Push Notifications: The Ultimate Guide

Push notifications rely on a communication channel between the app or website server and the user's device, such as Apple Push Notification Service (APNS) or Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM). When a new notification is sent, the server sends a message to the communication channel, which then delivers the notification to the user's device. The device then displays the notification to the user, who can interact with it as desired.

Examples of push notifications include app updates, breaking news alerts, sports scores, weather updates, social media notifications, and promotional offers from businesses. They can be used for a wide range of transactional and marketing use cases and can be customized to suit different user segments or behaviors. For inspiration and context, check out this article which includes images of 10 great push notification examples and explains why they're effective.

To enable push notifications on a mobile device, users typically need to allow notifications in their device settings and give permission to specific apps or websites to send notifications. The exact process may vary depending on the device and operating system being used.

Push notifications are generally considered to be secure and reliable, as they are sent over encrypted communication channels and are designed to be delivered quickly and efficiently. However, businesses should take care to protect user data and ensure that notifications are not used for spam or other malicious purposes.

Businesses can track the effectiveness of their push notification campaigns using analytics tools and metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates. By analyzing these metrics, businesses can optimize their messaging strategy and improve the ROI of their campaigns. Check our guide to understanding push notification performance for more information about what metrics to track and how to interpret results.

OneSignal provides built-in notification analytics in our user dashboard so that you can craft, automate, analyze, and optimize notifications in one intuitive interface.

For more tips to optimize push notification performance, watch our video on push notification best practices and ROI.

There are a variety of ways to use web push and mobile push notifications to drive traffic to your app or website. Some popular use cases include:

1. Promote new content or features: Use push notifications to announce new content, features, or other updates on your app or website. This can create a sense of urgency and drive users to visit your app or website to check out the latest updates.
2. Run limited-time promotions: Offer time-limited discounts or promotions exclusively through push notifications to drive traffic to your app or website. This can help increase sales and engagement.
3. Send personalized recommendations: Use data from user behavior to send personalized recommendations for products or content on your app or website. This can encourage users to visit your app or website and engage with relevant content. For more information, check out our article on message personalization best practices.
4. Remind users of abandoned carts or unfinished tasks: Use push notifications to remind users of abandoned carts or unfinished tasks on your app or website. This can help reduce cart abandonment and drive conversions.
5. Leverage location-based targeting: Use location-based targeting to send push notifications to users in specific geographic areas. For example, you can send push notifications to users who are near your physical store or event to encourage them to visit. For inspiration, check out how ShakeShack successfully uses geolocation targeting in their app.
6. Offer exclusive content or rewards: Offer exclusive content or rewards through push notifications to encourage users to engage with your app or website. This can include access to exclusive content, early access to sales, or loyalty rewards.

There are endless ways to use notifications to drive app and website engagement. Check our customer case studies to learn how companies use push notifications to drive engagement and view these successful push notification examples.

The main difference between web push notifications and mobile push notifications is the platform from which they are sent. Web push notifications are sent via web browsers, whereas mobile push notifications are sent via a native mobile application. In order to send mobile push notifications, you must have a mobile app. However, if you don't have a mobile app, you can still use web push notifications to engage your audience on mobile devices.