The Do's and Don'ts of Push Notifications

As mobile usage skyrockets, app developers and brands continuously struggle in a highly competitive ecosystem to earn users' trust, increase downloads and app usage, and eventually monetize.

At the same time, users grow more sophisticated in terms of their mobile devices and their daily use.

They demand seamless, easy-to-use interfaces.

They consider and value personalization as a service.

They want less friction when using apps: unistalling apps brings no remorse after they feel annoyed or spammed. 

Push notifications are a crucial part of the users' mobile app experience, and should treated with high consideration. Push notifications are a important tool in the hands of app developers and app administrators, with the potential to make or break the relationship with each and every user.

Below you can discover some pieces of mobile wisdom, in order to help you increase engagement over time and incentivize in-app actions that lead to monetization.

{Do} Always Be Relevant:

Create segments of users, capitalizing on behavioral tags and "personas". Treat each segment differently, keeping both the communication message and call-to-action relevant. Creating a content editorial that includes thorough planning of push notifications will give you an overall perspective and enable various scenarios that match each persona and each app behavior. Warply's platform enables such behavioral targeting, combined with advanced analytics and retargeting possibilities.

{Do} Keep It Simple:

Push notifications should contain limited characters and go straight to the point. Want to inform consumers of new products in your grocery/retail store? Want to provide a coupon with a time-sensitive offer? Want to share breaking news?

Use verbs and a "hook" message. We offer our knowhow to our customers and advise them on best case practices, so as to maximize push notifications' effectiveness.

{Don't} Spam Users:

Give them control. A push is not an ad, so never treat it as such. Annoyed users usually unistall the app, instead of opting-out of push notifications. The right way is to lead them inside the app and in the right context, send a push notification that directs them to an one-click action.

{Don't} Ignore Timing:

Schedule push notifications (e.g. planning the time and date inside the content editorial). Define frequency to better suit your users' needs. Consider local time, if you operate in various time zones. A good example of timed push notifications can be observed in mobile gaming apps. They study which hours of the day the user is active, and they make sure to remind them just in time. Usually that coincides with  users' numb hours (while commuting, at lunch/dinner) and it varies per user.  

You won't think the same way when Candy Crash Saga informs you that you have 5 lives this evening.

{Do} Consider Location, Location, Location:

Context is not the same as timing. Especially in verticals, such as retail, context is crucial to incentivize offers. Combined with other mobile technologis, such as geolocation, geofencing and beacons, push notifications can directly influence shoppers' experience. Providing an incentive with the form of a mobile coupon or a time-sensitive offer that is valid in specific locations, is truly effective and impacts sales. 

Hope you enjoyed this blog post! It is up to you to make the most of your efforts, choose wisely your tools and transform mobile into your revenue stream.