How to Set Up Push Notifications to Your WordPress Store?

Want to keep your website visitors coming back? Push notifications are a great way to do that!

Think of push notifications as little pings that tell your customers about cool stuff like new products, sales, or updates on their phone or computer. They’re super handy for keeping people interested in what’s happening on your WordPress site.

And don’t worry; setting them up is easy, especially with a tool like PushEngage. It’s perfect for anyone, even if you’re not a tech expert.

Ready to get started? Let’s show you how to set up push notifications on your WordPress store using PushEngage. It’s going to be fun!

What Are Push Notifications?

Push notifications are small messages that pop up on someone’s phone or computer. They let people know about new updates or offers from a website, even if they’re not on that website. It’s a handy way to share quick bits of info.

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Components of Push Notifications:

• Title: A brief headline that captures the essence of the notification.
• Message: The main content delivering the notification’s message.
• Image (Optional): This can be included to make the notification more visually appealing.
• Call to Action (CTA): A button that prompts the user to take a specific action, such as purchasing or visiting a webpage.
• Destination URL: Users are directed to the link when interacting with the notification.

Benefits of Push Notifications for E-commerce Sites

Here are some fantastic reasons to use push notifications for your WordPress site:

Instant Communication

Push notifications offer the advantage of real-time communication with your customers. This immediacy is perfect for sharing time-sensitive information like flash sales or product launches, ensuring your audience receives the message immediately.

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High Visibility

The direct nature of push notifications means they’re seen immediately, appearing right on the device’s screen. This visibility is far more effective than traditional methods like email, which can easily be overlooked or lost in a crowded inbox.

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Increased Engagement

By keeping your audience updated with the latest news, offers, and content from your store, push notifications play a significant role in maintaining high levels of engagement. This continuous engagement can lead to increased site visits and higher conversion rates.

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Cart Recovery

E-commerce sites often need help with cart abandonment. Push notifications gently remind customers, nudging them to revisit their carts and complete their purchases, thereby reducing lost sales.

Targeted Marketing

One of the most powerful features of push notifications is the ability to segment your audience and tailor messages to specific groups. This targeted approach ensures that each notification is relevant to its recipients, making it more likely to resonate and result in action.

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How to Setup PushEngage for Web Notifications?

While there are many plugins to set up push notifications in your WordPress store, we recommend starting with PushEngage for your push notifications—it’s free and super easy to use. We’ve already talked up PushEngage as a great web notifications plugin for WordPress, and now it’s time to dive into the easy setup process. In just a few steps, you’ll be sending notifications in no time.

Below, we’ll walk you through setting it up using the PushEngage WordPress plugin. It’s one of the best push notification services out there, and we’ll show you how to get everything up and running in no time!

Step 1: Create Your Free PushEngage Account

First, head over to PushEngage and click on the “Get Started for Free Now” button. You can start with their free plan, but if you want more advanced browser notifications, take a look at their paid plans to find the one that best fits your business.

Once you’ve picked the plan that works for you, just click “Get Started” and create your PushEngage account.

Step 2: Sign Up for PushEngage

Now, let’s set up your PushEngage account. You can sign up using your email address or Gmail. Once that’s done, fill in your account details and, if needed, add your credit card information to select a plan.

If you’ve chosen the free plan, don’t worry—your card won’t be charged unless you decide to upgrade. After you’ve filled everything out, just click on “Complete Registration” to get instant access to your PushEngage dashboard.

You’ll notice that PushEngage offers a cleaner and more user-friendly experience. Unlike OneSignal, which may require API usage for advanced campaigns, PushEngage is designed for simplicity right from the dashboard.

Step 3: Install the Web Notifications WordPress Plugin

Now that your account is all set up, it’s time to install the plugin. Head over to your PushEngage dashboard and follow these steps:

Click on Site Settings » Site Details and then hit the Click Here For Setup Instructions button.

Next, switch to the WordPress tab and click on the Install PushEngage WordPress Plugin button to install the plugin on your website.

Here’s the best part: when you created your PushEngage account, your website was automatically synced. So, simply click the installation link in your PushEngage dashboard, and the plugin will install directly on your WordPress site. Now, you’re ready to start sending push notifications from your WordPress website! 

Step 4: Connect Your WordPress Website with PushEngage

After you’ve installed and activated the PushEngage WordPress plugin, you’ll be greeted by the PushEngage onboarding wizard. This wizard makes the setup process super simple. If you’re new to PushEngage, just click on New. Claim Your Free Account. If you’ve already signed up, go ahead and select Connect Your Existing Account.

