The verdict in three sentences
The web push notification reaches the customer on their screen with no sending cost, where an SMS costs 20 to 35 FCFA each. With a realistic opt-in of 5 to 10 % and a CTR of 4 to 8 %, it beats email (around 2 %) on abandoned-cart recovery. For a store that already has traffic, it is the highest-return retention lever of 2026.
Web push, email, SMS: the real comparison
The three channels do not play in the same cost or reach category. Here are the 2026 orders of magnitude for a Senegalese online store.
| Criterion | Web push | SMS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost per message | ~0 FCFA | ~0.5 FCFA | 20-35 FCFA |
| Average CTR | 4-8 % | 1.5-2.5 % | 6-12 % |
| Opt-in rate | 5-10 % | 20-40 % (newsletter) | nearly 100 % (existing customer) |
| Read delay | minutes | hours | minutes |
| Cost of a 5,000-send campaign | ~0 FCFA | ~2,500 FCFA | 100,000-175,000 FCFA |
| Contact detail required | none | phone number | |
| Works with browser closed | yes (OS-dependent) | no | yes |
Web push wins on cost and sign-up friction: a single "Allow" click, no personal data to enter.
The use cases that pay off
Push is not for spamming. Focus it on four high-yield automated scenarios.
| Scenario | Trigger | Estimated click rate | Expected effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abandoned cart | 1 h after exit | 8-12 % | +5 to 10 % carts recovered |
| Back in stock | product restocked | 10-15 % | immediate conversion |
| Price drop | promo on viewed product | 6-9 % | reactivation |
| Order shipped | status change | 15-20 % | satisfaction, fewer support calls |
The key is behavioral segmentation: you only notify visitors who showed interest, not the whole base.
Mini case study
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Awa runs a cosmetics store in Dakar with 12,000 visitors a month. She gets an 8 % opt-in, meaning 960 push subscribers. On an abandoned-cart campaign reaching 300 subscribers at a 10 % CTR, 30 return; with an average basket of 18,000 FCFA and 20 % conversion, that is 6 sales, so 108,000 FCFA recovered from a single campaign at zero send cost. By SMS, those same 300 messages would have cost her around 9,000 FCFA. Over a year, push earns her an estimated re-engagement revenue of over 1,200,000 FCFA at zero marginal cost.
FAQ
Does web push work on iPhone?
Since iOS 16.4, yes, but only if the customer adds your site to their home screen (PWA). On Android and desktop, support has been native for a long time, which covers most Senegalese traffic.
What opt-in rate should I realistically aim for?
Between 5 and 10 % of visitors. Above 10 % is excellent. Never ask for permission on arrival: offer it after an action (add to cart, second page viewed).
How many notifications per week without tiring people out?
One to three maximum outside transactional ones. Too many push messages drive unsubscribes above 5 % per campaign and destroy future reach.
How much does setup cost?
Integration on an existing site costs, as a 2026 order of magnitude, between 150,000 and 400,000 FCFA depending on the segmentation and automated scenarios you want, with no sending subscription.
Let's talk about your project. We connect web push and automated reminders to your store to turn your current traffic into recurring sales. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
