Progressive Web Apps: Push Notifications

The technologies behind Progressive Web Apps now allow us to extend the capability and allow your visitors to receive push notifications. These notifications allow your PWA to go beyond the device and browser and are an incredibly powerful way to re-engage with anyone who signs up to receive them. A notification can be a simple message or also include images that are broadcast to your customers that can then yield a lot of interest and drive traffic to your site or PWA. The most effective way our clients utilise push notifications is by sending sale or offer alerts - for example, FREE NEXT DAY DELIVERY FOR 24 HOURS along with a link to jump straight into their site to activate the offer.

Each push notification will appear to everyone who has accepted them as a pop-up message that automatically displays within the users' web browser - like Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Apple Safari and more. Within Windows 10 the pop-up will also appear to the bottom right alongside system and other standard messages. Push notifications also now work for anyone using a Mac and appear within Safari.

As with other Progressive Web App technologies we utilise the capability called ‘service workers' to enable functionality like push notifications.