Once that’s done: 

• Choose your site from the Select a Site dropdown under Connect a Registered Site—this is if you registered a site during signup. 
• If you’re on a Premium plan or higher, you can also register a new site by clicking Register a New Site. 
• The wizard will guide you through the rest, including recommending some must-have WordPress plugins.

If everything’s set up correctly, you’ll see a success message. Congrats! You’re now ready to create campaigns and set up push notification popups.

To manage everything, head to the PushEngage » Dashboard in your WordPress admin panel. Here, you’ll find the Create button, which lets you quickly start a new campaign. If your account is brand new, you’ll see a Welcome Challenge to help you get PushEngage set up smoothly, following best practices. Plus, you can check out the Quick Stats section to see how your notifications are performing and browse recommended strategies to grow your push notification subscriber list.

Step 5: Configuring the PushEngage Popup Modals

To start collecting push notification subscribers, you’ll need a popup modal that prompts visitors to subscribe. Head back to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to PushEngage » Design. Here, you can create as many popup modals as you’d like. You can customize when they appear by adjusting the settings under Display Options for each modal.

The key is to give your visitors a compelling reason to subscribe. If you want to get more specific, use the targeting options under the Targeting Rule tab. These global targeting rules take priority over individual models, but you can also set custom rules for each popup modal if needed. This flexibility allows you to create more personalized and effective subscriber prompts.

Step 6: Creating a Blog Subscription Widget

You can also create a subscription or unsubscribe widget. Just go to the Widgets tab in PushEngage, hover over the widget type you want, and click Edit Widget to customize its appearance. This is where you can adjust the design to fit your brand, including the size of the trigger button under the Trigger Button settings. You can even select which pages you want the widget to appear on using the Display Rules section.

For more personalization, you can set up segment preferences that let subscribers choose what types of notifications they’d like to receive. This is especially handy for blogs and eCommerce sites that want to send targeted notifications like browse or cart abandonment, price drop alerts, or back-in-stock updates.

Step 7: Create Automated Push Notifications to Promote Your Posts

You can automate push notifications for your blog posts directly within the WordPress Gutenberg editor. Just go to PushEngage » Settings » Auto Push Settings and enable the auto push feature. You can customize your notifications by adding multi-action buttons and using the featured image from your post as a large notification image.

When editing a post, you’ll now see a block at the bottom where you can add a notification title and message. You can also set a large image for the notification or let it automatically pull the post’s featured image. Don’t forget to check the Send Push Notification box so that your push notification goes out when your post is published!

Other WordPress Plugins for Push Notifications

Whether you’re running a blog, an eCommerce site, or a community forum, push notifications can significantly boost your user engagement and traffic. Here are some of the top WordPress plugins for push notifications that you should consider.

LetsPush

LetsPush is an all-in-one solution for WordPress site owners who want to maximize user engagement through push notifications. By covering various notification types, from content updates to social interactions, LetsPush ensures your audience remains connected and informed. 

Its seamless integration with WooCommerce and BuddyPress makes it an essential tool for eCommerce and social sites looking to boost engagement and retention.

Key Features:

• Comprehensive push notifications for WordPress posts, WooCommerce updates, and BuddyPress alerts.
• Fully standalone plugin with no need for external accounts or subscriptions.
• Easy to install and set up, allowing for immediate use.

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Beamer

Beamer is a versatile push notification plugin designed to help you keep your users informed and engaged. It allows you to send push notifications for blog posts, product updates, special offers, and more. 

Beamer’s advanced targeting and scheduling options ensure that your notifications reach the right audience at the right time. Additionally, Beamer integrates smoothly with WordPress, making it a great choice for site owners looking to enhance user engagement.

Key Features:

• Push notifications for blog posts, product updates, and special offers.
• Advanced targeting and scheduling options.
• Seamless integration with WordPress.
• Detailed analytics to track notification performance.

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Webpushr

Webpushr is a user-friendly push notification plugin that allows you to send unlimited notifications to an unlimited number of subscribers. It’s perfect for anyone looking to drive user engagement through web push notifications without any cost.

Key Features:

• Unlimited notifications and subscribers for free.
• Real-time delivery of notifications.
• Detailed analytics to track website performance.
• Easy integration with WordPress.

Smart Notifications

Smart Notifications is a comprehensive push notification plugin designed to personalize user interactions. It seamlessly integrates with popular WordPress plugins like WooCommerce, bbPress & BuddyPress,  making it ideal for eCommerce and community websites.

Key Features:

• Personalized notifications based on user behavior.
• Multi-channel notifications (push, email, SMS).
• Advanced targeting and segmentation.

