Push notifications for e-commerce: definition and best practices
Push notifications are one of the reasons merchants choose to launch a mobile app. They provide a direct way to reconnect with people who have already installed it, without relying on an advertising campaign for every message.
Used well, push notifications can support repeat purchases, order follow-up and cart recovery. Used too often or without relevance, they can lead customers to turn them off. This guide explains how they work and when to use them.
What is a push notification?
A push notification is a short message sent by a mobile app to a phone's lock screen or notification centre. It can appear even when the app is not open, provided the customer has agreed to receive notifications.
For an e-commerce store, a notification can open the app on a specific product, category or cart. That removes the need for the customer to search for the item again.
How do push notifications work?
After installing the app, each customer can choose whether to allow notifications. The merchant can then send a campaign or automate a message after a specific action. Apple and Google deliver the notification to the device.
Performance depends less on the technology than on the message itself: who receives it, when it arrives and whether it is useful to that person.
What to expect from push notifications
Benchmarks for open rates, clicks and purchases vary substantially by industry, audience and message type. In general, push notifications can outperform a generic email for immediacy because they appear directly on the customer's device.
Rather than relying on an average, track your own opt-in rate, opens, clicks, conversions and unsubscribe rate. These figures will tell you which messages are genuinely helpful for your customers.
Five e-commerce messages worth sending
Cart reminder: help a customer return to products they had already considered. See our guide to reducing mobile cart abandonment.
Back in stock: let interested shoppers know that an unavailable item can be ordered again.
Price drop: notify customers who viewed or saved a relevant product.
Order update: confirm that an order has been shipped or delivered. These messages are practical and expected.
New collection or limited offer: create a reason to return when the message matches the customer's interests.
Good practices: relevance before volume
Segment your audience instead of sending every message to everyone. Use a sensible frequency, personalise where it adds value and consider the recipient's local time.
A useful notification builds trust. An intrusive one makes the app easier to ignore. Start with a small number of clear use cases, measure the outcome and improve from there.
Why native apps matter for push notifications
Native mobile apps offer the most complete push notification experience. A mobile website has much more limited access to this channel. If you are comparing formats, read our guide to a mobile app, responsive website and PWA.
Use push notifications with a Prestafy app
Prestafy turns a PrestaShop store into a branded iOS and Android app. Your catalogue, stock, prices and orders remain connected to PrestaShop, while push notifications give you a direct way to bring customers back.
