Should we use push notifications at all?

Yes — as a supplement to email, not a replacement. Push excels at time-sensitive alerts (back-in-stock, flash sales, shipping deadlines). Just do not expect it to drive meaningful revenue compared to email.

Why do push open rates look so much better than email?

Because push notifications auto-display on screens. A "view" is counted when the notification appears, whether the person reads it or swipes it away. Email opens require the person to actively open the message. They are measuring different things.

What about SMS vs. push?

SMS is a much stronger channel than push for eCommerce — closer to email in terms of revenue potential. SMS has higher read rates, better personalization, and deeper integration with tools like Klaviyo. If choosing between SMS and push, invest in SMS.

Which push notification tools work for eCommerce?

PushOwl and Firepush are the most common for Shopify. They handle back-in-stock, cart abandonment, and promotional pushes. Easy to set up and worth having as a supplementary channel once email is optimized.

How much revenue should we expect from push?

Typically 1-3% of total store revenue. If push is driving more than 3%, your email is probably underperforming and should be the priority to fix. The revenue ceiling for push is low compared to email and SMS.

Channel Comparison

Email drives 30-40% of revenue for well-managed eCommerce stores. Push notifications drive 1-3%. The data is clear.

Push notifications are trendy. They show up on phones instantly. Open rates are high (because notifications just appear). And the tools are easy to set up. So why do they generate 10-20x less revenue than email for eCommerce?

Because push notifications have no space for storytelling, no room for product imagery, no ability to segment deeply, and no way to present a compelling offer with context. They are a tap-to-dismiss blip on a screen. Good for reminders. Bad for selling.

Email gives you a full canvas. Images, copy, multiple CTAs, personalization, dynamic product recommendations, and brand storytelling — all in a format people are conditioned to engage with for commerce. That is why the best eCommerce brands drive 30-40% of revenue from email and treat push as a minor supplement, not a replacement.

30-40%

Revenue from Email

1-3%

Revenue from Push

150+

Brands Managed

$23M+

Revenue Driven

We see brands excited about push notifications because the setup is easy and open rates look impressive. But open rate is a vanity metric for push — notifications appear automatically, so "opens" do not reflect engagement the way email opens do. When you look at revenue per subscriber, email outperforms push by 10-20x for eCommerce. Push has a role, but it is a supporting character.

Email Marketing vs Push Notifications — feature by feature

Feature	Email Marketing	Push Notifications
Revenue Contribution	30-40% of total revenue for well-managed eCommerce stores. The highest-ROI marketing channel for online stores.	1-3% of total revenue. Useful for specific triggers (back-in-stock, flash sales) but not a primary revenue driver.
Content Depth	Full creative canvas. Images, copy, product grids, brand storytelling, multiple CTAs, personalized product recommendations, and social proof all in one message.	Title + short body text + optional image. Extremely limited space for persuasion. No room for product grids, detailed offers, or brand storytelling.
Segmentation	Deep behavioral segmentation. Purchase history, browse behavior, predicted LTV, email engagement, and custom properties. Different messages for different customers.	Basic segmentation by page viewed, subscription date, or device type. Far less data depth for personalization compared to email.
Subscriber Ownership	You own your email list. It is portable between platforms. Even if you switch ESPs, your subscriber relationships survive.	Push subscribers are tied to the notification service. Switch providers and you lose your subscriber base. Browser changes can also eliminate subscribers overnight.
Open/Click Rates	Open rates 30-50% (opted-in engaged lists). Click rates 2-5%. These numbers reflect genuine engagement — the person chose to open and read.	Apparent open rates 80-90% (because notifications auto-display). Click rates 3-8%. High "opens" are misleading — most people dismiss without reading.
Automation Depth	Complex multi-step flows with conditional logic, A/B testing, time delays, and behavioral triggers. Full lifecycle marketing through automation.	Basic automation for back-in-stock, price drops, and cart reminders. Limited flow complexity compared to email automation platforms.

Our recommendation

Email should be your primary owned marketing channel. Period. It drives more revenue, offers more personalization, and gives you more control than any other channel for eCommerce.

Push notifications are a useful supplement for specific use cases: back-in-stock alerts, flash sale announcements, time-sensitive shipping deadlines, and cart abandonment reminders. Use them for urgency-based messages where the short format is a feature, not a limitation.

Never invest in push at the expense of email. The ROI difference is 10-20x.

Pick Email Marketing if...

Email should be your primary owned channel. Invest in email first, optimize it fully, and make it drive 30%+ of revenue before spending serious time on supplementary channels like push.

Pick Push Notifications if...

Add push notifications as a supplement once your email system is mature. Best for back-in-stock alerts, flash sales, and time-sensitive reminders where urgency matters more than storytelling.

Questions our best clients asked first

Is your email driving 30%+ of revenue? If not, that is your priority.

We will audit your email setup and show you how much revenue you are leaving on the table before you worry about supplementary channels like push.

Pick a Time

15 minutes. No pitch deck. Just your data and our honest take.

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