In January, Google announced that version 80 of Chrome, which launched in early February, would start blocking website push notifications. For users who consistently block these notifications, blocking will be enabled by default. Blocking will also be enabled on websites with low opt-in rates.
We estimate that most websites have low opt-in rates. The problem is that too many brands are terribly pushy with their notification prompts. They start pestering the user the moment they open the site.
You’ve likely experienced this yourself. You’re searching for something online and click on a promising article on the search engine results page. Before you can even start reading the content, a box pops up over your address bar, pulling your focus.
“WEBSITE WOULD LIKE TO SEND NOTIFICATIONS.”
If you’re anything like most people, your first instinct is to click the block button, annoyed at the interruption. You aren’t likelier to engage with the brand. Instead, the whole thing probably leaves a bad taste in your mouth.
Even Google’s own best practices warn against invasive notification prompts.
“The worst thing you can do is to show the permission dialog to users as soon as they land on your site,” writes Google WebFundamentals contributor Matt Gaunt. “They have zero context on why they are being asked for permission, they may not even know what your website is for, what it does or what it offers. Blocking permissions at this point out of frustration is not uncommon, this pop-up is getting in the way of what they are trying to do.”
Instead of trying to force push notifications down your audiences’ collective throats immediately, focus on taking a more passive approach. Consider why someone might be interested in receiving notifications and provide your audience with gentle prompts at key points through their conversion journey. For instance, let’s say you publish a weekly thought leadership column.
At the end of each article, you might include a small text box providing readers with the opportunity to be notified whenever a new piece is live. The people who are interested in receiving push notifications will sign up, and you’ll know which of your users are most engaged. And the people who aren’t interested?
They weren’t going to sign up in the first place.
You also need to understand that not every business has something to gain from web-based push notifications, and not every website should use them. If you run an eCommerce site, an online publication, or a user-driven community, they may be worth considering. Otherwise, your development efforts are best focused elsewhere.
Push notification prompts as they most commonly appear are no better than the popup ads of old. They’re frustrating, intrusive, and provide very little value. If your website must use push notifications, focus on making them contextually relevant.
Otherwise, you’re just wasting your time.