Most businesses today rely on mobile application platforms in order to be more accessible to their potential consumers. Of such applications, there exist many types, depending on the industry that the business operates in. However, be it e-commerce, news, or any other kind of product app, the one common requirement that all businesses share is a strategic marketing tool that is cohesive with their platform.
Enter web push notifications, a non-intrusive, high ROI marketing channel that is flexible with the dynamism of mobile/web-based apps. Web push notifications offer you, the owner, an effective means of constant communication with your visitor (consumer), as well as reaching other prospective consumers. All that is needed, is for the user to ‘opt-in’ for push push notifications from your site/app, and voila! Well that’s the concept anyway. The reality however, is seldom that simple. Unless they pertain to clear need/want incentives, web push notifications only mean unnecessary on-screen clutter to most users.
Don’t get us wrong though! It isn’t impossible to get users to make the right choice between ‘Allow’ and ‘Block’. You see, not unlike wooing the woman of your dreams, you will have to approach the situation with considerable tact and delicacy. Mastering effective notification opt-in is an art, one that pays in great dividends. Want to know how? Just follow these 5 steps:
Your first impression, their last impression
Start your relationship off on an informative note. As soon as the website opens, give the user the option to take a short tour through its features. This process should not be time-consuming, taking up 10-15 seconds at the most. The gesture may be a simple one, but it goes a long way in creating a sense of caring on your behalf, in the user’s mind.
If you’d like, at the end of the tour, you can programmatically trigger the permission dialog.
Don’t rush them, bide your time
Bombarding your user with a notification request right off the bat, will likely ruin the equation before you can even build it. People usually react to such things with irritation, as it may only seem like a hindrance at that point in time. You must therefore be wise about exactly when to pop the big question. It must be like a build-up of sorts, wherein the user must first be given time to get familiar with the app itself. Once the he/she begins using the website, a subconscious need will be created. At this point, a notification request will seem more like a help than a hindrance, which will make a user that much more likely to opt right in!
Keep them close
Once the user decides to allow notifications from you, there may likely be some further content-specific options for him/her to toggle. When it comes to news websites, these options may include the basic types of articles that the user would like notifications for. At this point, define certain Topics that the users can subscribe to. And therein lies your opportunity to stand apart from the crowd. Allowing the user to select such the Topics after subscribing, will help in creating a more continuous experience.
Make them want it
When it comes to the web push notification message itself, the content needs to be direct, concise, and most importantly, lucrative. In other words, your push notification request is nothing but an offering, and it therefore becomes important to clearly convey the value proposition that it carries. As mentioned earlier, in the end it all boils down to an incentive based on the users’ wants, and subsequently, their needs. It is your duty as a marketer/business owner to identify these needs, and put forth an offer that they just cannot refuse.
Always be there for them
Once you have secured a ‘yes’ from the user, the next logical step is to keep in constant touch. You must acknowledge the critical importance of personalised and specifically targeted messages that keep the users informed of various products related to their usual purchase patterns. You must also let users know about upcoming offers, discounts, etc. in order to further enhance engagement. Many businesses use advanced data analytic softwares to study user activity, thereby being able to suggest products that they are most likely to prefer. In an e-commerce app for instance, you must ideally send notifications to users regarding products that they usually look at.
How would you use Web Push Notifications? Try now.
Photo by Fabrizio Verrecchia on Unsplash
