Quick answer: Web push notifications are short messages a website can send to a visitor’s desktop or Android phone, even when the site is not open, after the visitor has agreed to receive them. They work in Chrome and Firefox through the Push API and service workers, and in Safari on Mac through Apple’s own system. They are not available on iPhone or iPad. They can be worth adding for sites with frequent, time sensitive updates, such as news, offers, events or order status. For most brochure sites, the permission prompt annoys more visitors than it helps.
Until recently, notifications that appear on your screen were mostly an app feature. Now websites can send them too. That is tempting for any business wanting to bring visitors back. But push is easy to misuse, and a badly timed prompt can make a poor first impression.
How web push works
Permission
The browser asks the visitor whether they want to allow notifications from your site. This prompt is controlled by the browser, not by you. If the visitor clicks Block, you cannot ask again unless they change their browser settings.
Subscription
If they allow notifications, the browser creates a subscription linked to that browser and device. Your site, or the service you use, stores it.
Sending
When you want to send a message, your server sends it to the browser maker’s push service, which delivers it to the device. In Chrome and Firefox, a background script called a service worker receives the message and shows the notification, even if the visitor does not have your site open. The browser itself usually needs to be running.
Clicking
When the visitor clicks the notification, it opens the page you chose.
Browser support
- Chrome: desktop and Android, since version 42 in April 2015.
- Firefox: desktop, since version 44 in January 2016.
- Safari: on Mac only, using Apple’s separate Safari Push Notifications system, which needs its own setup and an Apple developer certificate.
- iOS: not supported in Safari or other browsers.
- Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer: not supported.
So push can reach a good share of desktop and Android visitors, but none of your iPhone users. Check your analytics to see what proportion of your audience it could reach.
Technical requirements
- HTTPS. Service workers and push only work on secure sites. If you are not on HTTPS yet, our HTTPS migration guide explains how to move without hurting rankings.
- A service worker file on your domain.
- A web app manifest for Chrome, with a sender ID for Google’s messaging service.
- A sending system, either your own code or a push service.
Several services now handle the technical side, including Roost, PushCrew and OneSignal, and some offer WordPress plugins. They provide the scripts, store subscriptions and give you a dashboard for sending messages. Some offer a workaround for sites not yet on HTTPS by collecting subscriptions on a subdomain of their own, but that approach has drawbacks and you are better moving the whole site to HTTPS.
When push notifications make sense
Push works best when the message is timely and the visitor has a clear reason to want it.
News and content sites
Breaking news, new episodes or new articles in a subject the reader follows.
Ecommerce
Price drops on items a shopper viewed, back in stock alerts, flash sales and order updates. Personalised alerts tend to be welcome; daily promotions tend not to be.
Events and bookings
Reminders for upcoming appointments or events, schedule changes and last minute availability.
Web applications
Account activity, messages, task updates or alerts from a customer portal or software service. If you are building an app like experience on the web, push pairs naturally with progressive web apps.
When they do not make sense
- Brochure sites with occasional updates. Visitors have little reason to subscribe.
- Sites where people visit once, such as many service businesses with long gaps between purchases.
- Audiences mainly on iPhone, where push is not available.
- Teams with no plan for what to send. A subscriber list with nothing useful to say is not an asset.
Asking for permission well
The biggest mistake is triggering the browser’s permission prompt the moment someone lands on the page. A first time visitor has no idea what you will send, and many will click Block, which is permanent.
Better approaches:
- Wait for engagement. Ask after a visitor has read an article, viewed a few products or completed a purchase.
- Use your own pre prompt first. Show a small message on the page, such as “Want an alert when this is back in stock?”, with Yes and No buttons. Only show the browser prompt if they click Yes. Visitors who say no to your message can be asked again later.
- Explain the value. Say what they will receive and how often.
- Tie it to a specific benefit, such as delivery updates for an order they just placed.
What to send
Keep messages short
Notifications show a title, a line or two of text and an icon. Make the first few words count.
Be relevant
Segment subscribers by interest or behaviour where your tool allows it. A notification about something the person cares about is useful. A generic blast is noise.
Mind the frequency
Too many notifications, and people will unsubscribe through browser settings, or block the site entirely. Start with fewer messages than you think you need.
Send at sensible times
Avoid early mornings and late nights in the recipient’s time zone.
Link to a useful page
Send people to the exact page the message is about, not the homepage.
Measuring results
Track:
- Opt in rate: the share of visitors who allow notifications.
- Click rate: the share of notifications that are clicked.
- Unsubscribes: how many people turn them off over time.
- Conversions: what notification visitors do once they arrive.
Add campaign tags to the links in your notifications so Google Analytics shows them as a separate source. Then you can compare their value with email and social.
Push versus email
Push does not replace email. Email works on every device, holds longer and richer messages and is easier to search later. Push is better for short, urgent updates. If your email list already works well, focus on that before adding push. Our guide to marketing automation covers email follow up in more detail.
FAQ
Do visitors need to give their email address?
No. Subscribers are anonymous browsers, which is part of the appeal and also a limitation: you know less about them.
Can I send push notifications to iPhone users?
Not at present. Safari push works only on Mac desktops.
Is it expensive?
Several push services have free plans for smaller sites, with paid plans for more subscribers or features. Building it yourself means development and hosting time.
Thinking about adding push to your site?
We help businesses decide whether push fits their audience, set it up on secure sites and plan messages that people want. See how we help businesses turn visitors into customers.
