Push Notifications for eCommerce (Ultimate Guide: Examples & Best Practices)

In this guide, we'll share everything you need to know about push notifications for eCommerce.

Push notifications have revolutionized the way brands interact with their customers, opening up a direct line to their most loyal fans.

The guide will share some background about push notifications, best practices to follow, and real examples of how top eCommerce brands are using push to boost engagement and retention.

Keep reading to learn how to unlock the amazing benefits of push notifications for your brand.

MobiLoud helps you leverage the full power of push notifications, by converting your website into native mobile apps. Click here to learn more about how it works and how easy you can start driving revenue with native push notifications.

Understanding Push Notifications for eCommerce

A well-executed push notification strategy can transform any eCommerce business.

Push notifications keep customers coming back, by providing timely updates, personalized offers, and engaging content, in a short and personal format.

The effectiveness of push notifications lies in their ability to deliver relevant content directly to users in real-time. From alerting customers about a flash sale, reminding them of items left in their cart, or announcing the arrival of new products, push notifications can drive immediate action. 

Push is particularly effective in creating a sense of urgency, prompting users to act quickly to take advantage of time-sensitive offers.

Push notifications are also extremely cost-effective. Sending push notifications requires minimal resources compared to email or SMS. With the ability to segment audiences and personalize messages, brands can ensure that their notifications are relevant to each recipient, thereby maximizing their impact.

Web vs Mobile Push Notifications

It’s important to note the distinction between web and mobile push notifications.

Web push notifications are sent using the browser. They have a limited scope, and aren’t supported by all browsers and operating systems.

Mobile push notifications are messages sent from a mobile app, directly to a user's device.

These notifications pop up on the screen of a smartphone or tablet, and capture the user's attention immediately.

Unlike emails or in-app messages, push notifications reach users even when they are not actively using the app, making them an incredibly effective tool for real-time communication.

Push notifications can include a variety of content types:

• Text: Simple messages, such as "50% off on all items today only!"
• Images: Visual elements that enhance the message, like product images or promotional banners.
• Videos: Short clips that can showcase new products or highlight features.
• Audio: Sounds or voice messages that can be particularly engaging for specific campaigns.

All in all, mobile push notifications are more direct than email, more versatile than SMS, and more affordable than both.

“The power of push notifications is so strong. In a world where people open email less and less each day, everyone is jumping into SMS, which is crazy expensive - and people are starting to tune these out too. Being able to do push notifications is the reason you do an app.”
- David Cost, VP of eCommerce at Rainbow Shops

Why Push Notifications Are So Powerful for eCommerce

Push notifications help eCommerce businesses boost customer engagement, increase retention, and drive more conversions. 

They allow eCommerce brands to create a direct and personal connection with their customers, which has a direct effect on short and long-term revenue.

Let's dive deeper into the benefits of push notifications for eCommerce.

Customer Engagement

Push notifications have significantly engagement rates than emails, averaging 28% higher clickthrough rates.

They are more likely to be seen and opened, and the immediacy of push notifications helps brands capture attention quickly and effectively.

Retention

Studies show that users who receive push notifications are more likely to return to an app. 

A study by Localytics found that nearly 50% of app users will use an app 11 times or more after receiving push notifications.

Regular communication through notifications keeps the brand top-of-mind, fostering loyalty and encouraging repeat visits.

Conversions

Push notifications drive immediate action, leading to increased sales.

For instance, a notification about a limited-time discount can prompt users to make a purchase on the spot.

Channels like email don't have the same immediacy and sense of urgency, and therefore aren't as good at driving instant action from the user.

LTV

Push notifications are a fantastic tool to generate more lifetime value from each customer.

They boost total sessions, by pushing customers to open the app more and shop more often.

This in turn leads to higher long-term revenue for the business.

Three Elements of Effective Push Notifications

Effective push notifications are personalized, timely, and relevant, all qualities which help to capture attention and drive action.

Here are some tips for crafting effective push notifications:

Personalization

Personalization can increase push notification open rates by nearly 10%, according to CleverTap.

Personalization makes push notifications feel relevant and engaging.

Examples include using the customer’s name, recommending products based on past purchases, or highlighting items left in their cart.

A notification like “Hi [Name], we thought you’d love these new arrivals!” or “That [Product name] is waiting for you. Complete your purchase now and enjoy a 10% discount!” can create a more personalized experience that encourages interaction.

Timeliness

The timing of your push notifications will directly impact their effectiveness.

Think about the user’s time zone, daily routine, and engagement patterns to determine the best times to send push notifications.

