About push notifications
What are push notifications, how do they work, and why are they an effective tool for engaging your users?
About push notifications
Push notifications are one of the most direct and effective tools available to you when you want to reach your users. Here you'll get an overview of what push notifications are, what they look like, and what you can use them for.
What is a push notification?
A push notification is a short message sent directly to the user's phone — a bit like an SMS, but from an app. The message appears on the home screen, even if the user doesn't have the app open.
A push notification is used to capture and retain the user's attention by delivering an important or relevant message at the right time. The goal is for the user to take the action you want.
When the user taps the notification, they are taken directly into your app — ideally right to the product, offer, or page the message is about. That's why it's important that both the text and the link are well thought out, so the user is guided to the right place.
What a push notification looks like
A push notification typically consists of:
- Sender name and logo — your app's name and icon
- Title — a heading of max 30 characters
- Text — a short description or call to action of max 90 characters
- Link — an "invisible" link to the page in the app the notification should lead to
Push notifications appear in three places:
- On the lock screen, if the phone is locked
- At the top of the home screen as a banner message, when the phone is in use
- In the notification center, where the user can see all previous notifications
Why use push notifications?
Push notifications give you a direct communication channel to the user — you don't need to wait for them to open the app, visit your webshop, or read a newsletter. People check their phones far more often than they read emails.
Four types of push notifications
Push notifications can be divided into four types based on what triggers them and what the purpose is.
What should you measure?
KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) are the metrics you use to assess whether your push notifications are working. They help you figure out what's working and what needs to be adjusted.
| KPI | What does it measure? |
|---|---|
| Delivery rate | How many notifications actually reach users' devices? Helps identify technical issues. |
| Open rate / click rate | How many users open or click on the notification? Shows whether the content is relevant and engaging. |
| Conversion rate | How many users take the desired action after clicking — e.g. a purchase or a sign-up? Measures the notification's direct business impact. |
| Unsubscribes | How many choose to turn off push notifications? Indicates whether the frequency or content is disruptive. |
Keep an eye on the number of active users in the app when you send a push notification. If you use push notifications correctly, you'll see a clear spike in activity on the days you send them.
The good and the bad push notification
The length of the text is crucial for how the message is displayed on the user's phone.
The good push notification is short, clear, and fully visible — without being cut off. The entire message can be read directly on the screen, so the user immediately understands what it's about and what they should do. When the user taps the notification, they are taken directly to the relevant page in the app.
The bad push notification is too long. The text cannot be displayed in full and is cut off with three dots ("..."), so the user can't read the full message. It also simply sends the user to the home page of the app — leaving them to find their own way to the part of the app the notification is about.