What are Push Notifications, How Do They Work?

The number of worldwide smartphone users will surpass 7.9 billion by 2028. That’s no surprise, given that smartphones are becoming both cheaper and more necessary for shopping, dining, transportation, and more. More essential services are moving to smartphones, so consumers have little choice if they want to keep up with the times.

Times are changing, and that’s a good thing for businesses. Push notifications (also known as push messages or push alerts) are a powerful marketing tool for acquiring and retaining customers — all they need is a smartphone.

Push notifications weren’t always around, though. In June 2009, Apple launched the Apple Push Notification Service (APNS) for its smartphones. Other platforms followed suit, and eventually, push notifications became a ubiquitous part of owning a smartphone.

Push messages are an accepted part of downloading smartphone apps. Still, this relatively new frontier has a lot of benefits for brands that strategically leverage the power of push notifications. Check out this guide to learn what push notifications are, why they’re so helpful, and best practices to improve your push notifications.

In this guide:

• What Are Push Notifications?
• How Do Push Notifications Work?
• Benefits of Push Notifications
• Common Push Notification Challenges
• 6 Push Notification Best Practices
• Push Notifications Are Ephemeral; Inbox Is Forever
• Frequently Asked Questions

What Are Push Notifications?

Push notifications are brief, clickable messages sent directly to users' devices (mobile phones, tablets, or desktops) to deliver timely information, alerts, or updates. Push notifications appear even when users don’t have your app or website open, making them an effective way to reengage with your audience.

Push notifications display differently depending on the user’s smartphone and operating system (OS). Generally, most smartphones support text-based notifications, while more advanced devices support rich media notifications with images and GIFs.

Instead of hoping users will check their crowded email inboxes (they probably won’t), you can send a push notification to engage in a less distracting environment. If you nail your messaging and timing, you’ll improve user engagement and foster brand loyalty at scale.

The neat thing about push notifications is that they’re incredibly versatile. Use cases vary by industry:

• Retail: Direct shoppers back to their abandoned carts with push notifications. These reminders are also great for alerting customers about flash sales or sending order updates.
• Wellness: Healthcare providers use push notifications to remind patients about their appointments, reducing no-shows. Fitness apps also use these notifications to remind users to log their workouts or get their daily steps in.
• Banking: Banks send push notifications for fraud alerts, stock updates, or bill reminders
• News: Some news websites send real-time push notifications that alert readers about breaking news or trending topics.
• Travel: Flight status updates, hotel booking reminders, and location-based offers are common use cases for push notifications in the hospitality industry.
• Streaming services: If you have Netflix, you’ve likely received a push notification about your favorite shows or recommended new releases. Many streamers send these notifications with live event reminders, show reminders, and personalized recommendations.

The table below provides an overview of how push messages are commonly used in various industries.

Industry	Example Use Cases	Purpose/Benefit
Retail	Cart abandonment reminders Flash sale alerts	Re-engage shoppers Drive sales Increase foot traffic
Wellness/Healthcare	Appointment reminders Daily health tips	Reduce no-shows Encourage healthy habits
Banking	Fraud alerts Payment due reminders	Enhance security Improve user awareness
News	Breaking news updates Trending topic alerts	Keep users informed Drive app traffic
Travel	Flight status updates Booking reminders	Provide real-time travel information
Streaming Services	Show reminders Personalized content suggestions	Boost viewer engagement and retention

Types of Push Notifications

Push notifications have so many applications, but not all push notifications are the same. Push notifications come in several forms, with the primary types being web push notifications, mobile push notifications, and desktop push notifications. Each type differs in terms of delivery platform, technology, and use case:

• Web push notification: These are the easiest notifications to send. They work through the user’s browser, like Google Chrome or Firefox. Users have to opt in to receive these push notifications. However, there’s no need to create an expensive app to send web notifications, making this a win for businesses on a budget. You can still reach subscribers even when they aren’t actively browsing your site.
• Mobile push notification: You need a native app to send mobile push notifications. That requires not only developing your own app but also persuading users to download the app on their device. The upside is that these notifications access app data, which makes it easier to offer a more personalized experience. They can also use mobile features like geolocation or the phone’s camera.
• Desktop notification: It might not sound as exciting as other types of push notifications, but a desktop notification is perfect for targeting business-to-business (B2B) audiences and any user who prefers to use a desktop. Desktop notifications appear on users’ desktops, usually appearing as a desktop popup and display even when the app or browser isn’t open.

Web push notifications are great for re-engaging website visitors, mobile push notifications excel in delivering personalized and dynamic content, and desktop push notifications ensure users stay informed about essential updates on their computers. Choosing the right type (or combination) of push notifications will help you reach users at precisely the right time.

The table below breaks down the three main types of push notifications and what they’re used for.

