Push or pull has been a topic of great debate ever since times have evolved. One aspect that has still found its footing in the online realm is Push Notifications.
Interestingly, the eCommerce industry contributes to the larger piece of the pie when it comes to push notifications at 22.03% .
What is push notification in eCommerce? Push notifications are pop-up messages on a user’s phone or desktop through their web browser. In the eCommerce context, push notifications include super saver deals, discounts, and the like.
18 Push Notification Templates for eCommerce (& great Examples) 1. Welcome notifications As the name suggests, welcome notifications are sent out a short while after the user installs your eCommerce app or signs up on your website. These are meant to grab the receivers’ attention and make a lasting first impression.
Studies have proven time and again that customers who make a purchase within the first 24 hours of signing up are very likely to become repeat buyers.
One study also found that even one single push notification sent during the first seven days since joining can increase retention rates by as much as 71% over two months.
Also, since users have just signed up, they would probably have a fresh memory of your online store and hence would enjoy interacting with it.
How to make the most of welcome notifications: ✓ Provide an irresistible, exclusive offer valid for new customers’ first purchase
✓ Create a sense of urgency by mentioning how long the offer is valid for
✓ Get them excited about signing up and promise them a great experience
See how Rosetta Coffee does this?
Steal this template for your brand:
Hey, <first name> ! Thrilled to have you on board with us. Shop at <website/app name> within 4 hours and avail your exclusive <discount %> discount by using the code <coupon code> <CTA>
2. Cart abandonment notifications Push notifications work remarkably well in reminding customers of their abandoned carts, by delivering a short, crisp, personalized message within seconds.
You can use cart abandonment notifications to quickly remind users that they have their favorite product(s) lying in their carts, which they might lose out on soon if they don’t complete their purchase.
Be sure to time these notifications smartly so they get delivered when the customer is the most active to improve your chances of them checking out the moment they receive the notification.
How to make the most of cart abandonment notifications: ✓ Offer an over and above discount valid only for a short period to encourage quick action
✓ Include the exact name and image of the product abandoned to customers can recall it immediately
✓ Mention that the product is running out fast to create FOMO
We love this example from Jet:
Steal this template for your brand:
Hey <first name>, your cart’s feeling lonely and abandoned :( Get an additional 10% off if you complete your purchase of <product name> today! <CTA>
Hey, have you seen this? 10 Under-utilized ways to reduce shopping cart abandonment
3. Stock alert notifications Stock alerts via push notifications can be extremely effective as they remind your customers about products they wanted at some point and sign up to be notified once they are back in stock.
In these push notifications as well, include the name and image of the product to be absolutely clear to the receiver and have no room for confusion.
How to make the most of stock alert push notifications: ✓ Ensure your copy creates excitement and hype so your customers are really glad about the alert. Having effective, actionable CTAs can elevate your outcome by as much as 40% .
✓ Be clear and specific in mentioning that the desired product is back in stock
✓ Have a clear CTA that leads directly to the product page
Makes sense? Check out this example from Urban Outfitters:
Steal this template for your brand:
Rejoice, <first name> ! It’s your lucky day. The <product name> you had your eyes on is back in stock. Grab it now before its runs out again. <CTA>
4. Remarketing or retargeting notifications Many of your potential customers might just browse your store, search for a few products, wishlist them, and drop off. This is a segment you need to meaningfully engage so they consider returning to make a purchase.
Push notifications as a medium can work wonders in reminding them of your store if they have opted in to do so.
Carefully craft your remarketing and retargeting push notification campaigns to nudge your dropped-off user base and entice them into returning. You could showcase their previously viewed products, nudge them with an exclusive discount code, or just remind them of what they are missing out on, in order to get them clicking.
How to make the most of remarketing or retargeting push notifications: ✓ Ensure all your communication is highly personalized so you don’t keep shooting in the dark. Having highly targeted campaigns can bring a click rate of around 30% !