Some, such as order updates (“Your order has shipped!” or “Your order is out for delivery”) should be triggered by an event.

Others, such as flash sales or promotions, or notifications for new product releases, are more fluid, and you should test to figure out the ideal time to maximize engagement.

Relevance

Notifications should provide value and be directly relevant to the user’s interests and needs.

Irrelevant or generic messages can lead users to disregard your notifications, or even to opt out.

Ensure that any time you send push notifications, they provide value to the customer and align with their interests.

For example, a fashion app might send notifications about new product releases tailored to the user’s browsing history, ensuring the products recommended are something the customer would be interested in.

MobiLoud helps eCommerce businesses integrate push notifications into their mobile apps, enabling them to send personalized, timely, and relevant messages to their customers. Book a free consultation to discuss how you can grow revenue with push notifications.

14 Push Notification Examples for eCommerce Brands

Push notifications can be used for a wide range of situations.

Each serves a unique role in engaging customers and driving conversions, and ultimately increasing long-term revenue.

Below, we've listed many different use cases where eCommerce brands can use push notifications, along with real examples from successful brands to use for inspiration.

1. Promotions and Deals

Promotional messages are a powerful way to drive immediate sales and increase revenue. 

You can create urgency and encourage quick action by alerting users to current discounts and special offers.

Tips for Writing:

• Use action-oriented language to prompt immediate responses.
• Highlight the urgency by including phrases like "limited time" or "today only."
• Be clear and concise, focusing on the main benefit to the user.

Examples:

1. Rainbow Shops: "FROM $4.99. Nothing short of fabulous!"
2. TRUE CLASSIC: "Make This Your Hottest Summer Ever With 40% Off Sitewide Using Code: HOT."
3. H&M: "Summer sale starts NOW. Up to 50% off in stores and online."

2. Abandoned Cart Recovery

Abandoned cart push notifications remind users about the items they left behind, encouraging them to complete their purchase. 

This type of notification can significantly reduce cart abandonment rates and recover a ton of lost sales.

In some cases, MobiLoud users have recovered as much as $200,000 in lost revenue in the space of just 30 days using abandoned cart notifications.

We built cart abandonment push notification sequences into the MobiLoud platform. Each time a customer activates abandoned cart notifications, they see a near-immediate ROI, and literally tens of thousands of dollars generated in days, simply by reminding people about the items left in their cart. Book a free demo now to learn how to do the same for your brand.

Tips for Writing:

• Offer an incentive, like a discount code, to encourage completion.
• Create a sense of urgency to prompt quick action.
• Don’t stop at the first message, we find a sequence of 3 is ideal.

Examples:

1. Chubbies Shorts: "So you're just gonna leave this cart unattended? Use code BACK15 to get 15% off the world’s best weekend-wear."
2. Hobbiesville: "You left something in your cart! Tap here to start your checkout."

3. Product Announcements

Product announcement notifications keep customers informed about new arrivals, restocked items, and trending products.

Over time you're training your customer to expect exclusive product drops and opportunities coming just by keeping the app active and push notifications active, which has a huge impact on long-term engagement and retention rates.

Tips for Writing:

• Highlight the exclusivity or novelty of the product.
• Use engaging visuals if possible to showcase the product.
• Include a call-to-action to drive users to the app or website to view the product.

Examples:

1. KITH: "Hey, promise to keep a secret? You're getting a super exclusive first look at our new arrivals way before the rest of the public."
2. H&M: "NEW ARRIVALS. Summer resort style in focus."

4. Seasonal and Holiday Campaigns

Seasonal and holiday campaigns capitalize on peak shopping times to boost sales.

Push notifications remind users of special deals and promotions tied to holidays and seasonal events, and drive sales for a low cost.

Tips for Writing:

• Align your message with the holiday or season to make it relevant.
• Use festive language and visuals to capture the holiday spirit.
• Include specific dates and times to create urgency.

Examples:

1. TRUE CLASSIC: "Happy Father's Day from True Classic! Here’s to every shoelace tied, every set of training wheels retired, and every little league game reffed. Dads, we couldn't do it without you."
2. TRUE CLASSIC: "Order TONIGHT to get your gifts in time for Father's Day!"
3. Rainbow Shops: "It's a Summer Sale! Get it online and in-store."

Learn more about running push notification campaigns for the holiday season in this guide.

5. Special Events

Special event notifications drive traffic and sales during limited-time events like flash sales, clearance events, and end-of-season sales. 

Push notifications create a sense of urgency and exclusivity, which are great tactics for boosting conversion rates.