Type of Push Notification	Platform	Example Use Case	Key Features
Web Push Notification	Web browsers	Re-engaging website visitors	No app required Opt-in needed
Mobile Push Notification	Mobile apps	Cart abandonment reminders	Personalized Uses mobile features (e.g. geolocation, phone camera)
Desktop Notification	Desktop apps	Software updates or meeting reminders	Can be sent when the browser or app is not open

Push Notifications Versus Email and SMS

Push notifications are just one of many potential ways businesses can contact their customers. If you’re already investing in email campaigns and text marketing (SMS), you might wonder if push notifications are even worth your time.

The short answer is yes.

Email marketing is the standard in many industries. It supports long-form content and even rich media like images and attachments. It’s pretty easy to automate and forge regular touchpoints with subscribers. Transactional emails, for example, confirm a shopper’s purchase or let a customer know their order has been shipped.

However, there’s a good chance no one will open — let alone read — the message you toiled so long on. Email open rates, which hover around 32%, are much lower than push notifications and SMS, making them less ideal for urgent messages.

SMS is a more personalized way to communicate with users, delivering short messages directly to their smartphones with fewer distractions. Open and response rates are much higher, with a 98% open rate. Still, you have to worry about texting rates and a lack of support for rich media.

Push notifications combine the best of email and SMS. They’re urgent, support rich media, and get high response rates.

In many cases, response rates are as high as 90%, giving SMS a run for its money. The good news is that you don’t have to choose between them — email, SMS, and push notifications all have a place in your outreach efforts. It’s all about knowing when to leverage each option for maximum engagement.

The table below provides a comparison of push notifications, email notifications, and SMS messages.

Feature	Push Notifications	Email Notifications	SMS Messages
Open rate	Up to 90%	~32%	98%
Supports rich media	Yes	Yes	Limited
Message length	Short	Long	Short
Cost considerations	Typically free, although push notification services may have fees	Low to moderate	Can incur per-message costs
Urgency of delivery	High	Moderate	High

How Do Push Notifications Work?

It’s a bit technical, but push notifications need two things to work:

• Client application: A client application is where your user receives and interacts with notifications. In this case, it’s a smartphone app or web application.
• Application server: An application server is the web server where you host the application. You have to send all information in the push notification to the server, which then sends the notification to your subscribers.

But that’s just the start. Devices and operating systems differ, so developers must learn how to work with the operating system’s Push Notification Service (OSPNS). iOS and Android operating systems have their own OSPNS that developers use to deliver push notifications. This is how the process works once you get the basics down:

• Build an application: Once you understand the basics of how the OS works, you need to build an application with OSPNSs enabled that connects with iOS and Android smartphones.
• Register with the push service: To access the respective operating systems’ OSPNS, you must register with each OS's push notification service.
• Grab your API: After registering, you then receive access to the API to communicate with the OSPNS. From there, package the push notification capability in the code for the client application and the instance on the app server.
• User installation: Once the end-user installs the app, the app and device register with OSPNS and generate a unique ID. You can use this to tailor services and push notifications to different users.
• Send the notification: To send a notification, you can create each message manually and push it to the client app or use the OSPNS API to send automated messages. You can also create an elaborate workflow to create tailored messages to individual users according to different parameters. These parameters include user demographics, subscription status, time of the day, usage pattern, location, etc. You’ve got a lot of flexibility here — that’s the beauty of push notifications!

Keep your users informed and engaged with mobile push notifications. Learn how they can boost engagement, drive traffic, and keep users connected with your app. https://t.co/z3DiZF5URb #PushNotifications #UserEngagement #AppEngagement pic.twitter.com/nnowBaOG4i

— MagicBell (@magicbell_io) August 7, 2024

Benefits of Push Notifications

Did you know that people have an average of over 80 apps installed on their smartphones? That’s a lot, but get this: people only interact with an average of nine apps daily and 30 apps monthly. That leaves dozens of unused apps on their phones.

You certainly don’t want your app to fall by the wayside, and that’s where push notifications come in. They’re a powerful tool for engaging in permission-based marketing, especially in an era of crowded social media feeds and pricey pay-per-click (PPC) ads.

If you aren’t sold on push notifications yet, just consider all of the benefits:

• Re-engage current subscribers: People who downloaded your app already know about your services, so it’s easier to convince them to re-engage. Use push notifications to grab their attention with exciting offers and irresistible features that persuade them to open your app again.
• Cut costs: Push notifications are part of your app or website. Unlike SMS, you don’t have to pay per message — it’s already an included feature. It’s incredibly affordable, especially when it supplements pricier strategies like email or SMS.
• Improve the user experience: The right push notification strategy can give users the information they want when they need it. For example, a football application can send live scores as push notifications so users can view the scores without opening the app and requesting information.
• Personalize your messaging: It’s actually pretty easy to personalize push notifications. Developers can use parameters like demographic data, location information, and more for each user. Everyone has a unique ID, making it easy to send custom offers or event-based messages to convert these users into paying customers through the power of personalization.
• Add touchpoints to your sales funnel: Create elaborate sales funnels with the help of web and mobile push notifications. Automate the entire process from the moment the user installs your app. It will continue engaging users over time through messages that boost customer retention and increase customer lifetime value.

