Discover web push notifications

Today’s increase in technology usage pushes organizations to find new ways to build the consumer-marketer relationship. Indeed, different channels continue to emerge, such as web push notifications.
Alain Marceau
1 August 2018
Omni-Channel Marketing Campaign
9 min 25
web push notifications fr

In a reality where businesses must adopt an omnichannel strategy, and where many channels are already saturated, it becomes necessary to think of new ways to reach your users. Web push notifications are therefore an excellent alternative to connect with your users directly, a new channel that is far from saturated. It is also very rare to see emerging channels that deliver impactful results, right from the start, as is the case with web push notifications.

They appeared in 2015 on Chrome and although now available on multiple browsers, they continue to impress marketers. Some companies claim to have a 10x registration rate, which is more effective than any other channel!

You do not use it? Discover them here, since you should install them quickly.

 

What is a web push notification?

A web push is a short alert message sent in real time when your subscribers are using a web browser. They must first activate it on the same browser to receive them. You have probably already seen the opt-in alert as shown in the picture below. By clicking on allow, you subscribe to a company’s contact list and allow it to send you messages.

This is a much simpler and unambiguous way of obtaining consent than a standard form used for other channels. This is one less obstacle to the subscription, which is why the subscription rate is higher than most other channels.

The main benefit of web push notification is that the recipient does not need to have an open browser page to receive alerts. By remembering that browsers are installed on both mobile and computer, the registrant receives them everywhere! You do not miss any opportunity to reach your subscribers. Thus, the click rate of a web push campaign is often very high and you ensure recurring traffic, which contributes to a better ROI.

Let’s now go through the elements that make up a web push notification.

 

The title is the most important part of your message. Since the number of characters is limited, take the time to write a short and catchy title that encourages people to click directly. Creating a sense of urgency is a good way to do it.

The message matches your value proposition. It should, therefore, be complementary to your title and explain the benefits of clicking on the notification. The text should be short, convincing and straightforward. It must also reflect the content of the landing page to which you are directing your contact.

You should also always add your company logo in your web push notifications to create an identity reminder in the minds of users.

Inserting an image into your web push notification makes your message more attractive. Even if it is optional, it helps to get a better click rate. Moreover, it allows you to distinguish yourself from the competitors. The suggested image size for web push notifications is 360 x 240 px.

However, be careful not to put an image simply because you have the option. It must be added to support your message and add value to your communication. Embedding a bad image can make the user confused and in some cases, it can direct attention away from the message.

Finally, you must make it clear to the user what to do. That’s why adding a call to action at the end of your message is important. The goal is always to click so choose a catchy CTA that gives the taste to know more. Direct your contacts to a relevant landing page related to your campaign. So, you will not miss any opportunity.

Bonus little trick: Using emojis in your web push notifications makes the thing more personal. According to a study, inserting emojis in your messages would increase the conversion rate of web push notifications by 85%.

 

There are 3 types of web push notification:

1.Notifications based on alerts

They are generated by the company to inform users of a new activity. It can be a new blog post, a new flash sale, an exclusive offer, etc.

2. Trigger-based notifications

They are triggered by an action performed by the user. For example, an article abandoned in a shopping cart, a visitor has visited several times a particular article, so he receives a notification to announce a price drop for this article, or to warn that an item is back in stock. Several options are possible here.

3. Notifications based on the segmentation

These notifications are sent to a group with similar characteristics such as gender, age, location, shopping habits, etc. Because this form of notification is highly targeted, it can really increase your clickthrough rate.

 

At the content level, web push notifications adapt to different marketing goals of an organization. They can re-engage a contact, share discounts, share important news, and more (see image below for an example). They also go very well with other ways of distributing the various contents of an organization (e-mails, social media, SMS, etc.).

In fact, web push notifications are perfect for:

  • Short and urgent messages
  • Add a new channel to your omnichannel strategy
  • Send re-engagement messages
  • Encourage your new prospects to finish your onboarding process
  • Companies that do not have a mobile app

They also fit very well in different contexts:

  • Alert of the latest news
  • Abandoned shopping cart campaign
  • New blog post
  • Event Notification
  • Reminder of appointments

In short, these small and timely pop-ups are a great way to connect with prospects, subscribers and existing customers!

 

Is it for B2B or B2C?

I have the impression that web push notifications are perceived as a marketing tactic specific to B2C. However, it is not the case! They can benefit to all organizations, if they identify the when and the what of those alerts.

