Types of notifications
We use several types of notifications to communicate with our customers on their devices and in their Intuit products. Some common types:
In-product notifications
These messages appear in the customer’s product, next to the related action. They provide guidance and information. Usually, they’re stored in a notification center. View in-product best practices
Push notifications
Push notifications are sent from an app to the customer’s device. They tell the customer to open the app for a specific reason. Remember that push notifications are only on-screen for a few seconds and can be easy to miss. View push notifications best practices
Text messages
Customers get text or notifications on their messaging app. Your app doesn’t have to be installed for customers to get these messages, but they have to opt-in. These messages often have links and are available until they’re deleted from the messaging app.
Voice and tone
The voice and tone of notifications should be based on what the customer needs. Functional language is better than emotional language, but think about the customer's last interaction and what they could be doing.
Examples
Some things to think about:
- More emotional tone for milestones and celebrations
- More functional tone for alerts and urgent to-do's
If a customer gets a notification about taxes, we should be clear and concise. If they get a notification about being paid, it's a time to celebrate.
Urgency level
There are 3 levels of urgency that affect voice and tone—low, medium, and high.
Low urgency
These messages give the customer information based on an action they took in the product. They can be about an app-specific improvement, like a new feature.
Examples
Mileage tracking
Turn it on. Take a trip. Identify it as a business expense.
Medium urgency
These help the customer in a clear way. For example, they might encourage customers, help them celebrate, identify opportunities, or get through a workflow. The benefit is front and center.
Examples
Great news! Your federal tax return was accepted by the IRS.
High urgency
We send high-attention, time-sensitive messages to customers to resolve or complete an action. We take them to the exact point of the product to get the job done.
Examples
Share your docs ASAP
Your expert needs them by April 7 to file on time. After that, you can do your own taxes with live expert help instead.
General writing tips
Consider timing
Notifications interrupt people, so only send them when it's important and you have a good reason. If you send one at a bad time, the person might miss it or, even worse, they'll turn off notifications or delete the app.
We don't always know when, but we should avoid sending notifications at night or too early in the morning, based on the person's time zone. The only time this isn't true is when there's an urgent update.
No matter what type of notification you’re sending, remember that less is more—don’t bombard our customers with notifications.
Optimize for readability
Devices and operating systems have different character count requirements for titles and descriptions. Instead of focusing on the max character count, think about limits by device and optimizing for readability.
Keep it short and to the point
Notifications should be clear and concise. Our customers use our products to power their businesses, do their taxes, or manage their finances. Let’s keep them focused on this.
You can submit tax returns electronically beginning Thursday, January 28, 2021. [CTA: Get more details]
The IRS announced on Jan 15, 2021 that the official federal e-File start date for tax year 2020 will be Feb 12, 2021. In order to allow our tax professionals to serve their clients without workflow disruption, ProConnect will allow returns to be submitted electronically starting on Thursday, Jan 28, 2021. For important details, read the full article.
Your 2021 federal return was accepted!
Did you know we have QuickBooks Insurance? It's really easy to set up if you're eligible, and it'll change your life! Just go to Setting then search an— [out of characters]
The IRS has extended the deadline to May 15.
We're pleased to announce that the deadline to file your taxes (previously April 15) has been extended by the IRS for another month.
Provide a clear action
The call to action (CTA) should set the expectation of what happens next, whether it's leading the user to get something done, learn something valuable, or fix something quickly. See our guidelines for actions
We’re making improvements to Square deposits. Take a minute to confirm the bank account you use. [CTA: Confirm account]
We've got news for you! [CTA: Get the deets]
Your credit card will expire in 30 days. [CTA: Update your info now]
The card you have on file is going to expire.
You have 2 invoices overdue by 13 days. [CTA: Set up auto reminders]
Overdue invoices need your attention.
Make it count
We don't want to announce every little thing. We want to give customers the right information at the right time, so they don't tune us out.
Examples
Before writing a notification, ask yourself:
- Is this the best channel for this message?
- What's the customer benefit of this message?
- Who's the target audience of this message?
- What action are we asking them to take?
