Ever ignored an email, swiped away a text, and still ended up tapping on that one tiny push notification? That’s the power of being in the right place at the right time—with the right message. Whether it’s a gentle nudge, a timely reminder, or an irresistible offer, push notifications are the unsung heroes of customer engagement.
While email marketers are still playing the "will they open it?" lottery and social media algorithms are busy hiding your posts, push notifications can be your reliable channel who always get through, and the stats are there to prove it.
Push notifications deliver impressive results, with an average conversion rate of 4.4%—significantly outperforming traditional channels like email. Transactional push notifications, in particular, see average open rates as high as 69%, highlighting just how effective they can be in capturing customer attention and driving action.
Here's the thing: 77% of people say they have engaged with a push notification in the last month, and 48% say they have made a purchase as a result of getting a push notification. Meanwhile, 60% of app users say that push notifications make them use an app more frequently. Translation? These little digital nudges are basically customer engagement gold.
However, not all push notifications are created equal. The difference between one that drives real results and one that gets ignored—or even leads to opt-outs—comes down to strategy. Here are five high-impact push notification use cases that are delivering strong results for brands today.
1. Re-engagement and retention campaigns: winning back dormant users
The bottom line: Well-timed re-engagement notifications can increase retention rates by up to 3x and bring significant numbers of users back to active engagement.
User retention is one of the biggest challenges in the digital landscape, but push notifications offer a direct line to dormant users that email simply can't match. 65% of users return to the app when push is enabled, demonstrating the powerful retention impact of notification strategies.
The retention challenge:
Apps lose users constantly—some estimates suggest that apps lose 77% of users within the first 3 days after download. However, app users who subscribe to push notifications result in a doubling of retention rates, with the app engagement rate touching 88%.
Strategic re-engagement approaches
Win-back campaigns: Target users who haven't engaged in 7, 14, or 30 days with compelling offers or content that reminds them of the app's value.
Feature announcements: Notify dormant users about new features, improvements, or content that might reignite their interest.
Milestone celebrations: Remind users of their history with your brand, such as "You joined us 6 months ago—here's what you've missed!"
Exclusive offers: Provide special discounts or early access to sales specifically for users who haven't been active recently.
Success metrics and optimisation
The most effective re-engagement campaigns use sophisticated segmentation to identify why users became inactive and craft messages that address those specific pain points. Re-engagement mobile marketing strategies that use push notifications see a CTR of 13%, making them highly effective for bringing users back into the active user base.
Timing and frequency considerations
Research shows that the timing of re-engagement notifications is critical. Too early and you risk annoying active users; too late and users may have already deleted the app or forgotten about your brand entirely. The sweet spot for most businesses is 7-14 days of inactivity, with follow-up messages spaced strategically to avoid notification fatigue.
2. Event-driven and time-sensitive notifications: creating urgency that converts
The bottom line: Time-sensitive notifications can achieve click rates of over 20% and drive immediate action through strategic urgency creation.
Events, flash sales, limited-time offers, and breaking news create natural urgency that pushes users to take immediate action. The "promo code" campaigns are the best performers: 22.8% clicks on iOS and 21.4% on Android, demonstrating the power of time-sensitive, value-driven messaging.
The psychology of urgency:
Humans are naturally motivated by scarcity and time pressure. When customers believe they might miss out on a valuable opportunity, they're much more likely to act immediately rather than postponing the decision.
High-impact event-driven scenarios
Flash sales and limited-time offers: Notifications about sales that last only hours or days create immediate pressure to purchase.
Inventory alerts: "Only 3 left in stock" or "Back in stock—limited quantities" notifications leverage scarcity psychology.
Price drop alerts: Automated notifications when products users have viewed or wishlisted go on sale.
Breaking news and updates: For media companies, sports organisations, or news apps, timely updates about developing stories or game scores.
Event reminders: Webinars, live streams, or physical events that users have signed up for or shown interest in.
Maximising event-driven engagement
Clear value proposition: Every notification should immediately convey what the user gains by acting now versus waiting.
Strong call-to-action: Use action-oriented language like "Shop Now," "Claim Your Spot," or "Get Details" to drive immediate engagement.
Visual impact: CTR for notifications with images was seven times higher than those with plain text, making visual elements crucial for event notifications.
Strategic timing: Monday and Tuesday have the best notification open rate, while the most favourable time for opening notifications is 6 pm on average, with an open rate of 6.7%.
The most successful event-driven campaigns combine multiple psychological triggers—urgency, scarcity, and social proof—to create compelling reasons for immediate action.
3. Cart abandonment recovery: turning lost sales into revenue
The bottom line: Cart abandonment notifications can recover up to 16% of abandoned purchases and generate significantly higher conversion rates than email campaigns.
The challenge is massive: the average cart abandonment rate across all eCommerce sites is 70.19%, with mobile devices showing an abandonment rate of 85% in Q3 2024. This represents billions in lost revenue, but push notifications offer the most effective solution for recovery.
Why push notifications excel at cart recovery
Unlike email reminders that can get lost in crowded inboxes, push notifications appear directly on users' lock screens with immediate visibility. With significantly higher open rates and engagement rates for push notifications (50% average open rate and 10% average click-through rate), they stand out as the best way to remind shoppers to complete their purchases.
The strategic approach
Smart businesses are implementing automated cart abandonment flows that trigger within minutes of abandonment. Cart abandonment push notifications enjoy a click rate of 16%, while research shows that about 98% of customers who click a cart recovery push notification from Divatress make a purchase.