Whether your goal is to engage, convert, or retain, push notifications have a lot to offer. The only limits are your team’s creativity and marketing acumen — the sky really is the limit.

Common Push Notification Challenges

While push notifications have many benefits, developers must get notifications right to prevent customer churn. Let’s dig into the most common challenges of push notifications and how to address them.

Alert Fatigue

Too many notifications can lead to alert fatigue; in fact, 61% to 78% of users delete applications that send them too many.

The likelihood that users will delete apps that send too many messages varies by generation. Millennials are most likely to delete apps that send too many notifications (78%), and Baby Boomers are least likely to delete apps that send too many (61%). Gen Z falls somewhere in the middle, with 67% of Gen Z-ers deleting applications that send too many notifications.

On the other hand, too few notifications can have the same effect, with 95% of new app users likely to churn if they don’t receive any notifications within the first 90 days. Find the right balance of notifications — by segmenting users, sending timely notifications, and creating a personalized experience — to engage users while avoiding alert fatigue.

User opt-ins

You can’t send push notifications if people don’t opt in — that’s the law. Push notifications still have the same challenge as email and SMS lists because you must persuade users to opt in. No one will receive your push notifications if you don’t convince people to subscribe.

The best way to boost your list is to focus on the value of subscribing. Offer new subscribers discounts or coupons, access to subscriber-only deals or content, and other perks that give people a reason to say yes.

Also, don’t send users a popup when they first open your app or visit your site asking for an opt-in. Give them time to engage with you before asking for their information. This approach warms the relationship and helps people see your notifications as helpful, not a nuisance.

Bad timing or irrelevant messaging

Nobody wants to receive a notification at 2 AM. They also don’t want to receive a flurry of messages about fly fishing when they’ve never gone fishing a day in their life. Timing and relevance have a huge impact on engagement.

Notifications sent at the wrong time or with irrelevant content can disrupt users, leading to annoyance or disengagement. Implement behavior-based triggers (e.g., abandoned cart alerts) and time-zone targeting to ensure notifications arrive at the right moment.

6 Push Notification Best Practices

Push notifications can be an effective addition to your business, but simply setting up notifications isn’t enough. You don’t want people to ignore you, but you also don’t want to annoy subscribers. Follow these best practices to craft notifications that drive action while improving the user experience.

1. Master your timing and frequency

When and how often you send notifications has a significant impact on engagement.

Sending notifications when people are most likely to engage, like during active browsing hours, improves open rates and conversions. For example, a fitness app might send workout reminders in the morning when users are more likely to exercise. You can also master timing by setting up behavior-based triggers, like pinging users when they’re close to a retail location.

Other common triggered messages include:

• Abandoned cart reminder: "Still thinking it over? The items in your cart are waiting!"
• Milestone achievement: "Congrats! You've completed 50 workouts this month — keep it up!"
• Re-engagement campaign: "We’ve missed you! Here’s a 15% discount to welcome you back."
• Transaction alerts: "Your order has shipped and is on its way."

However, keep in mind that too many notifications will backfire. Always implement frequency caps, especially if you use automation or trigger-based messaging. These caps limit the number of notifications a user receives in a day or week, preventing overwhelm.

Check your analytics if you aren’t sure when or how many messages to send. Many messaging platforms will tell you how many people interacted with your push notifications and when. Gather more of this data over time to make informed decisions about future push notification flows.

2. Personalize Content

Seventy-eight percent of people say personalized content increases purchase intent. Translation: users are more likely to buy more stuff if you take the time to customize notification content to their experience.

Instead of sending generic messages to your entire audience, target them with tailored content. Segment users based on their behaviors, preferences, and demographics. For example, you can categorize users by location, purchase history, or app engagement levels to create notifications that align with their needs and interests.

Yes, this means you have to craft separate messages for each segment. That takes more effort, but the payoff is worth the time spent crafting personalized messages.

3. Tweak Your Copywriting

If users aren’t acting on your push notifications, your message copy could be the culprit. Space is limited, so every word needs to motivate users to take action. Follow these tips to make your push notification copy punchier and more actionable:

• Create a sense of urgency: Push notifications are excellent for real-time communication. Your copy should communicate a sense of urgency to drive immediate action. Time-sensitive phrases like “limited time offer” or “ends today” compel people to answer right away.
• Keep it short: The shorter the text, the better. Keep it under 140 characters so the user’s phone doesn’t cut off your message. Streamline the message with a single call to action and avoid cramming too much information into a single notification. If you need to share more information, the CTA should direct the user to a landing page with additional details.
• Be clever or funny: You need to know your audience for this one. But if they would appreciate it, throw in a few light-hearted puns or pop culture references to turn more heads.

