Powerful Push Notifications Every eCommerce Site Should Use

Creating an attractive and functional eCommerce site is just the tip of the iceberg. After filling the database with products and services, you have invested a lot of effort in SEO and various other marketing strategies to attract customers to your site.

They signed up for your newsletter and followed you on social media but never came to your web location to make a purchase. Or they started the purchase process, filled in contact information, and left an abandoned cart. So, you face the problem of many inactive users who need to be “pushed” a little to make a concrete move – a purchase.

eCommerce sales made 13.2% of total sales in 2021, and they’re growing business. The progress in the eCommerce industry implies increasing competition as well. Therefore, keeping your customers engaged is one of the crucial factors determining your business’s success. 

Push notifications are one of the most effective ways to keep your customers close.

Push notifications can help you re-engage inactive customers and transform leads into dedicated clients. 

Regardless of your brand’s niche, push notifications can be the successful call to action you’re looking for. They will motivate users to return to your website and continue where they left off. 

If you’re unsure which type of push notifications are the most suitable for your industry, check with some of the top advertising agencies. They can help you create a personalized digital strategy.

Below we talk about valuable and effective push notifications that will raise traffic and sales on your e-commerce site.

Sales notifications

What is the deciding factor for you when you need to purchase? Of course, finding the right product, but if you are like most customers, at least 80% of them, the price will be the factor that influences your purchasing decision.

Even the brand’s most loyal customers are waiting for discounts and sales to buy an item they like, of course, if they don’t need it instantly.

So, when you decide to make a sale, you want to spread the word about it so that your customers can get what they want at better prices. You can inform customers about the sale by email or through creative posts on social networks. 

However, keep in mind that mail can end up in spam, unopened, and posting on social media can go unnoticed, cluttered with much other content.

The sale is the right time to take advantage of the power of web push notifications. Push notifications will be significant if the deal is limited in time. Customers will surely see push notifications, which will be delivered in real-time, not weeks later. As a result, you’ll increase engagement and overall sales.

Abandoned cart notifications

One of the biggest problems eCommerce sites have to deal with is the abandoned cart. You were probably aware that this phenomenon would happen at the beginning of the business: people fill the cart with the desired goods, fill up contact information, and leave and never return. However, you were not aware that it would happen so often.

Average cart abandonment in all business niches is nearly 70%, and it is highest with mobile users (more than 85%). 

Statistics also say that the revenue eCommerce sites worldwide lose on the abandoned cart is $18 billion a year. The amount of money you lose is also part of this grim statistic, so you need to address the problem as soon as possible!

Fortunately, there is a way to solve the abandoned cart problem.

Several eCommerce platforms allow you to send an automatic email reminder to a customer who has left the cart, but only if he has filled contact form. However, what will you do if the client goes before entering his date or if the email ends up in the spam box?

That is one of the cases when we use push notifications.

When the abandoned cart scenario described above occurs, a web push notification will be sent to the subscribed customer after a predetermined period. You can include a discount in the notification to encourage the customer to complete the purchase process. The process is automatic and will occur every time the subscribed customer acts in this way.

Push notifications will not recover every abandoned chart, but it is estimated that 26% of customers will return to your site and finish what they started.

Wishlist notifications

Wishlists are helpful for customers in many ways, which is why most eCommerce shops include them in the site’s structure. 40% of customers think wish list would improve their shopping experience if retailers had them integrated into their websites.

Customers add products they are interested in but do not intend to buy immediately on the wish list. The wish list serves as a reminder of what the customer liked from your collection or a personalized collection of favorite items they plan to buy.

The wishlist creates a better user experience, can reduce the problem of the abandoned cart, and increase sales by encouraging consumers to complete the buying process.

Use push notifications to remind your customers that they have left things on their wish list. Since they have already shown interest in these products, an additional boost, such as a slight discount, will cause re-engagement and increase the chances of conversion.

Personalized recommendation notifications

Many tools can help you get to know your customers’ online behavior. Some are Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, Matomo (formerly Piwik), Clicky, Fathom, and others. These tools will provide you with valuable insights. You will find out more about your customer’s deciding factors while purchasing.

It is up to you to use that knowledge in the right way. How? Based on consumer behavior on your site, create push notifications with personalized product recommendations that they have shown interest in.

Web push notifications collect essential data for you – the client’s geolocation, time of visit, purchased items, and items on the watch list. Based on these important metrics, you will easily create a personalized campaign that will end with a purchase.

91% of customers are more likely to buy from a brand that sends personalized recommendations. They also increase the initially planned purchase by up to 5%.

Personalized recommendations create the impression that you understand your customer’s needs, provide them with genuine value, and save their time and trouble to find the right products on their own. At the same time, you should not neglect the psychological factor. 

When the customer receives a suitable personalized recommendation, he will feel that you respect his individuality and know him.

Refer and reward notifications

The refer and reward program is a powerful way to increase the overall engagement of your customers and increase sales. It is no secret that people trust the recommendations from close people – friends and family. 

To encourage your loyal customers to recommend your business, reward them for their loyalty.

Let’s see some stats. Mouth-to-mouth marketing drives $6 trillion in annual sales, representing 13% of all sales. It is five times more effective than paid ads. 

Studies show that as many as 70% of customers will recommend a brand that has a good loyalty program. 90% of people who receive brand recommendations from a friend will make a purchase.

Depending on the niche of your brand and the products you offer, create an attractive loyalty program and then promote it through persistent web push notifications.

Go the extra mile and provide your current clients with the best user experience and benefits that will delight them. Existing customers’ benefits can be previews of new collections they will be privileged to buy first, discount codes, or free shipping.

Customers who are happy with how you treat them will be your brand’s best advocates. This way, you will save on other types of advertising, gain more new customers, and increase sales.

Notifications for inactive users

Suppose your customers have not visited your website in the last ten days; that doesn’t necessarily mean they are unsatisfied with your service. They might forget or have been distracted. All you have to do is to remind them gently but be moderate – if your campaign is aggressive or boring, you’ll cause a contra-effect.

Emails are sometimes overwhelming since the average person gets at least 50 emails daily. Push notifications can be a discreet but effective way to “remind” users who haven’t visited your site for more than ten days or two weeks. 

After a predefined period, a web notification can remind the user of your eCommerce website once a week. You will achieve additional efficiency if you add a discount code or other benefit to the notification.

Suppose the user clicks on the notification and goes to your site. In that case, they will automatically be removed from the notification list until 10 or 14 days, during which they will be inactive again.

Location-based notifications

Location-based notifications are a type of push notification sent to users when they are in close physical proximity to the location where they can purchase your product or service.

Many eCommerce sites are reluctant to send mobile push notifications because they are afraid they will be intrusive and achieve a counter-effect. However, research has shown that as many as 70% of mobile device users find such notifications useful. Successful location-based notifications are a personalized approach, relevance, and good timing.

Final words

We have reviewed the most valuable types of push notifications to increase engagement and sales on your eCommerce website. 

The key lies in providing a personalized approach and helpful information, which, accompanied by discounts, will positively impact your business and bring satisfaction to your customers.

Author bio

Melissa Gray is a freelance writer and an organizational psychologist. Her focus is primarily on marketing and new digital trends across the world. She is also a passionate gamer, with special interest in narrative design. She writes for Digital Strategy One.