Best practices for maximum impact
- Timing is critical: Send the first notification within 30-60 minutes of abandonment.
- Personalisation matters: Include the customer's name and specific product images.
- Create urgency: Use phrases like "Items in your cart are almost gone" or "Complete your order in the next hour".
- Offer incentives: Provide free shipping or a small discount to incentivise completion.
- Multi-step approach: Follow up with additional notifications if the first doesn't convert.
The most successful brands see cart recovery rates increase dramatically when combining push notifications with other channels, creating an omnichannel approach that maximises touchpoints with potential customers.
4. Transactional notifications: building trust through transparency
The bottom line: Transactional push notifications achieve the highest engagement rates and create lasting customer trust through timely, relevant updates.
Transactional notifications represent the gold standard of push messaging because they provide genuine value to customers. Transactional push notifications have an average open rate of 69%—significantly higher than promotional messages—because customers actively want and expect these updates.
The trust-building power
When customers make a purchase, they enter a state of anticipation mixed with anxiety. Will their order be processed correctly? When will it ship? Has their payment gone through? Transactional notifications address these concerns in real-time, building confidence and reducing customer service enquiries.
Essential transactional notification types
Order confirmations: Sent immediately after purchase completion, these notifications reassure customers that their transaction was successful and provide order details and estimated delivery timelines.
Shipping updates: Keep customers informed throughout the delivery process with notifications when items ship, are out for delivery, and have been delivered. This may be the result of a high number of transactional push notifications, such as order and delivery status updates, which provide value even when not explicitly opened.
Payment confirmations: For subscription services or recurring payments, notifications confirm successful transactions and alert customers to any payment issues that need attention.
Account updates: Security notifications, password changes, and important account modifications that keep customers informed and secure.
Why they work so well
These messages don't have to be opened in order to provide value to users. Customers can see order status, tracking numbers, and delivery confirmations right from their lock screen, making the experience seamless and reducing anxiety about their purchases.
The businesses seeing the best results are those that use transactional notifications not just for information, but as opportunities to drive additional engagement through related product recommendations and exclusive offers.
5. Personalised promotional campaigns: the art of relevant marketing
The bottom line: Personalised push notifications can achieve up to 4x higher reaction rates and drive significant revenue when targeted correctly.
Generic, broadcast-style notifications are quickly becoming obsolete. Today's consumers expect messages that feel personally crafted for their interests and behaviours. Personalised notifications (e.g. including the user's name) have 4x higher reaction rates, while advanced targeting increases retention rates up to 3x.
The personalisation advantage
Modern push notification platforms allow businesses to segment users based on purchase history, browsing behaviour, location, demographics, and engagement patterns. This granular targeting enables highly relevant messaging that feels like personal recommendations rather than mass marketing.
Winning personalisation strategies
Behavioural triggers: Send notifications based on specific user actions, like viewing a product category multiple times or spending significant time on particular pages.
Purchase history targeting: Recommend complementary products or restock notifications for previously purchased items.
Location-based messaging: Use geo-targeting to send personalised, location-based notifications encouraging customers to complete their purchases, such as "Your items are available for same-day pickup at [Store Location]."
Preference-based content: 48% of users want special offers based on their preferences, making preference-driven promotions highly effective.
Advanced tactics for higher engagement
Rich media integration: Rich media increase click rates by 25%, making product images and videos essential for promotional notifications.
Emoji usage: Emojis in push notifications increase reaction rates by 20%, adding personality and visual appeal to messages.
Timing optimisation: A/B testing the sending time can increase reaction rates by 40%, making time optimisation crucial for campaign success.
The most sophisticated brands are using AI and machine learning to predict the optimal message, timing, and offer for each individual user, creating truly personalised experiences that drive both engagement and revenue.
Turning push notifications into your competitive advantage
These five use cases demonstrate push notifications' incredible potential, but turning that potential into revenue requires the right strategy and execution. The businesses seeing the best results are those that view push notifications not as isolated messages, but as part of a comprehensive customer engagement ecosystem.
Key success factors
Segmentation and personalisation: 85% of push notifications had been segmented as of 2017, but many businesses still send generic messages. Advanced segmentation and personalisation are no longer optional—they're essential for competitive performance.
Cross-channel integration: The most effective campaigns combine push notifications with email, SMS, and in-app messaging to create seamless customer experiences across all touchpoints.
Continuous optimisation: A/B testing while sending push notifications can boost the opening rate by 56%, making ongoing testing and optimisation critical for sustained success.
Respect for user preferences: 46% of users will opt out of push if they receive 2-5 messages in one week, emphasising the importance of frequency management and value-driven messaging.
Push notifications' combination of immediate visibility, high engagement rates, and direct device access makes them an essential tool for businesses that want to meet customers where they are. The question isn't whether your business should be using push notifications—it's how quickly you can implement strategies that turn notifications into customers.
Ready to unlock the power of Push Notifications with Pendula?
The most successful push notification strategies combine all five use cases into a cohesive customer journey that guides users from initial engagement through purchase and retention. Pendula's push notification channel takes your messaging beyond simple alerts by providing:
- Smart segmentation and personalisation to ensure every message resonates with your audience
- Cross-channel orchestration through our engagement hub that seamlessly connects push, SMS, email, and voice
- Advanced automation workflows with our experience workflow studio that trigger the right message at the perfect moment
Ready to see how these strategies can work for your business? Start a conversation with our team to discover how Pendula can help you implement the push notification use cases that will have the biggest impact on your bottom line.
.webp)
