From Promo Notifications in Email to an App That Brings Customers Back
An illustration of an online store companion mobile app for a store that has no push notification channel yet to drive repeat purchases.
This is an illustrative concept, not a real client project — the data and results shown are examples to demonstrate what we can build.
Customers have shopped before. But promos are only sent via email that's rarely opened.
When an online store only has a website, promos and restock reminders are sent via email with a low open rate, and customers have no fast way to reorder favorite products.
| Promo Channel | Reach | Open/Click Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1,240 | 18% | |
| WhatsApp Broadcast | 420 | 52% |
| 3,800 | Not Measurable |
It's not a lack of customers. It's that there's no effective channel to bring them back.
Promo emails rarely get opened
Low email open rate means promos and restock info often don't reach customers.
Reordering is still a hassle
Customers who want to buy again have to search for the product from scratch with no easy-to-access history.
No real-time notifications
Order status updates and limited-time promos can't be sent directly to customers.
One flow from installing the app to repeat purchases becoming easier.
Push notifications and shopping history bring customers back to checkout faster.
Install the App
Customers who've shopped before are invited to install the companion app.
Shop Faster
Order history and favorite products are visible immediately in the app.
Push Notification
Promos, restocks, and order updates go straight to the phone's notifications.
Reorder
Customers can reorder favorite products in a few taps.
Repeat Purchase
Customers shop more often thanks to a more effective promo channel.
Example: a store with 1,240 registered customers.
An illustrative scenario based on common patterns at online stores that so far only have a website. The figures below are examples to illustrate the system, not a claim of client results.
A companion app to drive repeat purchases
The store has 1,240 registered customers but only an email channel with a low open rate for promos. The store needs a more effective way to bring customers back.
- Who are the customers who repeat purchase most often?
- Which product gets reordered most?
- Which promo is most effective at bringing customers back?
Illustrated automation architecture
EXCEPTION → a customer's favorite product restocks → automatic notification sent to that customer
- 1,240
- Example Registered Customers
- Higher
- Open Rate
- 1
- App
reachable via push notification
compared to ordinary promo emails
for shopping, notifications, and reordering
The key change is how effectively the store brings customers back.
Before / email & social media
- Promos sent via low-open-rate email
- Reordering requires searching from scratch
- No real-time notifications to customers
- Hard to measure social media promo effectiveness
- Repeat purchase isn't optimally driven
After / companion app
- Push notifications straight to customers' phones
- Shopping history makes reordering faster
- Order updates and promos in real time
- Promo effectiveness is easier to measure
- Repeat purchase rises through a closer channel
Not just promo notifications.
This app can be developed gradually to fit the store's needs.
Companion shopping app
Order history and favorite products that make reordering faster.
Targeted push notifications
Promos and restock reminders sent to the right customer segment.
Quick reorder & wishlist
Customers can reorder favorite products in a few taps.
From promo emails to a companion app, step by step.
- 01DISCOVERY
Map customer shopping behavior
Identify favorite products, shopping frequency, and current promo channels.
- 02FOUNDATION
Build the companion app
Design an app with customer shopping history and favorite products.
- 03ENGAGEMENT
Set up push notifications
Promos and order updates sent directly to phone notifications.
- 04REORDER
Add quick reorder
Customers can reorder favorite products quickly.
- 05OPTIONAL
Add further layers
If needed, a loyalty program or personalized product recommendations can be added.