Web push in a smartphone e-store. Bijelić Co. and PushPushGo

Lara Majcan from Bijelić Co. tells us about the company’s strategy for using web push, implementing PushPushGo tools, and her general thoughts on push communication.

Can you give us an overview of Bijelić Co and your role in the company?

Bijelić Co is a Croatian company based in Osijek with 30 years of experience in distribution. This includes being the authorized distributor for brands such as Xiaomi and Amazfit for the CEE Region (Croatia, Austria, Slovenia, and Montenegro). 

I am the retail and e-commerce manager for our 5 Xiaomi Stores in Croatia and two webshops, mi.hr and venkon.hr. 

You implemented web push notifications in March 2021. What prompted you to do this? Were you aiming to achieve specific goals?

That's correct. We implemented push notifications on mi.hr because we wanted to reach a wider audience beyond just the typical newsletter subscribers, and to keep in touch with our webshop users and visitors. We were really satisfied with the results and our audience reach, so just a few months later, in September, we implemented web push notifications on our second webshop venkon.hr. 

How did the implementation process of web push go? Was the process easy, or did you encounter any obstacles?

The implementation process was extremely simple and took mere minutes for the IT team to complete. 

How long did it take before you noticed the results? Which KPIs improved?

Looking at the previous year up until now, our push subscribers have tripled in numbers. We have seen a steady increase month by month. We also have a high retention rate, which we value since there are genuine fans of our products and not just visitors passing by. 

And for the year 2021, PushPushGo generously named us as a winner in the Best Performance category, so we hope that speaks for itself!

How can you characterize your web push subscribers? Can you notice any behaviors that are not typical for your audience in other channels?

Over 99% of our active subscribers in the past quarter were Android and Windows users. One would think that it makes sense due to us being a Xiaomi Smartphone distributor, but we generally see a 50/50 split for iOS/Mac visitors from other channels since they are very interested in AioT (AI of Things) and Smart Device products. We like to focus on our existing audience to achieve the most conversions on PushPushGo.

In what cases do web push notifications work best? 

We find that they work best as quick reminders for people who were already interested in our products, as well as brief information about upcoming sales and offers. 

Which features do you find the most useful?

The automation features are a lifesaver since we can work on sending messages that people actually want to see and not go overboard and alienate our audience.

What is your sending strategy for web push?

We send push notifications in tandem with our promotions, which we typically do on a weekly basis, and include key visuals that our graphic designer creates. We also have a handful of automations that save us a lot of time and the PushPushGo team is always there to help implement new ideas that we have.

What do you think about web push as a communication channel?

We think web push is extremely efficient as a communication channel. It's brief and specific due to its nature, and I think that today's audience appreciates that. We live in the world of information that goes by extremely fast, so the more concise and on-the-point you are, the better the user experience.

How would you rate your experience with PushPushGo so far?

On a scale of 1 to 10? A complete 10. Everyone is always fast to respond and give feedback, the interface is intuitive and easy to use, and we are very happy with our collaboration. We will continue our collaboration and hope 2023 brings us even better results!

Lara Majcan - Online Advertising Specialist, currently the general retail and e-commerce manager at Bijelić Co, a distribution company for CEE region. Responsible for overseeing authorized Xiaomi online and physical stores in Croatia and their digital marketing activities. Privately a technology enthusiast with a passion for reading.