✓ In your copy, refer to where the visitor dropped off, so you can encourage them to pick up from there
✓ Incentivize visitors to revisit your store and check out your offerings
1800Flowers does a great job here:
Steal this template for your brand:
Hey <first name> ! You visited us <a time period> ago, but we haven’t seen you since. Continue exploring our <name of the product they browsed> range and buy them at an additional <discount percentage> off, valid only for <time period> . <CTA>
Hey, check this out: Turn boring transactional emails into cash cows: 10 proven ideas
5. Trivia notifications Not all push notifications are meant to be directly salesy or conversion-oriented. Some can just be to encourage engagement with your loyal customer base.
Trivia-based push notifications are meant to be a fun way to interact with your audience so you don’t lose touch with them.
How to make the most of trivia based push notifications: ✓ Use your customer data to personalize trivia points so they interest your target audience
✓ Conversion may or may not be the key metric, but do ensure you include a CTA to direct the audience to
✓ Keep it short and extremely quirky, fun, and interesting because you don’t want to end up boring the receiver
How fun is this push notification example from Delectable?
Steal this template for your brand:
Now, wasn’t that fabulous? <event> was absolutely divine today! Well worth a celebration. Come enjoy with us, <name>. After all, such great days need to be celebrated! <CTA>
Short on time? Here's a quick video with all the brilliant examples:VIDEO
6. Order update notifications Probably the most straightforward of the lot, order update notifications are sent out every time there is an update to share with the customer regarding their order.
These are meant to be sent out once the order is placed, once it is confirmed by the seller when it is dispatched, once it is out for delivery, and finally when it has been delivered.
These work as timely updates in keeping your customers informed about where their orders have reached and how soon they will receive them, thus keeping all sorts of post-purchase anxiety at bay and excitement intact.
How to make the most of order update push notifications: ✓ Send them out well within time, so it is not too late to receive the update - in which case push notifications are not the most effective channel to send them
✓ Mention the next steps clearly so customers know what they can expect
✓ Have the product name and image mentioned clearly in the notification
See how Amazon does this in their push notification?
Steal this template for your brand:
Hurray! Your order number <order number> has been confirmed by the seller. We’ll share an update once it is dispatched. Track here <CTA>
Write high recall order confirmation emails. Check out 29 easy-to-copy confirmation email templates (+ best practices & FAQs)
7. Personalized product recommendation notifications Product recommendations contribute significantly towards increasing repeat purchases and customer loyalty. And these recommendations can be shared via push notifications as well.
Use your customer data to tailor product recommendations and present them to buyers in the form of notifications. These can be based on their browsing history, demographics, interests, preferences, and so on.
How to make the most of product recommendation push notifications: ✓ Don’t overdo such notifications as you might risk frustrating the receiver
✓ Make them as personal as possible, avoiding any randomness or vagueness
✓ Use enticing imagery, as the copy along will not do the job here
Check out this example from Shake Shack:
Steal this template for your brand:
Hey <first name> ! Here’s <product name> that you’ll look dapper in. We’ve got limited stock on your size. Try them out now <CTA>
Create product recommendations that convert. Explore eCommerce Product Recommendations: Strategies, Examples, Do's/Don'ts
8. Price drop alerts A huge segment of online shoppers consists of window shoppers or bargain hunters constantly on the lookout for the best deal they can find.
What they end up doing is signing up for multiple price drop alerts so they are notified whenever their chosen product is on a good deal.
Push notifications are an excellent medium to send these out, as compared to email or SMS as these are likely to be read in real-time and hence can motivate quick action.
Do check out: Converting eCommerce Window Shoppers Into Customers: 17 Practical Ideas
How to make the most of price drop alerts: ✓ Make the percentage or amount decrease the hero of the copy
✓ Create a sense of urgency by specifying that this deal is not to be missed
✓ Trigger the notification as soon as the price drops to give the customer enough time
See what we mean? Here's a push notification from RetailMeNot:
Steal this template for your brand:
Hey <first name> ! The <product name> you had your eyes on is now on <discount percentage> off. Grab them now before they run out of stock. <CTA>
9. Occasion based notifications Your customers’ special occasions are a great time to offer them exclusive deals and discounts on your store offerings, and this can be done via push notifications.
Use this medium to get your customers clicking on their special day, while they appreciate your effort in providing an exclusive offer.
