Guide to Push Notifications for a Shopify Mobile App

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Why Push Notifications Are Essential for Shopify Stores

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Push notifications are direct, real-time messages sent to your customers’ mobile devices. Compared to email or SMS, they offer higher engagement rates and faster visibility.

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High open rates: Push notifications boast open rates of up to 90%, far surpassing email.

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Instant delivery: They appear instantly on your customer’s screen, driving quick actions.

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Increased conversions: Timely alerts for sales or cart reminders lead to more purchases.

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For Shopify stores, especially in fashion and cosmetics, where trends and timing matter, push notifications help maintain constant customer touchpoints.

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What Are the Limitations of Shopify Without a Mobile App?

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While Shopify offers a robust online storefront, it lacks built-in capabilities for sending native push notifications. Without a mobile app:

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- You can't send real-time push notifications

- You're limited to email and SMS, which are often ignored or delayed

- You miss out on valuable app engagement metrics and direct communication channels

- Mobile web push is supported by some browsers, but adoption and delivery are unreliable, especially on iOS. A dedicated app solves this gap.

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Read our full guide to turning your Shopify store into a mobile app here.

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Benefits of Adding a Mobile App to Your Shopify Store

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Creating a branded mobile app for your Shopify store unlocks a host of benefits:

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- Native push notifications: Reach your audience instantly with tailored messages

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- Branded experience: Strengthen loyalty with a seamless, on-brand app interface

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- Higher retention: App users are more likely to return and spend more

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- Personalisation: Send targeted messages based on shopping behaviour

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For example, a fashion brand can notify customers when a sold-out T-shirt is restocked — prompting immediate action.

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How Push Notifications Work with a Shopify Mobile App

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Here’s how it all comes together:

1. A user installs your mobile app (iOS or Android)
2. They opt in to receive push notifications
3. You craft and send a message from your app dashboard or platform
4. The notification appears on the user’s device
5. The user taps it and is taken to a specific page (e.g. product or promotion)

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There are multiple types of notifications you can send:

• Transactional: Order updates, delivery alerts
• Promotional: Sales, new arrivals, exclusive offers
• Behavioural: Cart reminders, product recommendations

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Tools & Platforms to Enable Push Notifications on Shopify Mobile Apps

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There a range of platforms to help you build mobile apps for your Shopify store with push notification capabilities

But by far the best choice for sending push notifications from your Shopify store is Venn Apps:

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Venn Apps

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Venn Apps turns your Shopify store into a fully-branded mobile app, replicating all the functionality of your website in a true native experience. It also offers advanced push notification features, completely free. These include:

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• Real-time push notification editor

• Audience segmentation and targeting

• Analytics to track open and click-through rates

• Automated sequences such as back-in-stock & abandoned cart

• Advanced scheduling capabilities

• Rich Media Notifications

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How to Send Your First Push Notification from your Shopify Mobile App

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Setting up push notifications is easier than you think:

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1. Choose a mobile app builder with push notification support.

Check out article here to help you choose the best Shopify mobile app builder.

       2. Customise and launch your branded app

        3. Enable push notifications and request user opt-in

        4. Create your message: title, body, image, CTA

        5. Choose your target audience (e.g. all users, VIPs, abandoned carts)

        6. Schedule or send it immediately

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Best Practices for Shopify Push Notifications

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Keep it concise: Short, clear messages perform best.

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Use urgency: Phrases like “Ends tonight!” or “Low stock” drive action.

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Personalise: Use names or purchase history to make it feel relevant.

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Respect timing: Avoid sending messages late at night.

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Test and optimise: A/B test different copy and track performance.

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Check out our complete guide to e-commerce push notifications for a full breakdown of push notification best practices.

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Real-Life Examples and Use Cases

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For Shopify brands, push notifications can be used to instantly alert customers about new product drops, restocks of popular items, or limited-time sales.

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They’re also highly effective for recovering abandoned baskets by nudging users with reminders or special offers.

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Personalised notifications based on browsing or purchase history can help encourage repeat purchases and build loyalty. Additionally, push notifications can be used to share brand updates, content, or invite customers to exclusive events -keeping the brand top of mind and strengthening the overall customer relationship.

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Many leading Shopify brands such as Represent, Motel Rocks & Anine Bing are using the Venn Apps platform to regularly send push notifications.

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Some Prominent Examples include:

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Represent launching a new Oasis drop:

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"New 'Live Forever' collection out now—celebrating 30 years of Oasis's 'Definitely Maybe'. Tap to shop exclusive pieces before they're gone!"​

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Motel Rocks restocking a popular pair of jeans

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"Our best-selling jeans are back in stock! Grab your pair today before they sell out again."

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Anine Bing launching app exclusive style guides

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"Discover exclusive style guides available only on our app. Tap to explore curated looks tailored for you."

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These are just some of the creative ways leading Shopify brands are using push notifications to engage their customers.

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Conclusion

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Push notifications are one of the most effective ways to engage your customers, boost conversions, and grow your Shopify store. By adding a mobile app, you unlock this powerful channel and gain more control over your customer journey.

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Ready to send your first push notification? Explore mobile app solutions for Shopify and start engaging your audience in whole new way.

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Want to launch your mobile app with push notifications? Book a free demo today.

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