Why WorkZerk Doesn’t Use Push Notifications or SMS for Invites

We experimented in early testing with Web Push Notifications for the WorkZerk application.

Unfortunately, most mobile phone device users are inundated with notifications from a myriad of installed applications and also subscribed web push notifications (e.g. subscriptions to notifications through a browser such as Chrome, Edge or Safari).

Furtheremore, there are limitations to Web Push notifications which make the user experience frustrating for both mobile and desktop users. For example, on iOS devices there are restrictions on playing an audio alert for a new web push notification.

Also, many end users these days have disabled their phone notifications altogether, to reduce disruptions and distractions.

Even using Windows Desktop e.g. Windows 11 there are multiple ways users can restrict notifcations from being received, such as ‘Do Not Disturb’ modes, distractions free modes etc. The troubleshooting involved to determine why a user may not be receiving a notification is burdensome to say the least.

What’s more, studies have shown that users are much more likely to read and respond quickly to an SMS message rather than a push notification. SMS messages are the most reliable way to get somebodys attention and ensure a message is read in a timely manner. All other methods have shortcomings.

Underlying device operating systems can also behave in unpredictable ways in terms of displaying and delivering push notifications to end users (for both Web Push notifications and even In-App notifications).

For these reasons, we designed WorkZerk using an architecture that does not rely on:

• Users needing to install an application, download software etc.

• Users needing to ensure that their notifications will be delivered, depending on understanding a multitiude of settings which are different for each device, such as Do Not Disturb modes, notifications blocking and devices delaying or hindering notifications due to low battery or excessive notifications.

• Users needing to login using their credentials such as email address and password - again this is a massive barrier to immeidate usage for the application that we wanted to avoid.

Instead, WorkZerk relies on SMS and EMAIL communications for onboarding members into the portal, and to provide their unique portal links.

Portal member links are delivered by email using the ‘INVITE’ feature within WorkZerk.

The ability to SMS an invite to portal members is currently under development, and will be released soon.

How We Recommend you use WorkZerk

We recommend that users access their portal when it’s required by emailing an invite within WorkZerk. They do not have to have the WorkZerk application running in the background the entire time, but if they do wish to WorkZerk will not dim or turn off the screen while it’s being used (for Windows and Android users, Apple users will need to click the ‘Keep Screen Alive’ button).

WorkZerk is a ‘Hands Off’ Alert System

The only thing a portal member really needs to use and interact with WorkZerk is an Australian mobile phone number and a 4G/5G connection to use their desired internet connected browser.

Ensure Data is Correct

Probably the most important takeaway here is to ensure that all portal members within WorkZerk are setup correctly with their mobile phone number and email addresses, and they are tagged according to your Tag system.