How to make the most of occasion-based notifications: ✓ Mention the occasion clearly to avoid any confusion in the minds of the receivers
✓ Specify that the customer means a lot to your business and hence you want to contribute towards making their day special
✓ Highlight the validity and scope of the offer
Shake Shack's back with another great push notification example here:
Steal this template for your brand:
Hi <first name> ! Wishing you a very happy <occasion name> from your friends at <brand name> . Use code <coupon code> to avail an additional <discount percentage> off on our entire collection until the end of this month. <CTA>
10. Flash sale notifications Push notifications are probably the most effective medium to notify your customers about flash sales that are going to be live only for a short period.
If you rely on email or SMS, they might not access them in time to leverage the sale. And push notifications rarely go unnoticed.
In fact, they have higher open and click-through rates than any other communication channel.
How to make the most of flash sale notifications: ✓ Clearly specify the period of the flash sale to create urgency
✓ Mention the categories of products on which the sale is applicable
✓ Use FOMO inducing words and phrases
This push notification example from SEPHORA is a classic:
Steal this template for your brand:
It doesn’t get better than this. Our entire <product name> range is available on <discount percentage> off only for <time period> . Hurry, use the code <coupon code> while checkout. <CTA>
11. Wishlist reminder notifications Online shoppers often wishlist products to revisit them later or if they are undecided on whether or not they actually need it. However, they need to be reminded to do so.
Wishlist reminder push notifications work marvelously in reminding buyers of their shortlisted products and nudging them to revisit them and consider completing the checkout process this time around.
How to make the most of wishlist reminder notifications: ✓ Give full context so that the message doesn’t come across as a random product recommendation
✓ Try to offer an exclusive discount to nudge buyers into completing the purchase
✓ Entice them by highlighting details about the product(s)
Got a wishlist? Here's how to remind your customers:
Steal this template for your brand:
Hey <first name> ! The <product name> you wishlisted a while ago is one of our most bought items. Check out now with an additional <discount percentage> off and amp up any party look. <CTA>
12. Celebratory/festive messages Such push notifications are sent out to offer your customers a special discount in celebration of a particular event or festival. Your customers look forward to such celebratory messages so they can really splurge during the festive season.
Fun fact: In a year, the months of July and December bag the highest subscription rates . Any guesses why?
How to make the most of celebratory/festive notifications: ✓ Clearly mention the offer validity to avoid confusion
✓ If you are offering a deal on a category of products, ensure it is in line with the festival
✓ Use enticing imagery that aligns with the festive theme so your notification is easily distinguishable
Plus, it doesn't have to be too over-the-top. Do it right, like this push notification:
Steal this template for your brand:
Hey <first name> , it’s that time of the year again! Celebrate <festival name> with us at <brand name> . Use coupon code <coupon code> to get an exclusive <amount> off on your next purchase with us this month. <CTA>
Have you seen this? 25 Creative Examples of Black Friday Deals
13. Exclusive special offer notifications Based on different categories of customer segments, you might want to run various push notification campaigns to target them specifically with exclusive offers based on their interests and preferences.
These will be on a customer-to-customer basis and such coupons shouldn’t be publicly available.
How to make the most of exclusive special offer notifications: ✓ Mention clearly that this is an exclusive offer to make the customer feel special and valued
✓ Clearly specify the offer validity to leave no room for confusion
✓ Create FOMO and a sense of urgency with your copy
Celebrate all the special occasions with inspiration from this push notification example by PLNDR:
Steal this template for your brand:
Hey <first name> ! We know you’re an <product category> freak. You don’t want to miss out on our latest <product name> collection. Grab them today at <discount percentage> off. <CTA>
14. Real time update notifications Push notifications can also be used to share real-time updates with your customers about products that are selling out quickly, the trending items, products that visitors are rapidly wishlisting, and so on.
These work well in keeping your customers updated about product categories they are likely to be interested in, while subtly nudging them to make a purchase on your online store.
How to make the most of real time update notifications: ✓ Create FOMO by talking about how many times a product has been bought recently
✓ Be sure to personalize such notifications so that only relevant ones go out to each customer
✓ Use specific product pages as CTAs instead of category pages as they work better in this scenario
See how this example is simple and yet clever?