Not sure whether your copy resonates with subscribers? Conduct an A/B test (also known as a split test). With this option, you send different versions of a message to two small groups of people in the same segment, measure their engagement rates, and send the winning message to the rest of the people in the segment. Over time, you’ll learn which messaging your audience likes best.

4. Always Request Opt-Ins

Legally, you need explicit permission to send push notifications. Plus, gathering consent frames the notification experience as a valuable service instead of an annoyance.

Create a pre-permission strategy that gets subscribers in the right frame of mind. Display a pre-permission prompt as a soft ask first. This approach lets users understand the benefits of enabling notifications and prepares them for the actual request, increasing the chances of a positive response.

You can increase subscriptions by:

• Explaining the value of subscribing upfront, like accessing exclusive discounts or sales.
• Triggering pre-permission prompts at relevant moments — such as after a user adds an item to their cart — when they’re more inclined to opt in.
• Offering a simple yes/no approach to allow users to choose whether they want to subscribe now or later.
• Incentivizing new opt-ins with a limited-time coupon offer or perk like free shipping.

5. Test Your Push Notifications

Always test your push notifications before sending them to your users. There are various testing tools you can use to evaluate your message content and design.

Webpushtest.com is a free tool that provides a demo of standards-based web push notifications across all platforms, including iOS. With free testing tools at your disposal, there’s no excuse for sending poorly designed messages or messages with errors.

6. Review Your Performance

You put a lot of time and resources into push notifications, and you deserve to see results from your hard work. Measuring the success of your push notification campaigns is essential to understand what works, optimize future efforts, and drive user engagement. Use key metrics to track how users interact with notifications, and leverage A/B testing and analytics tools to refine your strategy continually.

Every organization is different, but we recommend tracking metrics like:

• Open rate
• Click-through rate (CTR)
• Conversions
• Engagement rate
• Opt-ins
• Opt-outs
• Retention rate

You can easily measure this data with platforms like Google Analytics, Firebase, OneSignal, and Braze. Integrating these tools with your mobile app or website makes it a cinch to monitor real-time performance and spot trends.

Tracking data is important, but action matters more. Let the data guide your efforts for future campaigns. Learn from past performance to design more effective push notifications going forward.

Push Notifications Are Ephemeral; Inbox Is Forever

A small change with a big impact!

Thanks to @meijer_s, you will always know how to get all the API keys and certificates you need for all the push notifications you want to send. 🚀 pic.twitter.com/qnTxG7XBGN

— MagicBell (@magicbell_io) September 12, 2024

Push notifications are a great tool, but they come and go. They’re transitory, which makes it difficult for the messages to “stick” with end-users. Smartphones let users view mobile notifications from the lock screen or the operating system’s notification center, and from there, users can dismiss the messages directly. That means your app’s push notification can quickly get buried underneath other messages on a user’s device.

Your notifications don’t need to end up in no-man’s-land.

Instead, create an accessible inbox within your app where users can access all of their push notifications. Inbox symbols with the number of unread messages prompt the user to open the inbox and view the unread push notifications.

Normally, building a notification inbox for your app would take a lot of resources. Fortunately, MagicBell makes it possible to set up a custom, complete web push notification system with an inbox within 15 minutes. It’s the best way to maximize the value of push notifications without adding more to your developer’s plates.

Give it a test drive: Create your free MagicBell account now.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best times to send push notifications for maximum engagement?

It depends on your target audience and their location. Generally speaking, the most popular times to send push notifications are from 12 pm to 2 pm or 7 pm to 9 pm on weekdays. Remember to use time zone-targeting to send notifications at the correct local time.

What strategies can I use to increase the click-through rate of my push notifications?

You can increase click-through rates and engagement by:

• Segmenting your subscriber list and personalizing notification copy
• Adding rich media, like photos and GIFs
• Keeping messages short and limited to a single call-to-action
• A/B testing to see which messages perform better
• Sending time-sensitive messages like “limited-time offer” or “only five left in stock”

How can I make my push notifications more transparent and trustworthy?

Users had to trust your business to opt into notifications in the first place. Preserve that trust by:

• Always obtaining explicit consent to send notifications. Some companies require two-step opt-ins to ensure users know what they’re signing up for
• Avoiding misleading or clickbait content
• Providing clear opt-out instructions
• Allowing users to customize their communication preferences
• Clarifying who is sending the message. Display your logo or brand name in every notification