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Push Notifications: Perks or Pesky?

Your phone makes that all-too-familiar “bzz bzz” vibrating sound. You eagerly check your phone, hoping it’s a text containing good news of some sort. Instead, it’s a push notification from an app you downloaded a few months ago and forgot about. It’s advertising some sort of deal. This could still be your awaited text message with good news. Do you ever stop to check it out? You might find something that you didn’t know you needed. Or, you might out find out some useful information.  

 

What are Push Notifications?

Simply put, push notifications are automatic notifications from apps. Now, the purpose is generally to promote a deal that the company is running.  An app may send a push notification to your phone to promote something, instead of sending an email. Conversely, instead of trying to sell something, the push notification could be sent to inform and touch base with you. They usually appear as the banner notification on the top part of your mobile device screen.

While they can be disabled, we recommend keeping them on for the apps you rely on or use the most. Similar to an advertisement or disclaimer that you see while browsing a website, it’s a short message in notification form.  The messages in push notifications have a strict character limit. The notification is short, readable, easily grabs your attention, without you needing to do anything. With push notifications, you have control of your subscription because permissions are handled by a safe and neutral third party, your browser. Therefore, you run the show and decide how you get your notifications.

How Push Notifications are Beneficial?

Push notifications are obviously beneficial to the company running the app. But, how are they beneficial to you, the notification receiver? For one thing, it’s a convenient way to take advantage of that deal or to stay informed. With just one tap, you can view the notification without having to visit the app. E-mail is wordy, bulky, old-fashioned and sent in mass quantities. You most likely consider most of it junk mail. A push notification gets right to the point, doing some of the heavy-lifting for you.

In a way, the push notification is customized, modernized and personalized, because you are getting a quick information update or promo option that is relevant. As long the company isn’t sending too many push notifications to the point that it is bothersome, this is the best way for a company to keep their followers up-to-date on the news and promotions.  This instantaneous info means that you won’t have PROMO FOMO! Lifewire has some great tips on how to customize your push notifications.

Typically, as an app user, I always declined push notifications. Instead, I racked up unmanageable amounts of emails from lists to which I had subscribed. Now I see the value in utilizing push notifications. When I download an app, I can ask myself “How much do I need or want to know from this sender?” Additionally, I know that I can easily opt out at any point in my settings. Finally, I like the fact that my information cannot be sold, bought, or transferred without my OK. Now, my email inbox is manageable and I have pertinent, on-the-spot notifications that don’t force me to read between the lines.

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