Push notifications are one of the most powerful tools in a marketer’s arsenal. When used correctly, they can significantly boost user engagement, retention, and conversions. However, when misused, they can lead to app uninstalls and frustrated users.

So, how do you strike the right balance? What makes a push notification strategy effective?

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know—from the basics of push notifications to advanced strategies that drive real results. Whether you're an OTT platform, an e-commerce app, or a SaaS business, this guide will help you craft a winning push notification strategy.

What Are Push Notifications And How Do They Work?

Push notifications are the attention-grabbing messages that pop up on your devices, such as mobile phones, desktops, or browsers, to alert you about something new—sales, news, reminders, or new messages. In short, push notification is a great communication approach for websites and applications to connect with users directly without the need to be opened.

How Do Push Notifications Actually Work On Different Platforms?

There are three approaches to push notifications: mobile push, web push, and desktop notifications. Here is a gist of how push notifications work on different platforms.

Mobile Push Notifications

Mobile push notifications are the updates you receive on your notification panel of your mobile, from any downloaded app, even though it’s not open. 

Did you know that mobile push notifications increase app retention by almost 3–10 times if implemented correctly? 

These notifications are received directly from the app server and are pushed onto your device’s screen via the operating system.

Web Push Notifications

Ever received a notification that nudged you to look into your abandoned shopping cart? Such notifications that you receive directly to your browser are referred to as web push notifications. What’s more? It works even when you’re not actively browsing the site.

Reportedly, web push notifications have a higher click-through rate (CTR) of around 4–7 percent, which is far higher than email CTR.

Desktop Notifications

While it functions exactly the same as web push notifications, the only difference is that it appears on desktop operating systems. 

Businesses featuring desktop applications are at an advantage since desktop notifications play a significant role in bringing the users back to the app for updates or engagement. These notifications are also beneficial for software updates or reminders in productivity applications.

The Impact of Push Notifications on App Engagement

1. Driving User Retention

Studies show that 60% of users abandon an app within the first week. Push notifications help re-engage inactive users by reminding them of the app’s value.

Pro Tip: Use drip campaigns—a series of automated notifications sent at intervals—to onboard new users effectively.

2. Boosting Conversions

E-commerce apps see a 30% increase in conversions when using personalized push notifications (e.g., cart abandonment alerts).

3. Enhancing User Experience

Notifications that provide real value (e.g., breaking news, order updates) improve user satisfaction.

4. Reducing Churn

By keeping users informed and engaged, push notifications help maintain long-term relationships.

The Mechanics Behind Push Notifications

Read below to find out what exactly happens when a push notification is sent.

Website/Application Server

Based on certain triggers, such as sale, time, or user behavior, the server sends out a notification message through an application programming interface (API).

Operating System/Browser

The notification gets routed through the device’s operating system, i.e., either through the mobile OS (iOS or Android) or web browser to reach the user.

User’s Device

The notification directly pops up on the device’s screen even when the app or website is not open.

How Push Notifications Can Increase Mobile App Engagement

It’s no secret that engagement is the holy grail for any website or app. Especially when it took so much effort to bring the users on board, the question that comes up is—how do you keep them coming back? Here comes the role of push notifications—an effective re-engagement tool.

Driving User Engagement

When your main focus is providing a great user experience to existing users to keep them engaged with the platform, besides wanting more users to your platform, push notifications are what you really need.

According to a study, push notifications can increase user engagement by a whopping 88 percent if they’re personalized. This happens because the user feels the message is meant just for them and not the masses. This way there are higher chances of interaction since they feel they’re communicating directly with the user.

Higher User Retention

Retention is that aspect where push notifications overshadow almost every other marketing strategy. Timely and personalized notifications from time to time remind the users about your platform and keep them engaged, deliberately reducing the chances of your site or application being forgotten. 

In fact, apps that implement push notifications have a 20 percent higher retention rate than apps that don’t. 

The possibility is—if you’re not using push notifications still, you’re missing out on some serious engagement.

