want push notifications to work as a growth channel (not just noise), these are the KPIs worth paying attention to.
This metric reveals how many people actually bought something after receiving a push notification, not just tapped it. Clicks feel good, but a push notification is doing its job only when it turns attention into an order.
Example:
You send a cart abandonment push to 1,000 users.
• 120 users click the notification
• 18 users complete a purchase
Your push notification to purchase conversion rate is 1.8%, not 12%. That 1.8% is the number that matters because it reflects real revenue, not curiosity clicks.
Track this separately for different push types (discounts, cart reminders, back-in-stock alerts). You’ll often find that fewer, more targeted push notification convert far better than broad promotional blasts.
Another important metric that answer a simple question: Was this push notification worth sending?
Instead of obsessing over opens or clicks, look at how much money each push notification actually generates.
Example:
You run a weekend sale push to 5,000 app users.
• Total revenue generated: $2,500
That’s $0.50 revenue per push notification sent.
Now compare it with another campaign say a back in stock alert that generated $4,000 from just 2,000 users. That second push notification is clearly doing more heavy lifting.
Revenue per push helps you double down on what works and stop wasting sends on campaigns that look busy but don’t move revenue.
This is the KPI most merchants ignore and later regret. Every push notification comes with a trade-off: short-term sales vs long-term customer trust. If users start disabling notifications or uninstalling your app, that’s revenue you’ll never get back.
Example:
After increasing push frequency during a sale, you notice:
• Notification opt-outs jump from 2% to 6%
• App uninstalls spike the same week
That’s a red flag. It usually means messages are too frequent, poorly timed, or not relevant enough. Even if sales increase briefly, you are eroding future repeat customers.
Smart merchants treat this as a guardrail metric. If more customers start turning off notifications, it’s time to refine targeting or reduce volume, not send more push notifications.
Most merchants don’t struggle with tracking push notification metrics. They struggle with interpreting them. A high click-through rate looks good in a dashboard. It feels like momentum. But CTR alone doesn’t tell you whether push notifications are driving commercial outcomes or just generating noise.
You’ll often see
That’s due to the strategy gap.
The Real Question KPIs Should Answer
Is not Did users tap?
But Did this message change buying behavior?
Because taps are cheap and curiosity driven. The important is did it move a customer closer to checkout, repeat purchase, or higher order value.
Most push notification strategies don’t fail because merchants don’t know the rules, they fail because those rules break down in real-world execution. The mistakes below quietly cap revenue, even for experienced merchants who think they’re doing push notifications the right way.
Segmentation is powerful until it isn’t. Many merchants slice audiences so finely that campaigns never achieve meaningful volume. Messages technically convert, but only on paper.
What goes wrong:
How to fix it:
They start broad, validate behavior patterns, then narrow only where lift is provable. Segmentation earns its place; it doesn’t get assumed.
A click feels like success. It isn’t. Push notifications often inflate engagement metrics without moving the business forward.
What goes wrong:
How to fix it:
They judge pushes by conversion contribution, not interaction. If a message doesn’t influence checkout behavior or repeat visits, it gets rewritten or removed.
Push notifications become a crutch for discounts because they work—briefly. Over time, they erode margin and customer expectations.
What goes wrong:
How to fix it:
They balance promotional pushes with value-driven triggers: restocks, price drops on viewed items, delivery updates, or usage-based reminders. Discounts become strategic, not habitual.
Re-engagement is often triggered by impatience, not data.
What goes wrong:
How to fix it:
They define inactivity based on normal purchase cycles, not calendar days. Re-engagement waits until intent has cooled—not disappeared.
Customers are from diverse backgrounds with varying preferences, behaviors, and locations. A one-size-fits-all approach to communication often falls short in capturing the attention and interest of the entire user base.
Segmentation involves breaking down your overall user base into distinct segments based on numerous factors such as location, behavior, or preferences. This approach enables you to send targeted messages that resonate more effectively with specific audiences.
For a mobile shopping app with a wide range of products, including clothing, electronics, and home decor. The segmentation criteria can be as below.
As a result of segmentation
Online merchants often talk about push notifications as a single channel. In practice, app push and web push behave like two very different tools, and treating them the same is where strategy quietly breaks down.
Most push notification strategies fail for one simple reason: they treat every customer the same.
A first-time app install, a regular shopper, and someone who hasn’t opened your app in 30 days should never receive the same message. They’re in different mindsets, with different intent levels.
A push notification strategy works only when it changes based on where the customer is in their buying journey. That’s how you stay relevant, avoid fatigue, and actually drive revenue.
Purpose: Educate, not sell.
At this stage, customers are still figuring out why your app exists and what’s in it for them. Pushing discounts too early usually backfires — they haven’t built trust yet.
What works best here:
Example:
Welcome! Set your style preferences to get personalized drops.
This stage is about helping users experience their first small win inside the app. Once that happens, conversions later become much easier.
Purpose: Nudge, not pressure.
Now the customer is browsing. They’re interested, but not convinced yet. Your job is to guide them without sounding pushy.