- Will this disrupt their workflow?
You can now track and file your sales tax through QuickBooks. [CTA: Find out how]
Time Tracking is here, save 50%
Collect and organize your client documents directly from ProConnect. [CTA: Create a request]
Turn on pay-enabled invoices to save time
Schedule a live video appointment with your bookkeeper. [CTA: Schedule appointment]
Time to get your books in order. Schedule an appointment with our tax professionals between 9 AM and 5 PM PT to review your information.
Share good news when it happens
Let them know when things are complete or they reach a goal. For more about how we celebrate the good stuff, check out the celebrations pattern.
You earned $2,500 more this month than October 2021! [CTA: See more reports]
You made a deposit! It might take some time to process.
The IRS accepted your tax return! [CTA: Track your refund]
You’ve downloaded the GoPayment App! But why haven’t you processed a payment yet?
Share bad news directly
Things break, things fail, and sometimes it’s not our fault. When possible, clearly state what happened and what we’re doing to fix it or what the customer can do to make it right. For more about how we deliver bad news, check out the bad news content pattern.
The IRS is down and returns cannot be processed right now. Visit the IRS website to stay updated. [CTA: Check status]
We’re unable to process your return at this time for reasons outside our control.
In-product notifications best practices
An in-product notification is served to a customer when they are already engaged with an Intuit product. Remember, if these notifications aren't useful, customers will ignore them.
These rules are for the in-product notifications our team writes and the system generates. They appear on the One Intuit Notification Platform.
Context is just as important as content
Notify customers in a context related to the notification. Keep content focused on helping them discover new features they can benefit from at the moment.
Did you move this year? Let’s make sure your W-2 is sent to the right address. [CTA: Review info]
Your W-2 will be sent from your employer sometime between 1/1 and 2/1. In order to make sure you can do your taxes on time, it’s important to make sure your address is correct.
You earned $2,400 more this month than in October 2020. Get a closer look at your business growth.
We’ve got news about your business growth.
Tax Profile Status: Incomplete
We’re missing a few key details. Complete your profile so it’s 100% ready for TurboTax.
Bad news: Your tax profile is incomplete.
Personalize to delight
Use opportunities to speak directly to the customer's needs and help them get their job done. Use what we know about them to create moments of delight and comfort. We're here to help them, not get in the way.
Was your tax refund accurate? Update your tax withholding to meet your financial goals. [CTA: View tax withholding]
Review your tax withholding information. Make sure your tax withholding is up-to-date so you get the correct refund amount.
Your tax return is ready! Take a look so Jorge can file before the free offer expires.
You might miss your tax deadline! Jorge must review your return or you can’t file with this offer.
Take photos of your receipts with your phone, and we’ll keep them safe until tax season.
Don’t forget to save your receipts for tax time.
Push notifications best practices
Push notifications are messages that an app sends to a customer's device. They can engage people even when they're not using the product. People need to have notifications turned on to receive them.
These principles are specific to the push notifications we send to devices. Keep in mind there are some guidelines specific to iOS and Android notifications.
Limit frequency
As a rule, use fewer notifications. People get lots of notifications from the apps they use. Adding more notifications will make people annoyed and they'll turn them off.
Examples
Before sending a push notification, ask yourself:
- Does this need to be a push notification? Is it better suited to another type?
- When was the last time they received a notification from us?
- How many other notifications are they receiving from us?
- How often should they receive this type of notification?
- How can we bundle notifications?
Use emoji with care
Use emoji in push notifications to add feeling, but not too many. Remember culture, accessibility, and tone when you choose them. To learn more, check out our emoji guidelines
Avoid sensitive information
Be careful with push notifications. They can be seen by anyone, so don't include private information that could hurt our customers if someone saw it.
Sign in to TurboTax from Santa Clara, CA
Yikes! Looks like someone is trying to access TurboTax with your device from Santa Clara.
Your April money stats are in! Let’s see how it went.
You were $3,000 over budget in April. Better luck next month.
Did you just make a big purchase? Let’s confirm this transaction.
Did you spend $1,078? Confirm now.