Are you looking for new ways to promote your ecommerce business? I bet you are.
Nowadays pretty much anyone can start an ecommerce business with relatively low investments as long as they have access to the internet, so the competition is massive and everyone is fighting for attention.
However, it seems like most online stores are relying on Facebook ads to do the trick, but they are missing out the opportunity to stand out by implementing new communication channels into their digital marketing strategy.
As you probably have already noticed, many online stores have started using web push notifications, which is a highly effective marketing tool to improve customer engagement and increase sales. Since it is a relatively new marketing channel, users don’t find push notifications too irritating, especially if they’re receiving relevant and timely messages. In fact, push notifications produce twice as many open rates and click-throughs than email.
Pretty impressive, huh?
Don’t get too excited – creating effective push notifications is not an easy job. To reap the benefits of web push notifications, you have to create them with a good strategy in mind. In this article I will tell you some of my key tips for sending effective web push notifications that will skyrocket your sales & increase user engagement massively.
Ready? Here we go.
Create Segments Among Subscribers
Segment your audience based on their buying patterns, interests, and preferences. Why is this step so important? This way you will be able to reach the right users with a message that’s actually relevant to them. Nobody wants to be interrupted by an irrelevant notification – this will only motivate users to unsubscribe. You don’t want to let this happen, so create something they will actually be interested in and something that will benefit them. Most people are super busy, so don’t interrupt them with a message that is not worth their time.
To maximize the potential of your push notification strategy, use the data you have wisely in order to create a better experience for the user – they will appreciate your efforts.
Here’s an example of a well-targeted web push notification:
Making custom messages for each segment of your audience will guarantee higher engagement and ensure a minimum number of unsubscribers, which is extremely important, because once they’ve unsubscribed, they’re most probably gone forever and the chances of them returning are close to zero.
Send Push Notifications To Recover Abandoned Carts
We all have been there – we go on an online store, add some products to our cart and then leave it for some reason – either we changed our mind, decided to search for a better deal or we just simply got distracted by something at checkout. Imagine all the money businesses lose because of that… Sad, right?
This is very common, but there are ways you can recover the abandoned carts and get back some of the otherwise lost revenue. Simply send out a push notification with a reminder that they have left items in their shopping cart, offer the user free shipping or give them a discount code.
These people have already shown interest in buying your product, so you just have to give them a nudge.
Help Your Users Keep Track of Their Orders
If a person has chosen your store to buy something, make sure their delivery experience is smooth and they are being informed about the delivery dates. Sending a push notification saying that their package will be delivered in X amount of days may not seem like a big deal, but this shows the user that you genuinely care about them and makes you seem more trustworthy.
Here are some examples of Maxtraffic push notifications:
Use Psychology Hacks
Having the right copy can make the difference between success and failure – especially when it comes to push messages, because text is their most important component. You have to keep push messages short, so it’s really important that you craft them wisely to get as much attention from users as you can. To do this, there are some psychological hacks that might help you.
Ever heard about FOMO? It’s short for fear of missing out – the anxious feeling and sense of urgency people tend to get when they think they’re about to miss out on something good – either it’s a good deal, social event or exciting experiences. This feeling is especially prevalent among Millenials.
You can use the power of FOMO by offering people a limited-time deal, because adding time limits will motivate users to make the purchase faster. Use phrases like “Don’t miss out!”, “Hurry!”, “Only a Few Items Left!” or “Act now!”, which will cause people to act quicker than they normally would, the same as when using time-related keywords in text such as now, fast, quick, instant, never. Using the right words can massively impact the effectiveness of your campaign.
Another hack is to make your customers feel exclusive. This technique works well because humans tend to be self-centered, despite how much we like to deny that. Try out the effectiveness of this psychological hack by sending push notifications on users birthdays with a special discount code and you’ll most likely be blown away by the results.
Humans aren’t as rational as we might think, so implementing some psychology hacks can be an effective way to influence their buying decisions. If you’re interested in learning more about these kinds of psychological hacks, I strongly recommend you to read Robert Cialdini’s book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, in which he describes all of these principles more in-depth. The best marketers are those who understand how people think, especially when it comes to shopping.
Send Reminders
Do you have a sale coming up soon? Don’t rely on your customers to remember that (hint: they most probably won’t). Send them a pre-sale reminder to make sure they already start thinking about their next purchase at your store. You can do it the day before or a few hours before the sale starts.
Another technique is to send a last-minute reminder in order to create some sense of urgency and take advantage of the fear of missing out (ethically) to increase conversions. Since push notifications pretty hard to miss as they can cut through all the noise, you’ll make sure that everyone who has subscribed most probably will notice the message, which is not always the case with other marketing channels like email, for example.
The best part about it? They don’t even have to be on your website to receive a real-time reminder, as long as they’ve agreed to receive web push notifications from you. However, don’t overdo it by sending out too many notifications, otherwise your customers will get annoyed. Another tip to keep in mind, especially for ecommerce stores that have an international customer base, is to schedule your push messages according to the timezone your customers are in – nobody wants to be interrupted at 2 AM by a notification, no matter how good it is.
Conclusion
If your competitors aren’t using web push notifications yet – it’s your chance to beat them and you should not miss out on it. They truly can work wonders when used correctly, so keep these key tips in mind when creating your next campaign.