Steal this template for your brand:
Hey <first name> ! Our <product name> from <collection name> has been bought <number of times bought> in the last hour. Hurry and grab yours too before we run out. <CTA>
15. Reminders for inactive or dormant users Not all of your customers are going to turn into loyalists. Many of them might just become inactive or dormant after a few purchases. Push notifications are a great way to remind this user segment to return to your online store. If crafted well and triggered at the right time, such notifications can dramatically improve the percentage of dormant customers returning to your store.
How to make the most of such notifications: ✓ Make sure your copy is extremely quirky, fun, and enticing
✓ Offer a worthwhile incentive for them to consider returning
✓ Instill FOMO with your copy to drive quick action
You can always count on HeadSpace for effective push notifications:
Steal this template for your brand:
Hey <first name> . It’s been a while since you last visited <brand name> . We’d love for you to check out our latest summer collection inspired by <theme> . Come back today and get an exclusive <discount percentage> off on your purchase. <CTA>
16. Content promotion notifications You can also use push notifications to promote your marquee content and improve its organic reach. These could be inspiring lookbooks, how-to videos, detailed blogs, scannable listicles, and other formats that are likely to interest your customers.
Depending upon the likes of your target segment, target your key content assets towards these customers and push them out via notifications that immediately capture their attention.
How to make the most of content promotion push notifications: ✓ Only share content that is hard to ignore and really captivating
✓ Don’t write long, boring copy trying to explain the content piece in detail
✓ Keep it short, simple, and crisp, and try to get receivers intrigued
See how Sephora does it?
Steal this template for your brand:
You'll love this, <name> ! We’re thrilled to share our <content piece> . We bet you’ll find something lovely that’s just right for you!
Here's why your content marketing is not working: 14 eCommerce content marketing mistakes (+ their fixes)
17. FOMO notifications Push notifications can also be leveraged to simply create FOMO among your target audience. You could trigger these on any given day just to instill the feeling of missing out on your potential customers.
All you need to do is highlight how irresistible your offerings, prices, customers service, and the entire shopping experience in your store are.
How to make the most of FOMO notifications: ✓ Give out as many details as possible to have the most impact
✓ Try to include social proof to instill trust and credibility
✓ Do include a time period for the offer or stock validity
Build on that FOMO, just like Leanplum Travel does here:
Steal this template for your brand:
Hey <first name> ! You’re missing out. Customers have been loving our latest <product name> collection that just came in. Check it out now and get free shipping on your order. <CTA>
Want to know more? Check out 14 ways of using FOMO To boost conversion rates
18. Weather-based offers Since you already collect demographic and geographic data from your visitors, you can use it to personalize push notifications based on their location and the weather conditions they are in. Such tailored notifications will make your customers feel valued and cared for.
How to make the most of weather-based push notifications: ✓ Suggest a relevant product category for the weather conditions
✓ Don’t forget to include an image for clarity
✓ Give a proper CTA that leads to your category page
Make 'em fun (and functional!). Take this push notification for example:
Steal this template for your brand:
Hey <first name> . It’s getting <weather description> . Time to splurge on a new <product name> and treat yourself to some <season name> self-love. <CTA>
You’re all set to create a winning push notification campaign!
The above campaign ideas and templates are a great starting point for you to assess how push notifications work for your business. However, don’t forget that each business is unique and no template is set in stone.
Feel free to A/B test and experiment with your push notifications’ copy, image, timing, user segments, and so on to finally gather enough data that tells you what works in helping you engage, retain, and convert customers.
How do you write a good push notification? Writing a good push notification comes down to 3 things:
Arousing curiosity
State something unusual, funny, or memorable that instantly catches the user’s attention.
Using spin-offs from pop culture is a good way to get started.
Here’s an example of a push notification:
777…..the way to 7th heaven
Grab your favorite jumpsuit at just $777
Problem-solving
The push notification should highlight the problem and solution. This provides a sense of assurance tempting the user to click. This also doubles up as a persuasion tactic.
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Remind them to complete an action
An action-oriented push notification asking users to complete action is effective in high-engagement. It nudges the users with a sense of achievement.
Michelle, your cart needs some rest.
Add your item to the checkout
Push Notification myths debunked Since our inception, two myths related to push notifications have been prevalent. From our valuable experience of working with eCommerce brands, it has come to our attention that these still exist.
This is why we're debunking these notorious myths.
