At least 70% of shoppers abandon their carts, resulting in missed sales opportunities for e-commerce stores. This points to an engagement gap.

But how can businesses re-engage shoppers and reintroduce them to their conversion funnels? Using notification widgets.

There are two types of notifications businesses can use: push and in-app messages.

In this guide, we’ll compare push notifications vs. in-app notifications, including how they work, their differences, and best use cases.

TL;DR – Push Notifications vs. In-App Notifications

Understanding the difference between push notifications and in-app notifications helps you use each appropriately to maximize visitor engagement and guide them back into your conversion funnel.

The table below summarizes the difference between push notifications and in-app notifications:

Push Notification	In-App Notifications
Messages that appear outside an app to re-engage users and entice them to go back to the platform.	Messages that appear within the app ecosystem during active use and are aimed at providing context or guiding users’ next steps.
Pros	Pros
– Instant delivery as the messages appear on a user’s screen – High engagement rates – Users can follow links directly to the landing page, increasing conversion rates	– You can personalize the messages based on users’ actions – Higher click-through rates because users are already engaged with your platform – Users perceive the messages as more trustworthy because they appear within the app’s ecosystem
Cons	Cons
– Not suitable for long/detailed messaging – Can feel intrusive, causing subscribers to opt out	– Poor timing can disrupt visitors’ browsing journeys, hurting your website’s UX
Best For	Best For
Urgent announcements that can’t wait for users to come back to your app/platform.	In-app support to onboard first-time users or display personalized offers.

Continue reading for a detailed overview of each notification type, including how to add a notifications widget to your website.

What Are Push Notifications?

These are messages that are sent directly to a user, even when they are not using the related app or even their device. The message will usually just appear on the lockscreen, notification tab, or browser, depending on the device (PC, tablet, or smartphone).

Examples of push notifications include breaking news alerts from news apps or shipping updates from an e-commerce website.

How Do Push Notifications Work?

Push notifications work just like standard messages, with the only difference being that users can opt in or out. 

Here’s a simple process breakdown:

• Users opt in to receive notifications even when not using an app.
• The associated app or website assigns the user’s device a unique identifier.
• A backend system sends a message request to a push notification service.
• Users receive the notification on their devices regardless of whether they are using the associated app or not.
• Users dismiss or engage with the notification.

What Are In-App Notifications?

In-app notifications are messages users receive while using a website or other platform. The notifications appear in various forms, including banners, pop-ups, tooltips widgets, or message inboxes.

An example of an in-app notification would be receiving a “Your payment was successful” message after placing an order on an e-commerce website.

How Do In-App Notifications Work?

In-app notifications work just like push notifications, with the main difference that users do not need to opt in to the messages, as they are part of the platform’s UX. 

Here’s how the system works:

• Users open your app or website.
• A trigger condition is met, such as browsing a product or adding an item to your cart.
• The app renders a notification message within the correct context (trigger) and location (banner or pop-up).
• Users dismiss or act on the notification.

Difference Between In-App and Push Notifications 

Based on the definitions above, you can already tell that in-app and push notifications differ in functionality and intended outcomes. 

Let’s outline other differences in the table below:

	Push Notifications	In-App Notifications
Purpose	Deliver alerts outside the app or website to re-engage potential clients	Guide, educate, or inform users when they are actively using an app or browsing a website
Audience	All users who opted in to the push notifications, regardless of what they are doing at the time the messages are sent	Only users who are active within an app’s or website’s ecosystem
Timing	Sent at scheduled times and are independent of the app users’ actions	Displayed in real-time as users navigate through a website or app
Personalization	Often generic, with personalization only based on user segmentation	Highly personalized to users’ current actions when interacting with an app or website
Performance	Effective for re-engagement or to nudge users to reopen an app or website	Effective for lead generation by guiding users through the steps along your conversion funnel

The type of notifications should align with your website’s needs and the level of targeting to maximize visitor engagement. 

However, we’ll discuss some use cases for in-app and push notifications in the next section.

When to Use In-App vs. Push Notifications

In this section, we’ll highlight some specific use cases for using in-app vs. push notifications.

When to Use In-App Notifications

Examples of scenarios where to send messages as users are browsing your website include:

• Order Confirmations: Use in-app notifications to confirm successful transactions or update users on order status.
• Onboarding Instructions: Add a tooltips widget to give users tips on how to navigate your app or provide additional context on product features or prices.
• Feedback Requests: Add a feedback widget to gather customer testimonials that you can display by embedding a social proof widget on your website.

When to Use Push Notifications

Send push notifications to users who haven’t opened your app in days or weeks, including:

• Abandoned Cart Reminders: Send limited-time offers to nudge shoppers to return to your website or app and clear their carts.
• Milestone Reminders: Send personalized messages when users reach key milestones, such as being loyal customers for the past 5 years. These are effective when the notifications include discounts or giveaways.
• Emergency Notifications: Use push notifications for safety warnings to increase users’ preparedness and ability to take action before the situation escalates.

