Today we are going to talk about push notifications, a new technology that has entered the web ecosystem with force. These types of notifications, if used well, improve traffic, brand engagement and can even be a good purchase lever. In this post we are going to tell you how to use and activate these notifications on your website. We will focus a little more on web push notifications, where they are really a novelty, since they already have a long way to go in apps.
“There is no more truth outside than in the world I created for you” (The Thunderman Show, Peter Weir-1998)
What are push notifications?
Push notifications (or push technology) are notices, messages or any type of instant information that a user receives on any device launched by a third-party platform with prior (implicit or explicit) consent to the use of this technology. More and more websites, apps or digital businesses are resorting to this type of notices, since they change the usual pattern of active search for information by passive, that is, it is the information that reaches the user and not the user the one who seeks or requests it. Push notifications are more common on smartphones and that is where they began their journey and find their maximum potential, but they can also be activated on desktop devices or tablets.
One thing to keep in mind is the analytics of this channel. Google Analytics encodes it as direct traffic. Of course, if we want to know what traffic is achieved through this channel, we will have to look at the URLs through the plugin or code that we use to activate this technology.
Are push notifications penalized by Google?
That is not known until now and it would not make much sense either since this technology is not activated until you give your consent. It is true that in many apps (we have not seen it on the web) this consent is marked by default, and applications such as Whatsapp, Twitter, Instagram and many others send you push notifications automatically without explicitly notifying us. It is true that once these push notifications are admitted, they can be perceived as invasive and there are ways to spam even pain, but then the user will be in charge of deactivating them. On the other hand, there will also be the expertise of the platform that uses push technology in knowing how to strategize its notifications, both in design and frequency. A little further down we will see some tips.
How to disable push notifications
As these notifications, with prior consent, are launched through our browser, the way to deactivate them is by going to the Chrome settings (or whatever our browser is) and looking for the Notifications section. Once there, a list of all the platforms that serve us push notifications will appear and we can deactivate those that do not interest us.
How to integrate push notifications into your digital strategy
At we always recommend the 360 method in digital (with very few exceptions), that is, strategically attacking all possible channels to achieve the proposed KPIs or business objectives. A global strategy is usually successful and integrates SEO, ADS, SMM, CRO… depending on the type of user we want to reach, it ends up earning commercial revenue. Therefore, push notifications, which reactivate direct traffic, that is, brand traffic, are a technology that supports branding and user engagement with the brand, web or app. As in any publication that “is imposed on the user” you have to be very careful on several points, namely:
posting frequency
It is perhaps the most important point, since you have to take into account that (even with consent) you are “sneaking” into a user’s device. Configure your push notifications so that they have a frequency that is not considered spam by the user who receives them. 1 or 2 push notifications per day is more than enough. Measure and choose well the hours at which you send them to motivate their reception.
Choose what you send by push
Not all the information you post is likely to be sent by push. Choose what content that is published on your website should reach the user through push. Perhaps the new posts, offers, events,… are interesting, but all the products you upload? All the news you publish? The launch of a landing page? The content that reaches the user must be useful, attractive.
take care of the design
Push notification plugins usually offer you various design/layout options for push notifications. Take care of the titles, add an image to your notifications and an intro so that they are always sent homogeneously and thus keep an aesthetic that pleases and is easy for the user who follows you to remember. In short, personalize your push notifications.
Remember the complementarity with other channels
If you send web push notifications and have social profiles, email marketing or SMS marketing campaigns, remember the saturation of a user. Take good care of how you complement all your digital appearances so as not to provoke rejection in your loyal users. Each channel makes sense and it’s your job to find the right messages for each channel.
OneSignal: a free WordPress plugin for your push notifications
is a free plugin for WordPress with which you can start push technology and thus be able to send recurring, important or interesting information to users who land on your website. In addition to its free nature, which is nothing new in the plugins developed for the WordPress CMS, it should be added that its use is very intuitive and its basic configuration is within the reach of any slightly experienced user. You just have to keep in mind that you have to activate it in all browsers Chrome, Safari, Mozilla or any other browser. Design options, acceptance notice layout and other features are easily editable from the plugin settings panel.
And so far our post on push notifications. We hope you find it useful and start using this technology if you see marketing possibilities in it for your company. If you need more information about how to integrate your push notifications into your strategy or about any other aspect of digital marketing, do not hesitate to .
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