Push notifications for a small shop work only if you send them rarely, only to customers who said yes, and only when there is something worth knowing. Most messages are of no interest to the customer, who ends up turning notifications off or deleting the card. One notification a week is a ceiling, not a target.
A lock-screen notification is the closest thing to a tap on the customer’s shoulder. That makes it valuable and easy to waste. Here is a way to think about it, with example texts, sending times and the technical limits.
Which notifications are welcome?
Split them into two kinds.
Service messages are part of the card and the customer expects them: a stamp was added, a reward is waiting. They go out automatically and the customer receives them without having agreed to advertising.
Campaigns are the ones you decide to send: a seasonal product, an offer, a change in opening hours. They should only go to customers who ticked the box to receive your news when signing up. The legal framework is described in the guide to loyalty cards and GDPR.
How often is reasonable?
There is no scientific figure, so start carefully. One campaign a month is a good start. Watch what happens: if customers delete the card after a send, it was too much, or not interesting enough. Fidelia also caps the number of campaigns per shop per day, so a mistake does not become a flood. Google Wallet only issues a limited number of alerts per card per day; the rest appear quietly on the card.
What should a notification contain?
Three rules:
- One message. Not three offers in the same notification.
- Something concrete. A date, a product, a time. “The waffles are back” beats “News from us”.
- Short. It should be readable in two seconds. With Fidelia, the title has room for 40 characters and the text for 200.
At what time of day and week?
Send when the customer can act. A lunch offer is useless at 3 pm, a coffee offer works in the morning. Avoid late evenings and early mornings, and do not send on the same day as another message. With Fidelia you can schedule a message up to 60 days ahead and choose an end time, so the offer disappears from the card when it expires.
Who should receive it?
Not everything is for everyone. With Fidelia you choose the recipients: all customers, those with a reward waiting, or those who have not visited in 30 days. The last one suits a “We miss you” well. If you have several cards, you can target one of them.
In Belgium, your customers may speak French or Dutch. If you serve both, write short, simple messages, or take care over both languages rather than relying on a rough translation.
What differs between iPhone and Android?
On iPhone, a message appears on the lock screen when the card is updated. Google Wallet only sends a limited number of alerts per card per day; after that, the message shows on the card without an alert. Fidelia warns you before sending if this affects some of your customers. Personalised messages require the Pro plan, at €59 per month, excl. VAT.
Five mistakes to avoid
- Sending advertising to everyone, including those who did not agree.
- Sending the same thing every week.
- Writing long or vague messages.
- Making an offer too small to care about.
- Forgetting to tell the team, who then do not know the offer exists when the customer turns up.
In short
Good notifications are rare, short and concrete, and they only go to customers who said yes. Separate service messages from campaigns, start with one campaign a month and watch what customers do. For the cost of the plan that makes them possible, see the price of a digital loyalty card.