WonderPush

WonderPush is a fast and reliable push notification plugin that provides real-time notifications with a straightforward setup. It’s designed for website owners who want to boost engagement with minimal effort.

Key Features:

• Real-time notifications.
• Easy setup and integration.
• Detailed performance analytics.
• GDPR compliant with no user data stored on third-party servers.

Push Monkey Pro

Push Monkey Pro is a versatile push notification plugin that supports notifications across multiple devices and browsers. It’s known for its ability to send rich media notifications, which include images and action buttons, making it a strong choice for engaging users.

Key Features:

• Supports rich media notifications.
• Cross-browser and cross-device compatibility.
• Scheduled notifications and segmentation.
• Detailed click-through analytics.

OneSignal

OneSignal is one of the most popular push notification plugins available for WordPress, known for its extensive features and ease of use. It offers advanced options like user segmentation, automated messaging, and detailed analytics, catering to both small and large websites.

Key Features:

• User segmentation and targeting.
• Automated messaging and A/B testing.
• Supports mobile and web push notifications.
• Detailed analytics and reporting.

PushAlert

PushAlert is a reliable and easy-to-use push notification plugin designed to help you increase user engagement. It offers real-time messaging, multi-lingual support, and robust analytics, making it a great option for bloggers and small businesses.

Key Features:

• Real-time messaging.
• Multi-language notifications.
• User segmentation and personalization.
• Detailed analytics and performance tracking.

Perfecty Push Notifications

Perfecty Push Notifications is a lightweight plugin that provides a straightforward and privacy-focused push notification service. It’s ideal for website owners who want a reliable push notification system without relying on third-party services.

Key Features:

• No third-party dependencies.
• Lightweight and easy to set up.
• Supports desktop and mobile push notifications.
• Privacy-focused with no user data sharing.

Best Practices for Push Notifications

When it comes to push notifications, especially for e-commerce sites, following best practices is critical to ensuring that your audience’s messages are practical and well-received. Here are some guidelines to help you make the most out of your push notifications:

Timing is Everything

Timing plays a crucial role in the success of push notifications. It’s essential to send them when users are most likely attentive and engaged. This often means avoiding early or late-night notifications unless your audience data suggests otherwise. For a global audience, adjusting notifications to suit local time zones can significantly affect their effectiveness.

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Keep it Short and Sweet.

The content of your push notifications should be concise and to the point. Users typically glance at these messages, so the main point needs to be immediately clear. Including a compelling call-to-action (CTA) is also vital, as it guides users on what to do next, whether it’s making a purchase, reading a blog post, or exploring a new product.

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Personalize Your Messages

Personalization can significantly enhance the impact of your notifications. By segmenting your audience based on their preferences, past behavior, and interactions with your site, you can tailor your messages to be more relevant and engaging. This relevance is critical; notifications that don’t resonate with the recipient are more likely to be ignored or lead to opt-outs.

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Use Visuals Wisely

Incorporating visuals, such as relevant images, into your notifications can also boost engagement. These should align with your brand’s visual identity to ensure consistency and aid in brand recognition. However, using images wisely is essential and ensuring they complement the message rather than distract from it.

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Test and Optimize

Regular testing and optimization of your push notifications can help refine your strategy. A/B testing different elements, such as the message, timing, and visuals, can reveal what resonates best with your audience. Monitoring metrics like open rates and click-through rates is crucial for understanding the performance of your notifications and making informed adjustments.

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Respect User Preferences

Respecting user preferences is another critical aspect. Providing clear options for users to opt in or opt out of notifications and controlling the frequency of messages can prevent user annoyance and maintain a positive perception of your brand. Bombarding users with too many notifications can lead to fatigue and disengagement.

Leverage Automation

Leveraging automation for event-triggered notifications, such as cart abandonment reminders or welcome messages for new subscribers, can enhance user engagement at critical moments. Integrating push notifications into a broader lifecycle marketing strategy can also help nurture leads and build customer loyalty over time.

Read: Uncanny Automator Review

FAQs About WordPress Push Notifications

Wrap Up

To summarize our discussion on WordPress push notifications, they are a potent tool for boosting engagement and sales on your e-commerce site. By sending timely and relevant messages, you can keep your audience connected and encourage repeat visits to your site.

Setting up push notifications, particularly with platforms like PushEngage, is straightforward, allowing you to engage with your users immediately. Remember, the effectiveness of your notifications hinges on best practices like sending them at the right time, personalizing messages, and not overloading your users.

Push notifications can significantly enhance your WordPress site’s user experience and business outcomes when used thoughtfully and strategically.