Mobile devices have overtaken the use of desktops. We’ve all seen the rise in the use of smartphones to browse the internet in recent years.
This sudden increase in mobile internet access has made it crucial for companies and businesses to switch gears to prioritizing mobile.
Many websites are now mobile friendly, and businesses have created different strategies for marketing to mobile devices. Even Google is continually ensuring that internet access is better for all mobile users.
In fact, they’re going as far as sanctioning websites that aren’t optimized for mobile-viewing and navigation.
But, the rise in mobile internet access has led to a decrease in email open rates. Even fewer people now open their emails, making it absolutely necessary for email marketing strategies to be made more effective.
While that’s in the making, companies still need to go on, generating sales and revenue. As such, some businesses have created a loyalty program for their customers, while others have adopted a different channel of communication in order to reach out to their potential customers.
Push Notifications: What Are They?
First introduced in Blackberry devices, push notifications were used to alert users about new messages or unopened emails.
Since then, push notifications have evolved in both use and importance, becoming a major marketing tool for businesses worldwide, regardless of size or scale.
The Push Notification Technology is about sending messages directly to mobile devices in real-time, even when the prospect is not on your website, or hasn’t yet opened a browser. This is a great way for businesses to start the customer journey and engage their audience.
Push notifications help your company by:
- Informing customers of your social media channels and directing them to view your pages
- Allowing you to promote your products, discounts, and offers directly to the customer’s mobile device, rather than to their email
- Building your business reputation with the delivery of quality content, which also creates customer loyalty and trust in your brand
- Notifying customers of carts (eCommerce applications) they’ve abandoned
- Engaging audiences who aren’t currently visiting your website
Push Notifications: Advantages
Push notifications are effective for reaching out to many demographics. In fact, a high percentage of users opt-in to receive push notifications.
You can send messages directly to your customers’ screens without having to email them or use their social media. These messages will show up in real-time, prompting users to respond immediately.
Push notifications have higher opt-in rates compared to emails. Also, they tend to get more click-through rates than email links, increasing your chances of making conversions.
Push Notifications: Disadvantages
Just as the case is with email marketing, businesses tend to go overboard with push notifications.
Sending irrelevant information and content to customers turn them off the business, encouraging them to opt out from receiving notifications entirely.
Some companies tend to get overly aggressive with push notifications. This is mainly because they always want to stay ahead of the competition. But sending notifications every hour and repeating text messages that you just sent your customers via email in your push notifications, will likely create unwanted results.
Push Notifications: Best Practices to Increase Customer Engagement
Now that you’re all caught up with the basics of push notifications let’s check out the best ways to boost customer engagement in your business using this modern technology!
#1. Sending messages only about things that your customers care about
An app, specifically made for providing information to automobile lovers about the latest updates of their favorite cars is a great way to provide valuable content to that group of users.
These people will also value your products and services and refer to other car enthusiasts to your brand.
#2. Sending personalized messages to your customers
Sending generic, one-size-fits-all text messages have now fallen off the wayside. Getting personal with the audience is what works in the competitive market today.
Push notifications are a great way to send targeted, personalized text messages to your audiences, even using their location and names. This helps to grab their attention and prompt them to carry out the desired action you’ve led them for.
#3: Segmenting your customers (if your business has a huge audience)
By getting information about your customers from the database, you can figure out exactly what each of your prospects wants. Once you’ve done that, you can then send personalized notifications to them.
Segmenting your customers will give your push notifications more impact. It will also help to increase your conversion rates.
#4: Remind your customers about their abandoned carts
When a potential customer places items in a cart, but then leaves your website without emptying their cart or proceeding to checkout, you can use push notifications to give them a reminder.
It allows you to let them know of the awesome deals they’re missing out on by abandoning their cart like that. It’s one of the most convenient ways to boost your conversion rates and increase customer engagement.
#5: Sending text messages based on customers’ history
Using your customer history the right way will provide plenty of valuable information regarding their buying habits and how they interact with your brand.
It also gives you information on how you can re-engage customers who’ve stopped coming to your online store.
These push notifications are highly personalized. They’re meant to get customers what they need or want. This will engage the customers more, improving trust in your brand.
Wrapping Up
Push notifications are huge nowadays. With the majority of people glued to their smartphones, it only makes sense.
It’s easily one of the best new ways to reach your potential customers. We’ve found that users look forward to all of their notifications. On-page push notifications are also good to use.
The ability to do personalized marketing is the key to this technology. For example, Netflix (NFLX) does a great job in letting their subscribers know when new seasons of their favorite shows are streaming.
Also, the ability to send your audience a link to their shopping cart with the items they never bought is huge. Your customers can pick up right where they left off!
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