First of all, I must mention the importance of frequency at the level of web push. Several studies published online show that it is the most important thing to watch for. Indeed, the ” soft spot ” at the sending level is not easy to find. Unlike e-mail or mobile notifications, people are not ready to receive alerts every day. Even less if they are sent more than once a day! However, an alert placed at a convenient time in the customer journey can be very rewarding.

Organizations must also define great content. Information with very small added value ​​for the individual is not worth it in a web push. Keep them for your social media or your newsletter.

Thus, for B2B, information related to webinars, web content, events in person, the arrival of new products (and much more!) can be put forward. They are definitely interesting for the customer. On the other hand, avoid alerts about more general news, such as announcing a new large account or winning an award in your industry. While important to your business, they will not affect the behavior of the person receiving them.

On the B2C side, discount alerts, new products, or the sale of several products are definitely interesting. Here, it’s also important not to abuse the privilege of being in touch with these individuals.

Here is an image that shows you the positioning of the web push notifications in your omnichannel strategy, to help you see more clearly:

 

The difference between web notifications and web push notifications is that although both work on internet browsers, web notifications only work if the visitor is on the website. On the contrary, the web push notifications work even when the visitor navigates on another website and is done in real time.

 

Why use web push notifications?

1. Easy to program

In fact, they require a small snippet of code that must be connected to the URL of a website. For example, Dialog Insight offers the integration of web push notifications this way. It is possible to test and modify them according to the campaigns and the needs of the organizations.

Beyond that, it’s an easy-to-use tool that works well alongside other marketing tools. For example, you are doing a B2B marketing upselling campaign for one of your high-end packages. You could create an alert on content touting the benefits of the package. It can fit into the automation sequence created for this campaign, which will include e-mail, publications, and your webinar, for example.

 

2. Easy management of permissions

We live in an era where people are increasingly reluctant to provide their information. A phone number in store? No. Your email on a web page? Not too often. This is also part of the difficulties of a marketer. How far can we go?

What is interesting about web push notifications is that they are not intrusive with the information request. First, the person can accept or decline directly on the alert. In addition, no email address is required, which makes it possible to contact anonymous visitors who are usually shy about giving this information. This is why web push notifications have a better subscription rate than most channels.

I want to specify that even if they are unknown contacts, they are still advantageous to amass. With a good marketing tool, it is possible to mount acquisition campaigns that can pass them into the marketing and the sales funnel. This is the case of our tool, which could allow you to increase the number of contacts at the top of the funnel.

 

3. Timely communication

Web push alerts can be planned strategically for your communications. Once well programmed, they appear according to the navigation behaviors, the location of the visitor, or according to a position in the funnel. All in real time. This is what makes a tool like Dialog Insight so ingenious in communication planning.

 

What is the impact on my SEO?

Since the appearance of web push notifications, many marketers are wondering if their use has a negative impact on their SEO … Well, the answer is no. And if they are well done, they can even have a positive impact on your ranking.

First, the fact that web push generates recurring traffic can help you on this side. Of course, you must direct your users to your website and already have a SEO strategy in place on your website.

This is also the case with several other metrics. Basically, if your web push notification is done well, that you send quality content, you will have a low bounce rate, people will stay longer on your website and they will visit more pages. These are all elements that can help your SEO in general.

Then, the implementation of web push on your website requires that it is in https. Sites that use this security measure are prioritized over others in the SEO ranking, which also benefits you.

So we can say that web push can help your SEO, provided they are well executed.

 

Tips and tricks to use web push notifications effectively

First, segment and personalize your messages according to the needs and behaviors of visitors. Do not waste a web push on something irrelevant or just by pushing any kind of information. Remember that there are different types of web notifications: transactional, educational, promotional and customer-journey related.

As mentioned above, timing is paramount. Keep in mind the routines of your customers. For example, if you target financial professionals, the web pushes sent at the opening of the stock exchange will definitely go unnoticed.

Finally, pay attention to text and images. Most browsers have a character limit on web push that ranges from 41 to 120 characters. That means you have to hit like a jab, with as few words as you can.

 

Conclusion

In conclusion, it’s true, web push notifications are becoming more and more popular with digital marketers! They are an optimal distribution mechanism for communications.

When used strategically, meaning taking into account internal data, customer behavior, and organizational needs, they can be very positive for all parties.

Dialog Insight manages, since September 18, all that is needed in relation to web push notifications. I invite you to visit our online help to find out how it works!

Whitepapper_dialog insight

Do you want to exploit a new and very efficient channel?

This white paper introduces you to web push notifications and gives you the best tips on how to optimize them and get better results!

Find out how your company can benefit from Dialog Insight.

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