How Handmade Sellers Can Use Push Notifications to Boost Sales
Why Push Notifications Should Be Part of Your Marketing Strategy
If you're a handmade seller looking to engage with your audience in a direct and effective way, push notifications should be on your radar. These short, clickable messages are a powerful tool for connecting with customers who may not be subscribed to your email or SMS lists.
At my brand, Orglamix, push notifications have been key in driving traffic, increasing sales, and building customer loyalty. Here’s a guide to using push notifications, plus some tips from my own experience with Orglamix.
What Are Push Notifications?
Push notifications are messages sent directly to a user's mobile device or desktop, even when they're not actively browsing your site. These notifications appear on the lock screen or browser and can provide updates on new products, flash sales, or restocks—instantly grabbing your customers’ attention. Unlike emails or SMS messages, push notifications don’t require users to provide personal information, like an email address or phone number, making them an easy opt-in option for potential buyers.
How to Use Push Notifications for Handmade Sellers
Here are some ways you can incorporate push notifications into your handmade business:
Grow Your Subscriber Base with Opt-In Messages With push notifications, visitors can opt-in with just a click, making it super easy to grow your audience. For example, at Orglamix, we offer an incentive like "10% off your first order" in our opt-in prompts to encourage visitors to subscribe.
Boost Traffic with Campaigns Once someone subscribes, you can target them with campaigns like product launches or restock alerts. This strategy helps bring visitors back to your website, increasing your chances of making a sale.
Promote Flash Sales and Time-Sensitive Offers Push notifications are perfect for creating urgency. For example, during a sale at Orglamix, we used notifications like "Flash Sale: 20% Off All Skincare—Ends in 3 Hours!" The immediate nature of the message helped drive traffic and quick conversions.
Abandoned Cart Reminders Remind customers of items they left in their cart by sending a gentle nudge like, "Don't forget about your Wild Rose Face Mist! Complete your purchase and enjoy free shipping!" These messages can recover otherwise lost sales.
Exclusive Deals for Loyal Customers Reward your VIP customers by sending notifications about special offers. At Orglamix, a message like "Hey VIP! Enjoy an exclusive 15% off your next order as a thank you!" helps retain customers and build long-term loyalty.
Restock / Back in Stock Notifications
Restock notifications are essential for creating excitement and driving traffic back to your store. When popular products are back in stock, you can leverage push notifications to alert your customers quickly, encouraging immediate action.
Here’s a successful example we used at Orglamix:
Notification:
“It’s Back! Your Favorite Lavender Cleansing Milk is Restocked. Get Yours Before It Sells Out Again! 💜”
In this example, we:
Create Urgency by reminding customers that the product sold out before.
Personalize the message by highlighting a specific product, which connects to previous browsing behavior or purchases.
Use Clear CTAs like “Get Yours” to encourage instant action.
This type of notification works especially well with popular or limited-edition products, and it helps rekindle interest from previous visitors who may have missed out on their favorite items.
Best Practices for Push Notifications
To get the most out of push notifications, here are a few best practices:
Keep It Short: Push notifications should be concise and to the point. Your message should grab attention within seconds, so focus on clear, compelling text.
Include a Strong Call to Action (CTA): Encourage action with CTAs like “Shop Now” or “Grab Your Deal!” to guide customers to your site.
Personalize When Possible: Personalizing your messages, such as using the customer’s name or specific products they’ve shown interest in, can make your notifications feel more relevant.
Be Strategic About Timing: Don’t send notifications too early in the morning or late at night. Stick to times when your audience is most likely to engage.
Don't Overwhelm Your Audience: Sending too many notifications can lead to unsubscribes. Keep the frequency moderate, only sending when it truly adds value.
Examples from Orglamix
Here are some notifications that worked well for us at Orglamix:
"New Fall Fragrances Just Dropped! 🍂 Hurry, Limited Stock Available!"
"Your Lavender Cleansing Milk is Back in Stock! 💜 Grab Yours Before It’s Gone!"
"VIP Flash Sale! Get 20% Off Today Only with Code VIP20!"
These examples show the power of clear, direct messaging combined with a sense of urgency or exclusivity.
Recommended Apps for Push Notifications
If you're on Shopify, here are a few apps that make it easy to implement push notifications:
PushOwl: This app is ideal for Shopify users and allows you to create and send push notifications with ease. We invested $342 in PushOwl and generated over $20,000 in sales over six months at Orglamix. The ROI is undeniable.
OneSignal: A free tool that offers customization and analytics, making it a good option for multi-channel campaigns.
FirePush: FirePush integrates SMS and push notifications, offering an all-in-one marketing tool to target customers.
Hints + Tips for Success
Test Different Messages: Experiment with different tones, timing, and CTAs to see what resonates best with your audience.
Segment Your Audience: Use segmentation to send personalized notifications to different groups, such as VIP customers or those with abandoned carts.
Analyze Your Results: Use analytics tools to measure the success of your notifications. Check open rates, click-through rates, and conversions to refine your strategy.
Need Help Crafting Your Push Notifications?If you're unsure where to start, we’ve got you covered! Try our custom push notification templates designed to boost conversions and get you up and running in minutes.
What’s the First Push Notification You’ll Send?
Are you planning a new product launch or flash sale? Share your first push notification idea in the comments—I’d love to hear how you’ll use this tool to grow your handmade business!
Push notifications are a powerful, cost-effective way to stay connected with your audience and drive sales. Whether you're promoting a time-sensitive offer or reminding customers about their cart, they’re a game-changer for handmade sellers. Ready to give them a try? Let’s do this!
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