According to Criteo, purchases made on mobile have grown from $122 billion in 2015 at a rate +16% sales year on year. Retail Dive even shared a study that estimates the purchases on mobile to reach a whopping $319 billion worth of sales by 2020.

Simply put, mobile is the way to go for Shopify stores to increase their sales. But it also brings in a challenge - converting mobile shoppers into customers.

While progressive web apps from AmpifyMe are making it easier for Shopify stores to tap into the potential of mobile, the competition is still on the rise. With every brand out there jumping onto the bandwagon, stores are still competing for the attention of a similar target market.

So how do you turn mobile shoppers who are continually being targeted by marketing campaigns - including yours, to choose you for making purchases?

Here’s where the next part of a progressive web app comes in - web push notifications.

What are web push notifications?

Web push notifications are similar to push notifications sent by mobile apps - only in this case, you don’t need a mobile app; you have a PWA.

A web push notification is a rich, clickable content message that is delivered to a shopper’s device - mobile or desktop, whether or not they are on your store at that point of time.

Here’s how they look when delivered to the desktop:

And here’s how they look when delivered to a mobile device:

Now if you’re wondering how these simple web push notifications can help Shopify stores turn mobile shoppers into customers, let us explain.

Why do web push notifications work? 

1. They offer easy opt-in

In a digital space where every business is trying to promote their products and services, online shoppers are skeptical about sharing their contact information. Web push notifications don’t need a shopper to share their email address or their phone number. All they need to do is click ‘allow’ to be notified from the Shopify store.

2. They are really hard to miss

Web push notifications appear straight on the subscriber’s screen. It doesn’t require them to log in to their email account, discover the message in their inbox and then open it. This gives your Shopify store more visibility and removes the chances of your promotions ending up in spam folders.

The crisp message conveys your message quickly and engages the mobile shopper instantly.

3. They support multiple platforms

There are absolutely no platform restrictions when it comes to web push notifications. Your visitor could be using the desktop, their laptop or any of their mobile devices. All they need to do is opt-in to receive notifications from your Shopify store to get the messages delivered to their device.

Note: iOS devices don’t support web push notifications; the feature is under development and will be rolling out soon.

4. They are actionable

Unlike emails and social media, web push notifications have a character limit. Shopify stores have to make sure they keep their messages crisp and to the point - you want the subscriber to understand what you’re offering in seconds. So your message automatically becomes actionable.

They also include smart call-to-actions that enable mobile shoppers to interact with the Shopify store immediately.

5. They are easy to start with

Other marketing channels take time and effort to get started with. Building an audience can take much longer than you expect. But with web push notifications, it is just a matter of minutes. 

But Shopify apps like PushOwl, make it easy to get started with web push notifications. All you need to do is set up your account on the app. Using smart automation, you can then start sending promotions to visitors who opt-in for updates from your Shopify store almost immediately.

While getting started is easy, it is important to strategize your web push notification campaigns. So what kind of campaigns can you really use to turn mobile shoppers who opt-in for notifications, to turn into customers?

How can you use web push notifications?

There is no one-campaign-fits-all approach. Different types of shoppers call for different strategies. But here are some campaign ideas that make web push notifications more actionable and are guaranteed to drive more sales for your Shopify store.

1. Flash sales

Flash sales offer time-sensitive deals. Using web push notifications, you can reach your subscribers instantly with a message that creates urgency and nudges them to visit your Shopify store immediately. Remember to clearly mention the expiry date on your discounts!

2. Product launch

When you launch a product, you set up multiple marketing campaigns to make it reach your target market. With web push notifications, you can reach mobile shoppers almost as soon as you launch a new collection - make it catchy and you’ll have them on your store in no time.

Alternatively, you can also use web push notifications to build up to a product launch. Release sneak peeks for your subscribers to keep them engaged and then introduce the product.

3. Product promotion

You have always used emails and social media to promote your best-selling products. It’s time to now use web push notifications to do the same. Craft a crisp message that highlights the best thing about these products to reach your subscribers and turn their interest into sales.

4. First-time purchase offers  

Mobile shoppers tend to visit stores, browse products, wishlist or even add a few to their cart. But they don’t necessarily turn into customers immediately. That’s where you can use web push notifications to offer a first-time purchase discount to turn these mobile shoppers into customers. It’s like incentivizing them to make a purchase from your Shopify store.

5. Customer engagement

Considering how increasing customer retention by 5% can result in increasing your revenue by 95%, customer engagement campaigns are a must. Use web push notifications to bring back your existing customers for more. Be it thanking them for their support, asking them for feedback or promoting curated products based on their previous purchases, reach out them strategically to drive more sales.

6. Back in stock

Is there a product that you see a lot of mobile shoppers sending requests for, but runs out of stock almost immediately every time? Well, don’t let your subscribers miss out on the product again. Use web push notifications to reach them as soon as the product is in!

7. Price drop alerts

The one thing that online shoppers always stay on the lookout for are good deals. They may even stall a purchase simply to be able to bag it at a better price. You’re already tracking the products a mobile shopper shows interest in. All you need to do is use web push notifications to send them price drop alerts to nudge them to make a purchase immediately.

8. Limited editions

If your Shopify store sells limited edition products, remember to notify your subscribers of them first. It will not just make them feel special about being told before the others, but will also bring these products in the limelight and get you more sales.

9. Buy more, save more

What’s better than a discount code? Being told that when you buy more, you can save more on the purchase. These type of campaigns serve as a bait to mobile shoppers to purchase from your Shopify store.

10. Product hacks

The modern consumer wants to be able to make smart and informed purchases. Use web push notifications to share product hacks and guides to help the mobile shopper do exactly the same. The better the reputation you establish, the higher are the number of subscribers you turn into your customers.

11. Product reviews and ratings

An online shopper trusts recommendations from those like them more than any advertisement. So prove your credibility by sending web push notifications that share reviews and ratings on the products they have shown interest in. to add to the mix, use user-generated content like images to let a shopper know how the products look in real.

12. Event and holiday focused promotions

Join in the festivities that your shoppers celebrate. Send web push notifications to wish them or even share a product range that they are more likely to purchase from during that period. Make these campaigns more interesting with personalization and send custom discounts to turn mobile shoppers into customers.

13. Cart recovery

While mobile purchases are increasing by the day, so is the average cart abandonment rate. Using web push notifications you can reach your subscribers to remind them of what they have left behind and nudge them to make a purchase with a custom discount.

Turn mobile shoppers into customers with web push notifications

Online shoppers are continually making purchases on-the-go. Web push notifications enable you to reach out to them instantly, no matter where they are.

All you need to do is strategize your campaigns by using customer data. The closer your message is to a shopper’s interest and purchase behavior, the higher are the number of conversions you achieve on your campaigns.

What strategy do you use to turn your mobile shoppers into customers? We’d love to hear from you!

About the author

Vanhishikha Bhargava is an eCommerce enthusiast always on the lookout for growth strategies that online retailers can use. She is the content marketer at PushOwl and you can follow her posts, here.