What works best here:
Example:
These sneakers are trending among shoppers like you.
This is where push notification strategy shifts from awareness to intent building. You’re helping customers narrow choices, not forcing a checkout.
Purpose: Remove hesitation.
At this point, the customer is close. They’ve added items to cart, checked prices, maybe even compared options. The friction is usually hesitation, not interest.
What works best here:
Example:
Your cart is almost gone — only 3 left in your size.
Bottom-funnel push notifications directly impact revenue, making them the most commercially critical part of any push notification strategy. This is where relevance and timing matter more than creativity.
Purpose: Extend customer lifetime value.
The sale isn’t the finish line. It’s the starting point for repeat revenue. Smart merchants use push notifications to stay useful even after checkout.
What works best here:
Example:
Running low? Reorder your essentials in one tap.
This stage strengthens habit-building and keeps customers coming back without relying on discounts every time.
Purpose: Win back attention.
Some users will go quiet. That’s normal. What matters is how you bring them back. Generic “We miss you” messages rarely work.
What works best here:
Example:
We saved something you’ll like — come back and take a look.
Reactivation pushes work best when they acknowledge absence, not ignore it. That small touch of context makes the message feel intentional, not automated.
Users’ app engagement can fluctuate for various reasons, such as shifting priorities, temporary disinterest, or distractions.
A travel app user might be highly engaged during vacation planning periods but less active during non-travel seasons. Therefore, a targeted re-engagement campaign offering exclusive discounts for off-season getaways can effectively bring them back.
Re-engagement campaigns aim to proactively address a decline in user engagement and prevent users from uninstalling the app permanently.
The travel app decides to launch a targeted re-engagement campaign to address the seasonal decline in user engagement.
Miss the Thrill of Travel? Plan Your Getaway Now! Exclusive Off-Season Discounts Await. Explore New Destinations at Unbeatable Prices. Your Next Adventure Awaits!
Therefore,
If users can’t control the notifications they get, they might end up uninstalling the app. Having a good opt-out strategy will help retain users who might otherwise uninstall the app due to notification issues.
Consider below tactics to minimize the push notification opt-outs and maintain long-term user engagement.
Users are more likely to engage with push notifications that offer value. Personalized, relevant content ensures that customers see notifications as beneficial rather than intrusive. Avoiding generic messages helps in maintaining interest and reducing the chances of opt-outs.
Check out our latest collection of artworks. Hurry, limited stock available!
Hi Daniel, transform your living space with our exclusive abstract art collection. Based on your past preferences, we think you’ll love these new additions. Explore now and enjoy a special 10% discount on your favorite piece!
Clearly communicate the benefits of enabling push notifications during the onboarding process. Moreover, offering incentives like exclusive discounts or early access to promotions will foster a positive attitude toward notifications.
Push notifications have emerged as a powerful tool for brands to instantly catch customer’s attention. Several industry leaders have successfully harnessed the potential of push notifications, creating a seamless and personalized user experience.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the standout brands that have mastered the art of leveraging push notifications to drive engagement and enhance user satisfaction.
Amazon, the e-commerce titan, has truly raised the bar when it comes to personalized push notifications. Delving into user behavior, purchase history, and preferences, Amazon sends out timely updates on order statuses, shipment tracking, and even throws in personalized product recommendations.
This level of personalization not only keeps users well-informed but also lures them into exploring additional products tailored to their unique interests.
Starbucks is celebrated for its coffee culture. It seamlessly weaves push notifications into its mobile app, transforming the customer experience. Through location-based notifications, Starbucks kindly nudges users to order ahead when they’re within a coffee cup’s throw from a store, seamlessly merging personalization with sheer convenience.
The app also sprinkles in notifications about exclusive promotions, rewards, and personalized offers, turning every coffee run into a delightful and engaging experience.
Uber, the trailblazer in ride-sharing, takes the lead in providing real-time updates through push notifications.
Whether it’s alerting users about the imminent arrival of their ride, offering promotions, or nudging them to share their post-ride thoughts, Uber keeps users engaged throughout their journey. The timely and pertinent nature of these notifications adds a layer of seamlessness to the whole transportation experience.
Spotify, a maestro in the music streaming arena, cleverly employs push notifications to keep users in tune. Be it notifying users about fresh releases from their favorite artists, suggesting personalized playlists, or updating them about upcoming concerts.
Spotify ensures that its push notifications aren’t just informative but contribute to a personalized and immersive musical journey.
Airbnb, the curator of travel experiences, uses push notifications to tailor adventures to user preferences. From recommending personalized destinations to sending alerts about price drops for saved listings, Airbnb keeps users inspired and engaged throughout their travel planning .
The transformative impact of push notifications on elevating user experience cannot be overstated. These bite-sized, personalized messages have become the secret sauce for brands aiming to establish meaningful connections with their audience.
Therefore, every aspiring merchant must recognize the pivotal role push notifications play in making the user feel heard, understood, and valued.
Striking the right balance between personalization, timing, and user preferences is the key to unlocking the full potential of push notifications.
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