Push-notifications in the browser 1.5 years later: stats and tips
Hello! My name is Eugene Khimenko, I worked with web push over the past year and a half in companies and Jeapie Gravitec: as a marketer, product manager and business analyst. Who, being in the "creative research", I decided to write an unbiased position on the practical use of web push technology: the real statistics and exposing popular misconceptions.
We recently with a friend trying to organize content on the browser-based push-notifications available on the network. We found that the vast majority of material on the subject is purely commercial in nature and describes the communication channel with only those aspects that are convenient services, content authors. Many of the users of these materials are misleading with respect to technology and / or expected results. In this article I will try to answer the most frequently asked questions about the technology and to analyze some too optimistic statements by the services web push-notifications.
Further notice will be discussed in the Chrome and Firefox browsers, but do not notice in Safari, that have their significant differences. By the way, web push-notifications from Google will also work in most browsers on the engine, Chromium: Opera, Yandex, Coc Coc et al.
Notifications Signup
Subscribe for push-notifications in Chrome and Firefox in a single click is possible only on sites protected by SSL-certificate, and only on those pages that are available over HTTPS. Subscription to the HTTP-sites can be added only through the "spike" solutions such as widgets and links that open a new window with the HTTPS-page. Most services such widgets mimic dialogues subscription Google Chrome or Apple Safari. The use of such tricks reduces the conversion of the subscription to push 3-5 times or more of what is sometimes forgotten to mention in the promotional materials.
Standard subscription dialog in Google Chrome
Subscription Widget for HTTP-sites - an imitation of the original subscription dialogue
Subscribe to HTTP-sites in a separate window, on a separate page
As recently revealed, using some "hacks" in the HTTP-sites can offer for subscription in one click through the native Chrome dialogue. Example: subscription Trak.in site service iZooto. However, I am not sure what is the use of technology is approved by Google and will not be banned in future updates.
To increase the number of loyal subscribers to all new subscribers can subscribe by offering not immediately in contact with a new visitor to the site, and on the second or third page in the session, or after a certain time after the page loads. For example, in his blog, offering a subscription after 30 seconds after the page loads, I get 30% fewer new subscribers, but subscription dialogue conversion is 9% - three times the base at the same site.
The minimum rate of burnout base push-subscribers of Russian and Ukrainian sites is 5-8% per month, depending on the type of audience. You will lose subscribers, even if they do not send a notification. After subscription is lost when you reinstall the browser or operating system, device replacement is sometimes lost because of Google Cloud Messaging undocumented features.
Based on customer feedback, some people are still subscribing sites, newsletters abusers, only because of his inability to unsubscribe from the pushes and the reluctance to use search engines.
In any case, remember that the unsubscribe from notifications in Chrome, you can by clicking on the gear icon in the lower right corner of the notifications received; Only for Windows users: right-click on any part of the notification.