1. Customers hate push notifications That’s a blanket statement. Customers have divided opinions when it comes to push notifications.
According to a recent survey, 52.68% of the customers found push notifications to be annoying.
This can be attributed to various reasons such as disturbance, wrong timing, lack of relevance, no value, and no personalization.
It is all the more important to send creative push notifications that don’t annoy you to death. Here’re four ways to make your customers look forward to them backed by some critical push notifications statistics:
Emojis: Using emojis is a proven way to increase open rates by 9% Appropriate timing: Using a spray and pray approach is a recipe for disaster. Sending push notifications at industry-specific timings has improved opening rates by 40% Use rich formats: Why just stick to text? Use rich formats like GIFs, videos, etc. It is known to increase open rates by 25% Personalization: Using behavioral data in push notifications can result in a 4x increase in open rates Pro Tip: Using location data in your push notification is a highly recommended way to send push notifications. 53% of the users are willing to share their location details for push notifications.
While common knowledge, many eCommerce brands overlook the importance of copy and headline. It’s good to experiment with your headlines as it can improve open rates by 56% .
Finally, time is crucial to its success. It has been found that eCommerce push notifications receive the best responses on Wednesdays between 3 to 4 PM.
The window period where the click rate is at its highest is between afternoon and 6 PM.
How many is too many?
In a latest survey , a finding reported that 3-6 push notifications a week lead to 43% of the users disabling push notifications. But, in contrast, 6-10 weekly push notifications led to 32% of the users disabling them.
While there is no definite number, it has been observed that the open rates are lower when push notifications sent are higher in a week.
Also, relevance, context, and timing are equally important in getting desirable open rates.
Experiment and see what works for you.
2. Customers don’t enable push notifications Another blind statement that doesn’t talk about facts. Customers enable push notifications but………
Only from channels/apps, they prefer. According to a study that analyzed user preferences, 57.42% of the users preferred social media notifications while 25.29% of the users preferred push notifications from online shopping & retail websites.
In short, it boils down to user preferences.
Interestingly, it has been reported that a combination of dynamic & segmented push notifications drives an engagement level of 6.49%.
However, there's a catch. Dynamic push notifications have better open rates while dynamic segmented push notifications have shown excellent conversion rates.
The best tactic you can use is geotargeting: specifying the location you want your ads to be shown. It has proven to have an open rate of 7.8% with a conversion rate of 3.8%.
Summing it up, customers do enable push notifications but have their preferences, types, and location-specific push notifications which they engage with. More importantly, the content.
Push Notifications 101 As we move closer to the conclusion, here’re five questions that are often asked:
1. Are Push notifications effective? Push notifications offer a whopping 3500% ROI. However, they don’t work unless you:
Personalize: Take names, use emojis, get creative with your headlines, and more importantly use behavioral data Focus on providing a seamless experience: Match your push notification to the web page or app. This fuses the gap between the internal communication For instance, if an order is shipped, the push notification should lead to the shipping page mentioning the details like ETA, Time, etc.
Offer value: Push notifications should lead to valuable outcomes. The user should be able to find products without having to talk to customer support. Let’s say, you’re looking for a running shoe. You may not be sure of the size, cushion, and type. By providing a shoe finder quiz, you will be able to decide based on the foot type, etc.
2. What should Push Notifications be used for? Push Notifications are known for one thing: reminders.
Send push notifications when you want to remind users of a sale, product offers, etc. 70% of the app users find push notifications useful and hence 53% are willing to share their personal details like location.
For instance, you're a fashion retailer and there’s a Halloween festive sale coming up. You could come up with a push notification with the following headline:
‘Be the fashion queen, this Halloween’
3. How often should you send push notifications? Here is a rule of thumb, don’t send more than 3-5 push notifications in a week and you’re good. Anything more is spam. Don’t forget to plan it between the ideal time window.
4. How do I plan push notifications? Plan your push notifications when the unsubscribe rates are low. Send messages on days your customers are more likely to engage. Test dynamic and segmented push notifications and see what works best.
5. What is the difference between push and pull notifications? Push Notification: Push Notifications are messages a user receives from a server. These are involuntary and not requested by the user
Pull Notification: Pull Notifications are messages received by the user when the user sends a request through a remote server
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