Did you know that the average smartphone user gets over 40 push notifications per day? No wonder some people develop a dislike for those little pings. For app owners, however, mobile notifications are handy marketing tools. Once they cut through the noise, push notifications become an invaluable form of communication with the user, promoting user retention and establishing trust with the audience.
So, how can you keep customers engaged without overwhelming them?
In this blog post, we’ll look into how push notifications work, their types, and best practices to transform your app’s push notification strategy from a liability into a viable engagement channel.
What are push notifications?
Mobile app push notifications are messages that pop up on the device's screen and serve as a way to engage and communicate with app users. As a rule, these are short messages with a call to action.
Push notifications are typically used to inform users about important updates, news, or events related to the app or its services. To receive mobile or web push notifications, users need to install the app and give their consent to receive notifications. Once a user has opted in, the app can send push notifications even if the user is not actively using the application.
These alerts can be displayed in three screen locations triggering a sound or vibration:
- Notification center
- Banner
- Lock screen
How do push notifications work?
First and foremost, there are four moving parts of any mobile app push notification. These include:
- Client app. It's an app installed on the user's device that receives push notifications.
- App server. This server hosts applications and sends notifications to the app.
- Campaign management platform. The platform is used for message building and campaign tracking.
- Operating system push notification service. At the core of Android push notifications lies Firebase Cloud Messaging, while Apple push notification service enables push notifications on iOS devices.
Keep in mind that the two major mobile operating systems, Android and iOS, have different approaches to enabling push notifications. For instance, Android grants permission automatically after Android users install an app.
Alternatively, iOS users need to decide whether to permit or deny push notifications. Without users' decisions, iOS won't send any notifications.
Comparison criteria | iOS push notifications | Android push notifications |
---|---|---|
Default option for push notifications | Users must opt-in to push notifications when asked | Users can opt out of push notifications if they so choose |
Lock screen view for notifications | Users see the contents of push notifications on the lock screen if they have enabled lock screen notifications and previews for that application | By default, notifications are always shown on the lock screen on Android |
Sticky notification alerts | No | Yes, alerts remain visible |
Pull-up control center | Users are exposed to notifications when using shortcuts | Notifications aren’t displayed in the control center |
As you can see, making your notification visible on iOS takes extra effort. As a result, these varying approaches lead to a significant difference in opt-in rates:
- Android opt-in rates for app push notifications are between 58.6% to 93.5%
- iOS opt-in rates for app push notifications are between 30.4% to 76.4%
Your app should demonstrate value to encourage users to enable push notifications. Tell your users about the app's features and what they will get with notifications. Remember, an efficient opt-in strategy is based on timing, context, and engagement.
Why do we need push notifications?
The main goal of push notifications is to allow businesses to deliver helpful, timely content, provide additional value, and keep the customer engaged. For example, push notifications can share:
- Flight information updates
- Utility messages about weather or traffic
- Sale updates or special offers
- News or sports scores
Push notifications are vital for app publishers since they provide a direct communication channel with users. Further, these notifications cannot get lost in spam filters or remain unopened in an inbox, which is likely why open rates are higher for push notifications than emails.
Now that we have covered why we need push notifications, we should dive into how they can help you. Here's how these little popup messages can benefit your app:
Improve user retention
Though we're seeing an increase in app downloads, not all apps can turn a download into active users. However, push notifications can help activate your trial users. Also, when users receive push notifications, they are reminded about your application and the business offer. According to Airship, companies that leverage push notifications can achieve a 190% increase in their 90-day app retention.
Increase message visibility
Push notifications are displayed even on the lock screen when your mobile users are inactive. Therefore, even when your customers aren't actively using the application, you still have a chance to get your message across. However, you'll want to ensure that the messages you send provide value to your users and create a seamless experience; otherwise, these notifications can turn users away.
Increased user engagement
When done correctly, mobile push messages can significantly impact your users by driving them back into your app. They can open a powerful line of communication and allow you to become closer to your customers. Short, personalized messages prompt users to revisit the application and check out updates.