Here’s the thing: besides emergencies, most scenarios are better suited for in-app notifications. For example, reminding a client about an abandoned cart a month later will likely not prompt immediate action because they likely went for another option. 

However, you could increase your lead conversion rate by adding an exit-intent pop-up widget to your website to recapture visitors’ attention with sales discounts and coupons before they leave.

How to Add Notification Widgets to Your Website

Webynize is the go-to option for adding a widget to your website to boost visitor engagement. We provide a social proof widget that also serves as an in-app notifications tool. It’s a seamless way to display customer reviews, ratings, and testimonials, to show prospective clients that your business delivers to expectations. 

The primary advantage of a social proof widget over a notification tool is that the former shows actual customer activity by other website visitors, which often helps turn even passive shoppers into active buyers.  

The first section outlines how to create a widget with Webynize, while the second section discusses how to embed it on your website.

How to Create a Social Proof Widget Using Webynize

Here’s a step-by-step guide for setting up our social proof widget:

1. Sign up for Webynize to unlock a 7-day free trial. At the end of the period, you can visit our pricing page and choose a subscription plan that works for you.

2. Click on the +Create Widget button to open our widget library.
3. Open the dropdown menu and select the social proof widget.

4. Input a custom name for the widget and click on Next.
5. Navigate to the Stories tab and customize the social proof messages.

6. Customize the widget’s appearance, including its background theme, send button color, and font settings.

7. Select Embed on Website and specify your web builder.

8. Copy the JavaScript code that appears in the pop-up window.

How to Add a Social Proof Widget to Your Website

Follow these steps to embed the widget on your website:

1. Log in to your website’s admin dashboard and open the web page where you want to add the widget.

2. Launch the code editor, code block section, or the rich text editor, depending on your web builder. Here’s how it looks on WordPress:

3. Paste the embed code you copied from Webynize.
4. Save the changes and refresh the web page for the notifications widget to go live.

Easy right?

Create a widget and join 1,000+ businesses and brands that use it to display social proof and boost visitor engagement on their websites.

Best Practices for Optimizing Your Notification Strategy

Adding a notifications widget to your website is only one part of the job. 

Use our notification strategy to engage website visitors and achieve the desired outcomes, such as lead generation or conversion:

• Strategic Placement: Position your widget where website visitors naturally expect to see the notifications, such as on the header, footer, or sidebar.
• Customize Your Widget: Style your notifications widget to blend or contrast with your website theme, so it stands out and grabs visitors’ attention quickly.
• Personalize the Notification: Use action-based triggers to send notifications at the opportune time to maximize impact. For example, send discount notifications when website visitors are browsing your product or landing pages.
• Include a Call-to-Action Statement: Add strategic CTAs to guide customers’ next steps, such as ordering a product or subscribing to your newsletter.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

This section answers common questions about push notifications vs. in-app notifications:

How Often Should I Send Notifications to Users?

There’s no limit to the number or frequency of sending notifications to users. However, we recommend sending push notifications once or twice a week for push notifications and three messages per visit for in-app notifications. 

The goal is to stimulate engagement without overwhelming your website visitors.

Can I Use Both Push and In-App Notifications Together?

Yes. You can use both push and in-app notifications together, so long as it’s in the proper context. For example, use in-app notifications to encourage customers to make their purchase decisions while they are still on your website. 

However, for shoppers who abandon their carts, consider sending push notifications after a few days in an attempt to re-engage them.

When Should I Send a Push Notification Versus an In-App Message?

Send a push notification when looking to re-engage users who’ve not opened your website or app for a few weeks. 

In contrast, in-app notifications work best for engaging users who are already on your website, encouraging them to take action, such as ordering a product or continuing to browse your site.

Are There Tools That Manage Both Notification Types?

Yes. There are tools like PushEngage and Pushwoosh that offer unified management. However, the majority of the tools provide limited features and functionality to keep their widgets lightweight. 

As such, we recommend using standalone widgets for advanced customization and targeting features.

The Bottom Line

The notification tool you use should complement your engagement strategy to maximize the desired outcomes. While each business has its preference, we have found in-app notifications to be more effective because users are usually already interested in your offerings. This increases their likelihood to engage with your website further, compared to sending notifications when users are going about their lives.

Webynize offers a convenient way to display in-app notifications for your website visitors. Our social proof widget not only lets you send notifications, but also allows you to display other visitors’ activities for lead generation and conversion. Suppose a visitor adds an item to their cart. You could send a “Item successfully added to cart!” notification, followed by a “15% limited-time discount” on the product to nudge the visitor toward making a purchase.

We leverage our 10+ years of experience in Saas and web dev to create widgets that are easy to set up and personalize, even without advanced technical skills. 

Stimulate engagement with personalized social proof notifications that align with your website visitors’ user journeys. Create a widget today.