Tips for Writing:

• Clearly state the event and its benefits.
• Use countdowns or time-limited language to emphasize urgency.
• Encourage immediate action with phrases like "shop now" or "don’t miss out."

Examples:

1. KITH: "End of Season Event. Shop our selection of apparel, footwear, and lifestyle products—now at exclusive prices."
2. Farfetch: "Trending pieces in sale. Tap to shop the most-wanted pieces from our global network of brands in the sale, now with up to 60% off selected styles."

6. Personalized Recommendations

Personalized recommendations enhance the shopping experience by suggesting products based on the user’s preferences and past behavior.

Personalization in push notifications can deliver far better results than sending broad and generic push notifications, with some studies finding as much as 4x higher open rates from personalized notifications.

Tips for Writing:

• Use the user's name to make the message feel personal.
• Recommend products that align with the user’s browsing or purchase history.
• Provide a direct link to the recommended products.

Examples:

1. Rainbow Shops: "HEY GRILL MASTER, Take a little shopping break to cool off. 25% off Mens Styles."
2. Chubbies Shorts: "The fellas on the golf course won't know what hit 'em. Turn heads with our summer golf collection."

7. Loyalty and Rewards

Loyalty and rewards notifications keep customers informed about their points and rewards status, encouraging them to continue engaging with your brand. 

They help boost customer retention and loyalty, build long-term relationships with customers, and nurture loyal brand advocates.

Tips for Writing:

• Clearly communicate the user’s current points or rewards status.
• Encourage further engagement by highlighting the benefits of accumulating more points.
• Offer exclusive rewards or early access to sales for loyalty members.

Examples:

1. TRUE CLASSIC: "You've earned 500 points! Redeem them on your next purchase."
2. Farfetch: "Welcome Reward +50 Points. Completing Your Shopping Preferences +50 Points."
3. KITH: "Achievement Completed. Welcome Reward +50 Points."

8. Order and Shipping Updates

Order and shipping updates keep customers informed about the status of their orders, providing peace of mind and reducing anxiety about their purchases.

They improve the customer experience, leading to more repeat purchases.

Tips for Writing:

• Be clear and concise about the order status.
• Include tracking information or expected delivery dates.
• Reassure customers with friendly and professional language.

Examples:

1. "Your order has shipped! Track it now."
2. “Your order is out for delivery today."

9. Engagement Messages

Engagement messages encourage users to explore new collections, highlight popular categories, and participate in interactive content like polls or surveys. 

This keeps users active and engaged with your app, and helps your brand stay top-of-mind.

Tips for Writing:

• Use engaging language to capture the user’s interest.
• Highlight the benefits of exploring new content or participating in interactive activities.
• Provide clear calls-to-action to drive engagement.

Examples:

1. KITH: "Check out our best-sellers, new arrivals & more."
2. MANGO: "Shop the most-wanted items now!"
3. H&M: "Top jeans picks for summer. These jeans go with everything."

10. Urgency and Scarcity

Notifications can create a sense of urgency by highlighting limited stock or time-limited offers, driving immediate action and conversions.

Tips for Writing:

• Use time-sensitive language to emphasize urgency.
• Highlight the limited availability of products.
• Encourage immediate action with clear calls-to-action.

Examples:

1. Fashion Nova: "LAST CHANCE Styles at $3, $5, $7 and $9! Shop These Major Deals B4 They're GONE!."
2. MANGO: "An extra 15% off on your faves for a short time more. Online code: EXTRA15."
3. TRUE CLASSIC: "LAST CALL. $40 ALL BOTTOMS expires in JUST A FEW HOURS! Shop now or forever hold your peace."

11. App-Specific Promotions

App-specific promotions encourage users to download and engage with your app by offering exclusive deals and discounts only available through the app, and conditioning customers to become regular shoppers on the app.

Tips for Writing:

• Clearly state the benefits of using the app.
• Offer exclusive discounts or perks for app users.
• Encourage app downloads with compelling calls-to-action.

Examples:

1. Sephora: "Download our app and get a free gift with your first order."
2. Farfetch: "Enjoy 15% off you first app order. Shop the new season on the FARFETCH app."

12. Event Reminders

Event reminders notify users about upcoming sales events, encouraging them to participate and take advantage of deals, driving significant traffic and sales.

Tips for Writing:

• Provide clear information about the event and its benefits.
• Use engaging language to build excitement.
• Include specific dates and times to ensure users don’t miss out.

Examples:

1. KITH: "End of Season Event. Shop our selection of apparel, footwear, and lifestyle products - now at exclusive prices."
2. Sephora: "Beauty Pass Sale Coming Soon! Get up to 15% off from 9pm, 26 Jun."