Boosted conversions
Unlike ads, push notifications tend to grab users' attention and push them toward immediate action. As they are delivered directly to a mobile device, app notifications invite the user to engage with them immediately and take the target action. A push notification's success is based on delivering relevant content to the right audience at the right time without bombarding or spamming the user. Rich push notifications also lead to a higher interaction rate.
Connected user experience
Push notifications are part of the UX. For instance, when creating a customer journey map, point out key pain points when users may need notifications to improve their experience. Therefore, push notifications should be an extension of the core product, not a separate app block.
With push notifications, you have more opportunities to engage users and build a seamless user experience. Further, you can use these notifications to guide users toward getting the most out of your app.
Efficient upselling and cross-selling strategies
Upselling and cross-selling strategies are common for maximizing online sales and increasing profits. Businesses can embed upselling and cross-selling suggestions into push messages to promote more sales. For example, a push notification can inform a customer about a matching item on sale, enticing them to buy additional things and spend more money.
What are the key types of push notifications?
Push notifications can serve different purposes and help with various activities. Let's explore what types of push notifications exist and how they can enrich your communication with users.
Types of push notifications by device
- Mobile push notifications are the most common type of alert.
- Web notifications and browser alerts are sent to users who have opted in to receive updates from a website or web application.
- Users can also receive notifications on wearable devices. This type of communication is usually an extension of the mobile push notifications.
Types of push notifications by purpose
The best way to figure out what kinds of notifications your app needs to send is to analyze the app's purpose. For example, fintech users won't receive the same kind of beeps that online shoppers do. Below, we've laid out the most popular types of notifications.
1. Informative notifications
The primary goal of informative notifications is to inform users and keep them updated with events, reminders, and alerts. Informative notifications can be used for finance, e-commerce, fitness, travel, taxi, social, and messaging apps.
For example, Skyscanner sends notifications about price updates and helps users find the cheapest flights.
2. Geolocation notifications
Thanks to geolocation, you can notify your users about local events or weather updates and available restaurants and other tourist attractions in a given area. Location-based notifications are sent when users enter or exit a specific area. They are great for weather, travel, and hotel apps.
For example, Apple Weather app's push notifications can notify users about weather conditions in a given area, and Starbucks sends discounts when users are near one of their stores.
3. Catch-up notifications
When you want to re-engage your users, you can send catch-up notifications. The main goal of these messages is to motivate users to use your app. Personalizing your messaging by utilizing customer in-app activity and preferences can encourage users to re-visit your app. Catch-up notifications can be used with a broad spectrum of apps, including fitness, travel, e-commerce, and others.
For example, a fitness app can send pat-on-the-back achievement notifications for running an extra mile or completing the user's 100th run, and this reinforcement can create a deeper bond between a user and an app. Airbnb also sends catch-up reminders to users to finish their bookings or continue planning a trip.
4. Promotional notifications
Promotional notifications alert users about price drops, exclusive offers, sales, or giveaways. These messages are to drive sales by encouraging users to make purchases. Promotional messages work best as part of a multi-channel sales campaign, and they can work with e-commerce, entertainment, and subscription-based music apps.
For example, Netflix notifies users about exclusive offers and discounts. Amazon also uses these notifications to alert users when prices drop on items of interest.
5. Survey or rating notifications
These notifications can collect user feedback and help you create a seamless user experience. In addition, conducting regular surveys can help you fine-tune your solution and drive more app downloads.
For example, ASOS sends notifications after each completed order to find out what users liked or disliked about the purchasing process; this user feedback helps ASOS find buggy user experiences so they can improve their product.
6. Transaction notifications
This notification type is more common for fintech and banking applications. Every time a user receives money in their account, makes a purchase, or plans future-dated payments, they get a transaction notification sent to their mobile app. In the same way, users can get updated about potential fraudulent activities.
