What are push notifications, what are they used for?

Push notifications are short messages that contain various information and appear periodically on the screen of a smartphone, laptop or computer. Such a message contains a small text that includes some information that should be communicated to the user. This can be information about the arrival of an order, promotions and other actions. Push notifications can contain information of a very different nature and fulfill both informational and advertising functions.

How do push notifications work?

To organize push notifications on a third-party service, a script is run that also sends messages to users. The time of sending text messages and push notifications to recipients depends on different circumstances. If push notifications are for promotional purposes, the messages usually arrive to users at the time of the start of sales.

A pop-up window with a push notification appears on the screen on top of all other open windows. It stays there for a few seconds and then disappears. All such messages are saved on your computer in a specific folder, where you can find them if you want. Push notifications appear on smartphone screens even if all Internet browsers are closed.

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Each user can opt in or opt-out of push notifications. Consent to receive such notifications can usually be indicated in a small window that appears when logging in to the site. To do this, the user needs to click on the “Allow” button. After that, the push notifications will start automatically arriving at his device.

Push notifications significantly simplified the process of returning users to the mobile application and to a certain Internet resource. They have a greater effect than other types of mailings and contextual advertising. Their technical capabilities make it possible to speed up the process of developing a behavioral strategy for potential customers.

Push notification structure

Push notification consists of the following parts:

• header - no more than 65 characters;
• the message itself in text format - no more than 240 characters;
• image;
• a link to a certain page of the site.

What are they used for?

Push notifications help attract new audiences to various online resources, as well as inform customers about current events: new services, promotions, price changes and other news. They help companies to interact with customers and keep them interested in their services and products. The use of push mailings makes it possible to significantly increase the attendance of any web resource in a short period of time.

Many modern stores, online resources and retail chains use Push notifications to communicate the latest news to their customers, keep in touch with them, announce sales and promotions, remind them of deliveries and products that have been put aside in the cart. Push notifications arrive at users' mobile devices even when apps and web browsers are closed.

Main varieties

Push notifications differ in the way of display and content. According to the first parameter, push notifications are divided into the following types:

1. Browser. They appear at the bottom, in the right corner of the laptop or computer screen.
2. Mobile. Pop up at the top of the screen of a smartphone or tablet, their sources are usually mobile applications.

By content, push notifications are divided into the following varieties:

• content. They contain messages about new products, recent news, promotions. Attract consumers to the site;
• triggered. These are personalized notifications sent to certain customers. For example, a user who has bought a product can receive a push notification with a message about a discount on this product or about its new arrival. Such messages encourage users to revisit the site to make a purchase or other actions on it;
• transactional. These notifications are technical in nature. They may contain a message about a successful payment, a code for logging into the Personal Area, availability of the product or change of the order status.

Pros and cons

The advantages of push mailings are:

1. Increased engagement of the consumer audience.
2. Returning users to the site thanks to offers that are interesting to them.
3. Good visibility on the resource: do not disappear anywhere until they are deleted by the user.
4. No need to use additional applications.
5. The ability to make a direct transition to the necessary resource.

Push notifications also have certain disadvantages, as follows:

• the risk of scaring away potential customers due to overly frequent mailings;
• limited volume;
• on a computer, unlike on a smartphone, the push notification disappears and can go unnoticed.

Push notifications are a highly effective marketing tool, the use of which makes it possible to quickly and unobtrusively convey the necessary information to the user audience. Their main advantages are simplicity in application, lack of high costs and the need to install special programs.