13. Feedback Requests

Feedback requests allow businesses to gather valuable insights from customers about their shopping experience, helping to improve products and services.

These notifications can also build customer loyalty by showing that their opinions are valued.

Tips for Writing:

• Be direct and courteous in your request.
• Highlight the importance of their feedback.
• Offer incentives for completing surveys or leaving reviews.

Examples:

1. TRUE CLASSIC: "Love your new shirts? Leave a review and let us know what you think!"
2. Sephora: "Help us improve! Take our quick survey and get a chance to win a $50 gift card."

14. Re-engagement

Re-engagement notifications are designed to bring inactive users back to the app.

By offering incentives or highlighting new features, these notifications can rekindle interest and drive renewed interaction with your brand.

Tips for Writing:

• Personalize the message to make it more compelling.
• Offer exclusive incentives to encourage return visits.
• Highlight what’s new or improved to spark interest.

Examples:

1. MANGO: "We miss you! Come back and enjoy 20% off your next purchase."
2. Rainbow Shops: "It's been a while! Check out our new arrivals and get an exclusive 10% discount."
3. Sephora: "Caught you browsing! Continue your journey and add this item to your cart."

Understanding the Push Notification Opt-in Process

Users must actively opt in to receive push notifications.

Opting in is a critical part of leveraging push notifications effectively. If you don’t get permission, you won’t be able to reach your users with push notifications in the first place.

According to Business of Apps, the average push notification opt-in rate is around 60%.

This varies greatly depending on the operating system (43.9% opt-in rate for iOS versus 91.1% for Android), as most Android devices enable push notifications by default.

Your opt-in rate can differ greatly from the averages shown above, based on how you convince users to opt in (and stay opted in).

Here are some tips to help maximize your push notification opt-in rate:

Educate Users Early

When users first open your app, you should clearly communicate the benefits of opting in to push notifications. 

Highlight how notifications can enhance their experience, like by providing timely updates on orders, exclusive deals, or important news. 

Use a welcome message or onboarding tutorial to explain the types of notifications users will receive and how they can manage their preferences.

Time Your Opt-in Prompt

Instead of asking for notification permissions immediately upon app launch, you might wait until users have engaged with the app and experienced its value.

Many users will automatically hit "Don't Allow" if an app asks for permission the first time they open it.

Contextual prompts can be more effective, such as prompting users to opt-in after they have completed a purchase or added items to their cart. 

Incentivize Opt-in

Incentivizing opt-in can also be highly effective.

When users install the app, let them know that they will receive exclusive offers and promotions by enabling push notifications. 

This can include early access to sales, special discounts, or updates on new product drops.

Offering a direct incentive for opting in, such as a discount code, can also encourage users to enable notifications. 

For example, you might say, "Enable push notifications and get 10% off your first order!"

Even before users download the app, set the expectation that they will receive valuable notifications. This can be communicated through app store descriptions, landing pages, and marketing materials.

Provide Control and Customization

Creating a preference center within your app allows users to easily manage their notification settings.

Provide options for users to choose the types of notifications they want to receive, such as promotions, order updates, or product recommendations. 

Offering granular options for customization, such as muting notifications during certain hours or receiving notifications only for specific events or product categories, can also enhance the user experience and ensure more users remain opted in.

Re-engage Users Who Opt Out

For users who initially opt out of notifications, consider sending periodic reminders through other channels, such as email, in-app messages, or other marketing materials, highlighting the benefits of opting in.

Ensure these reminders are non-intrusive and spaced out appropriately (you don't want to annoy your users to the point where they delete the app entirely).

Incentives, such as exclusive discounts or early access to sales, can also encourage users to opt-in for notifications.

Analyze and Optimize

Regularly analyze your opt-in rates and identify any patterns or trends.

This can help you understand which prompts and strategies are most effective in encouraging users to opt-in. 

Aest to determine the best timing, messaging, and design for your opt-in prompts.

Testing provides valuable insights, and helps you continuously refine your approach based on data and user feedback.

10 Best Practices for Your Push Notification Strategy

A robust push notification strategy is crucial for maximizing engagement, driving conversions, and enhancing your overall user experience. 

Let’s run through some best practices to help you create effective push notifications for your eCommerce business.

1. Keep Messages Short and Sweet

Brevity is key for push notifications. 

You have limited space to work with, and users typically scan notifications quickly, so you need to convey your message concisely.

For example, instead of saying, "Check out our new summer collection available now in stores and online," you could say, "New summer collection! Shop now", and aim to grab their attention with a clear, compelling call-to-action.

