What are Web Push Notifications and what value do they have?

Web Push Notifications offer a new way to connect with your audience. They can complement your email strategy and help increase engagement. After opting-in, people will the see notifications you send, right on their desktop, without needing to be on your site. They just need to have a web browser open. 

Web Push Notifications are ideal for time-sensitive content and can drive traffic back to your site. You might use them to let people know about:

• Discounts and sales
• Announcing new content you recently published (blogs, podcasts, etc.)
• Lead magnet offers to encourage email signups
• Registration reminders for events and webinars, and more

How do Web Push Notifications work?

All web browsers require people to "Opt-In" to receive notifications. By default, we use a simple 2 step process starting with a custom "Opt-In Prompt". This approach has a much higher engagement rate because people are able to see who you are and what you offer.

After a user clicks "Allow" on this first prompt, it will trigger the browser's native prompt and they will have to click allow again to complete the process.

Once a website visitor has opted in, AWeber recognizes them as a website subscriber, and you can now send them quick one-off messages.

Note: People who subscribe to receive web push notifications are different than your email subscribers. This may change in the future, but for now your web visitors need to opt-in separately to your email list. You can use AWeber Landing Pages and Sign Up Form to help with this.

When will people see my Web Push Notification?

When you send a new web push notification, it will be “pushed” to all your website visitors that have opted-in to see your content. Website subscribers will see this message slide in on their desktop as long as they have their web browser open. Website visitors do not need to be on your website to see your content.

How long do they stay on the screen?

The amount of time notifications stay on the screen depends on the person's operating system preferences. For example, on a macOS, you can set notifications to stay on the screen until they are dismissed or automatically disappear after a few seconds.

What if someone isn’t online when I send my Web Push Notification?

Website subscribers need to have a browser open to see your content. We will wait for up to 3 days for a website subscriber to open a web browser to push your notification on their desktop. Each message expires after 3 days. You can learn about the best times to send a web push notification using our guide on best practices.

Why do they look different on various browsers?

Web Push Notifications will have minor differences based on a visitor’s operating system (OS) and web browser. Your content will be unique but browsers control some of the styling and position of web push notifications. You can learn more about these variations here.