Next, let's look at how to unleash push notifications' power to get the most out of push alerts.
How do you create winning push notifications?
Engaging and re-engaging your users is a daunting task. Creating simple, engaging, and effective push notifications requires both art and science.
Thanks to ten years in mobile app development, we've seen thousands of push notifications. And here's how to get the best out of mobile push notifications.
Loading your notifications with engaging content
Bombarding the user with notifications isn't enough to drive sales and engagement. You need the right combination of content and visuals to have an immense impact on users. The right words can evoke emotion, prompt action, and achieve your desired result.
Though push notifications have word count limits of 100 characters for a copy and 48 characters for a title, you can still create a compelling copy within the given character limits. Here, you must identify why users need your app and create content with a clear, related call to action.
Choosing the right delivery mechanism
The best push notification is one that gets delivered, read, and reacted to. Sending the message at the right time will help you check those three boxes. To maximize push delivery, you should identify the optimal delivery time and send your messages in the users' respective time zones.
Generating a level of trust
Users should be able to opt in and out of notifications whenever they want, so you need to provide your users with this choice. This can also help you circle out uninterested users and target customers who are more likely to convert.
Remembering your existing customers
Sending offers to new or potential customers makes your loyal customers feel forgotten. So, though it's tempting to focus on potential customers, don't forget about the users you've already acquired; you'll also want to send them personalized push notifications.
Sending onboarding notifications
You need to welcome new users onboard, and onboarding notifications can welcome and educate them on how the app works. However, onboarding can either improve or ruin your users' first impression. According to the latest stats, 25% of users quit right after one use, and 77% are likely to drop the app in the next three days.
While taking advantage of push messages, you can leave breadcrumbs highlighting a different, unique feature, also known as a unique selling point (USP). This is a great way to show what your app is capable of and encourage app usage.
Tracking the right metrics
Of course, click rates are important, but you shouldn't rely exclusively on them. There are more metrics to track while optimizing your push notification strategy, including conversion, opt-in, and open rates.
- Opt-in ratio indicates the number of users who have opted to receive push notifications in your mobile app.
- Open rate is the proportion of push notifications opened and read.
- Click through rate represents how many notifications were clicked based on how many were delivered to the push notifications service.
By measuring key metrics, you can gauge the performance of your push notification campaign and refine it accordingly.
Sending the right number of notifications
"The more, the better" concept doesn't work with push notifications. According to statistics, 39% of smartphone users tend to switch off notifications whenever they are spammed with messages. Further, around 8% of smartphone users will delete the application if it sends too many push notifications.
Instead of concentrating on quantity, it's better to focus on quality. You need to study your customers, their priorities, and their needs. Make sure that your notifications reflect these factors.
There are lots of variables you need to consider while launching your campaign. There is no perfect formula for how many push notifications you should send your users. It might take you a few rounds of A/B testing to understand this figure.
Tailoring notifications to user personas
Users highly appreciate personalized messages. Here, you'll want to fine-tune messages based on particular user groups' needs.
Sending personalized push notifications shows that you care about users and value them. According to Swrve, personalized push notifications have a 21% higher open rate when compared to messages sent without the use of segmentation criteria. Remember, personalization can increase open rates by up to four times.
Summing up
Mobile app success consists of many elements, with a robust mobile app at the core. However, regardless of how robust or unique an app is, it will not succeed without users. Engaging and retaining users can be a daunting task, especially for newcomers.
In this guide, we discussed the importance and power of mobile push notifications. Here's what we learned about mobile push notifications:
- Push notifications provide a direct channel for communication between users and app providers.
- Mobile push notifications can give you superpowers to engage users and boost sales, but great power comes with its challenges.
- Sending personalized notifications can show your users that they're thought-about and valued.
No fixed formula will help you create successful mobile push notifications, but there is one rule – mobile push notifications should be personal, actionable, and sent on time. Looking for someone to implement push notifications? Reach out to Orangesoft to get a cost-efficient mobile application.