2. Personalize Notifications

Personalization significantly increases the effectiveness of push notifications. 

Use customer data to tailor messages to individual preferences and behaviors.

Addressing users by their name, suggesting products based on their browsing history, or reminding them of items left in their cart can create a more personalized experience that encourages interaction. 

"Hi [Name], don’t forget the items in your cart! Complete your purchase now and enjoy a 10% discount" is a simple example of a personalized notification, which will deliver better results than generic messages.

3. Segment Your Audience

Segmenting your audience allows you to send more relevant notifications to different user groups. 

Data from Localytics shows that dynamic and segmented push notifications have a 2.75x higher engagement level than generic broadcast notifications.

Use data to create segments based on criteria such as location, demographics, interests, and past purchases.

For example, you might send a notification about a local in-store event only to users in that specific geographic area.

Alternatively, you could segment users by the kind of products they're interested in, and send specific product releases or promotions to each segment.

This ensures that each user receives messages that are most relevant to them, which can improve engagement and conversion rates. 

4. Send Timely Notifications

Timing is vital with push notifications. Consider the user’s time zone and daily routine to determine the optimal times for sending notifications. 

Notifications sent at the right time can significantly improve open rates and user engagement, such as a notification about a lunch deal around noon or a reminder about a sale in the evening when users have more free time.

5. Use Rich Media

Incorporating rich media, such as images, GIFs, or videos can make your push notifications more engaging and visually appealing. 

Visual content can quickly convey your message and grab the user's attention more effectively than text alone.

An image of a new product, for example, is more compelling than a text description.

6. Test and Optimize

Regularly test different aspects of your push notifications to determine what works best.

A/B testing can help you identify the most effective messaging, timing, and design for your notifications. 

Continuously analyze the performance of your notifications and make adjustments based on data and user feedback. This iterative process ensures that your push notification strategy remains effective and responsive to user preferences.

7. Don't Overload Users

While push notifications can be a powerful tool, be wary of overwhelming users with too many messages. 

Sending too many notifications will annoy the user, and increase the chance they will opt out of notifications altogether.

Be mindful of the frequency of your notifications, and ensure that each message provides value to the user.

8. Align Push With Your Overall Marketing Strategy

Integrate push notifications into your overall marketing strategy to create a seamless customer experience. 

Ensure that your notifications complement other marketing channels such as email, SMS, and in-store promotions.

This integrated approach will enhance brand consistency and reinforce your messaging across different touchpoints.

9. Try Different Content

Don't be afraid to experiment with the content of your notifications.

Beyond promotional messages, you could try sending something funny or even a joke to see how it performs. 

A humorous message or a playful notification could stand out and engage users in a unique way.

Staying on brand and speaking with your brand’s voice is key, but trying different approaches can reveal what resonates best with your audience.

10. Repurpose Content from Other Channels

Repurpose the work you are already doing with SMS, email marketing, and social media, to come up with push notification ideas, save time, and ensure consistency across your marketing efforts.

Look for hooks that have worked well on social media or your SMS for indications about what people want to receive from you, and what will work as a push notification.

How to Start Using Push Notifications

Though you can send push notifications from a website, the real power of push notifications comes from being able to send native push notifications, directly to a user’s mobile device.

For this, you need a mobile app.

If:

• You still don't have a mobile app,
• The solutions you’re considering to build it seem to be too limited,
• You're thinking that you have to spend hundreds of thousands to build your mobile app,

MobiLoud is the answer to your needs.

We give you a straightforward, fast and affordable way to create an eCommerce app, by converting your existing website into mobile apps.

Our full-service approach handles all the whole process for you - from all the technical details, to submission and publishing on the App Stores, to ongoing updates and maintenance after launch.

You apps retain all the features from your website, including any themes, plugins, custom checkouts, and custom code, seamlessly transferred to your mobile app.

There are no arbitrary limits on integrations with other tools—if they work on your site, they'll work in the app too.

MobiLoud works with any platform or tech stack, whether it's WordPress, Shopify, or custom-built websites.

We're more powerful and more flexible than an app builder, and significantly easier and more affordable than custom development.

With push notifications built in to your apps (and native abandoned cart notifications you can turn on with one click), your apps can start driving revenue immediately.

Our App Revenue Calculator gives you an idea of how much new revenue you can get by converting your site into an app.

If you want to grow your business, and generate more revenue and engagement from mobile users, mobile apps and push notifications are simply the best way to go.

Get in touch now and book a free demo to learn more about how MobiLoud will help you grow your bottom line.