Real-Life Push Notification Campaign Examples That Actually Worked

One of the most successful push notification campaigns that shockingly worked is Duolingo, a renowned language learning app. Their strategy included mastering some humor and motivation-infused notifications that played a significant part in nudging users to practice their language lessons. 

Another notable example is Starbucks, where all their notifications are about captivating users with enticing personalized offers based on their past orders. More importantly, they send notifications at times when the users are more likely to grab a cup of coffee, such as during the morning commute—simple yet effective.

4 Key Elements of a Winning Push Notification Strategy

Looking for a push notification strategy that actually works? It is not rocket science; just proper planning and execution is what is needed. Here are the four key elements of a successful push notifications strategies for businesses.

Personalization: Customizing Based on User Behavior

Personalization is the real game-changer. This is because when users feel the messages are crafted just for them, the chances are they’ll want to engage more with your website or app. According to Leanplum, personalized notifications get 4X higher open rates compared to generic ones.

For example, if you run an e-commerce site, instead of sending the same boring sale alert to every user, personalized messages, such as 

“Hey <name>, We’ve got something special just for you—get 20% off on all your purchases. Use Code.’’ The fact is, the more customized the notification, the better the engagement is!

Timing: Sending Notifications At The Right Time

There’s no point sending a push notification at 3 am when your users are fast asleep! Therefore, timing plays an essential role when it comes to ensuring optimal engagement. According to Localytics, sending push notifications at the right time increases user engagement by almost 40 percent.

The secret to perfect timing is indeed the user analytics that reveal the time when your users are most active. For meal delivery apps, the best bet would be sending notifications around meal times. For productivity apps, mid-morning reminders are the way to go.

Content: Concise, Clean, and Action-Driven Messages

Confused about how the content should be? Well, brevity is what you need to follow. By brevity, we mean, the content must be concise, clean, and something that gives immediate value. After all, you only get a few seconds to capture attention. So, make every second count.

Let’s take the example of Starbucks—they often send notifications with just enough information. For example, ‘Happy Hours! Get Flat 50% Off From 3-5 PM Today.’ This message is clear and concise while offering immediate value to the users.

Frequency: Balancing Between Just Enough and Overwhelming

Of course, no user likes getting bombarded with notifications. Sending too many notifications can annoy the users and there is a high chance that they disable the notifications altogether. Therefore, the key is to strike the perfect balance—just between what is enough to stay on top and becoming trouble.

The good rule is to limit the notification to 3-4 per week unless there’s an ongoing promotion or a special event. It is also recommended to keep track of the unsubscribed rates to ensure the notification frequency isn’t the reason.

Advanced Push Notification Strategies

1. AI-Powered Personalization

Machine learning can predict the best time, message, and channel for each user.

Example:
Netflix uses AI to recommend shows based on viewing history.

2. Rich Push Notifications

Include images, GIFs, videos, or interactive buttons for higher engagement.

Example:
A food delivery app sends a mouth-watering image of a pizza with a "Order Now" button.

3. Behavioral Triggers

Automate notifications based on user actions:

• Cart Abandonment: "Your cart is waiting! Complete your purchase now."
• Inactivity Reminders: "We miss you! Here’s 10% off your next order."

4. Deep Linking

Direct users to a specific in-app page (e.g., a product page instead of the homepage).

Conclusion

Crafting a perfect push notifications strategies is the combined effort of personalization, timing, frequency, and content to keep the users engaged without feeling too overwhelmed. The push notification market has witnessed significant growth at a CAGR rate of 18% annually over the last few years, which proves its effectiveness in driving user engagement and retention.

While you draft a push notification strategies, continuous optimization, monitoring analytics, and A/B testing your messages are some other approaches to take your game ahead.

The long-term impact of push notifications on your business is undeniable. This is because if the users feel connected, they will certainly come back and engage often. A well-crafted and timely message can make all the difference in the end.

By following these strategies, you’ll not only keep users engaged but also turn them into loyal brand advocates.

Need help implementing a push notification strategy for your OTT or app-based business? Contact Enveu today for expert guidance!