Of all the ways to increase website traffic, one particular method that I tried in 2020 is website push notifications.
Just like the notifications you get on your phone, browser push notifications let you send messages to your website visitors even when they’re not on your site .
This is an approach I’ve really seen success with, and I encourage you to try it on your own site:
I’ve written more about the benefits of push notifications before . So, in this post, I won’t focus on the theory, but will jump right into introducing five of the best WordPress push notification plugins to make it easier for you to add push notifications to your blog or website.
What should you pay attention to in push notification plugins
As you browse this list, you should keep the following in mind:
- What devices does the service support? Most services support Chrome and Firefox, but it's rare to find one that supports Safari, which can be a problem if you have a lot of visitors using Safari.
- How many subscribers will you have? Depending on how many subscribers you anticipate, some services may be cheaper than others.
- What additional features does the service offer? Consider whether you need features like segmentation, scheduling, A/B testing, etc.
Best WordPress Push Notification Plugins
1. PushEngage
Technically, PushEngage is a standalone mobile and web push notification service. However, it also offers a dedicated WordPress plugin that makes it easy to add push notification functionality to WordPress.
PushEngage allows you to send push notifications to all major browsers on desktop and mobile
Apart from that, it also includes many features that help you send push notifications in a smart way:
- Autoresponders : Send notifications based on customer actions. For example, email marketing automation.
- Easy Segmentation : Segment your visitors based on the URLs they accept browser notifications for so you can send them content you know they will like. For example, I can segment users who read WordPress posts into the WordPress segment.
- Automation: This is a great feature of PushEngage. With this feature, I can automatically send push notifications to my subscribers.
- Geo-targeting : Send push notifications to users in specific geographic locations.
- RSS Notifications : Set up your RSS feeds to alert people instantly when you publish new content - without any manual action on your part.
- Personalized Cart Abandonment Notifications: This is very useful if you are running an e-commerce store on WordPress.
- Call-to-Action Buttons: Add one or more call-to-action buttons.
PushEngage is free for up to 200 subscribers and 30 notifications per month. To manage more than that, you'll need to pay, starting at $14 per month.
2.OneSignal
Similar to PushEngage, OneSignal is a standalone push notification service that can be easily integrated with WordPress thanks to a dedicated WordPress plugin.
However, OneSignal supports slightly different devices than PushEngage. It supports:
- Chrome (Desktop and Android)
- Safari（Mac OS X）
- Firefox (desktop only)
So, compared to PushEngage, you can receive Safari notifications, but not Firefox mobile notifications. Other than that, OneSignal has a fairly similar list of features:
- Automatic Notifications: Send alerts based on set criteria. For example, if you've published a new post, or if someone has visited your site in the past few days.
- Segmentation: Target your visitors based on a range of different user attributes.
- A/B Testing : Run split tests to find out which message performs best before sending it to your entire audience. This feature is pretty unique.
- Schedule: Schedule a notification for a future date.
OneSignal is completely free and has no restrictions. However, they also offer unspecified premium plans.
3. VWO Engage（ PushCrew）
VWO Engage (formerly known as PushCrew) is another popular push notification service that you can easily integrate into WordPress using a simple plugin.
Currently, VWO Engage works with the following companies:
- Chrome (Desktop and Android)
- Firefox (Desktop and Android)
However, VWO Engage makes up for this relatively small equipment set with some neat features, such as:
- CTA Button : Display one or two CTA buttons in the push notification.
- Schedule: Send a notification at a specific time in the future.
- Segment Builder: This tool helps you segment your visitors using custom AND/OR conditions.
- Expiration notifications: If you’re running a limited-time deal, this helps ensure your subscribers don’t see a notification after the deal expires.
- RSS Support: Automatically notify subscribers as soon as a new post is published. You can even customize the time at which RSS feed items are sent.
VWO Engage offers a free plan that supports unlimited notifications for up to 500 subscribers, but with some feature limitations. Beyond those numbers, you’ll need to choose from plans starting at $99 per month.
4. PushAssist
Similar to the previous three plugins, PushAssist is also a standalone service that offers a dedicated WordPress plugin to simplify the installation process.
PushAssist also has a long list of devices. Here are the devices it supports:
- Chrome (Desktop and Android)
- Firefox (Desktop and Android)
- Safari（Mac OS X）
It also has a similar feature set to many of the previous services:
- Segmentation : Segment your subscribers based on location, interests, and other data.
- Schedule: Schedule push notifications for a specific date and time.
- Personalization: Requires some setup - but allows you to deliver a personalized message.
PushAssist has a free plan that supports up to 3,000 subscribers and provides unlimited notifications ( and PushAssist branding ). Paid plans start at just $9 per month.
Which Push Notification Plugin Should You Use?
Given that I already told you to use PushEngage over ShoutMeLoud, it’s easy to guess which push notification plugin I would recommend.
PushEngage is a good choice because:
- It has a free plan that’s suitable for most bloggers.
- Autoresponder tools provide you with a smart way to engage with your audience.
- You can add a call-to-action button to your notifications.
- It is easy to split.
Remember - if you’re interested in getting started with PushEngage, there’s a tutorial to get you up and running quickly.
Among the free options, OneSignal is a good choice.
What do you think about push notifications? Do you like them? Have you tried them on your website yet? Let me know in the comments!
Want to spice up your WordPress blog? Here are some hand-picked resources you should check out:
- 12 Best WordPress Plugins for Blogs and Business Websites
- 7 Best WordPress Image Compression Plugins Compared & Who’s the Winner
- 9 Best WordPress SEO Plugins to Help You Rank Higher
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