Tell me, when was the last time you really read a promotional email? Can’t even remember, can you?
The same is true of your customers. Their mailboxes are clogged, their SMS folders are filled with OTPs, and their attention span lasts only a few seconds. And in so much noise, only one channel stands out and grabs their attention – PUSH NOTIFICATIONS.
Unlike emails or texts, a mobile app push notification delivers information on your user’s screen – right where it is needed & at the right moment. It’s direct, personal, and surprisingly effective in driving action.
App push notifications bring nearly 3 times more engagement than email or SMS, keeping businesses top of mind. That’s why brands everywhere are now trying to make them a part of their mobile marketing strategy.
If you are also not sure how to use these notifications effectively, you have come to the right place. This in-depth guide takes you through all – from learning what push messages are, why they work, best practices for writing them, creative examples of push alerts, and real-life success stories that demonstrate the power of push notifications.
Table of Contents
- Push Notifications – Top Statistics
- What Are Push Notifications?
- Why do Push Notifications matter? OR Why are Push Notifications important?
- Types of Mobile App Push Notifications
- 6 Best Practices for Creating Impactful App Push Notifications
- Top 10 Most Creative Mobile Push Notification Examples
- Real-Life Success Stories: How Push Notifications Revolutionized Business Strategies
- Tips For Creating Compelling Content In Notifications
- Most Asked Merchant’s Questions on Push Notifications
Before we get into the actual strategy, let’s first take a look at some interesting push notifications statistics that show just how powerful they truly are!
Push Notifications – Top Statistics
- Push alerts can increase average session rate by 182%.
- Push messages can lift purchases per user by 116 %.
- Push notifications increase average user lifetime by 73 %.
- Mobile App Push Notifications can increase engagement by up to 88 %.
- Sending one push alert in the first 90 days improves retention rate by 147 %.
- Personalized push notifications increase conversions by ~27 %, and adding rich media like images/GIFs can raise engagement by ~57 %.
- Android push notifications see an average of 4.6% CTR, while iOS averages 3.4%.
Clearly, these notifications are really effective. But before we get into strategies & examples part of our push notification guide, let’s start with the basics – what exactly is a push notification?
What are Push Notifications?
A push notification is a short, clickable alert sent to a user’s browser or mobile device, whether or not they have the mobile app or site open. These messages draw attention right away when they appear on the lock screen, in the notification center, or as a banner on the app icon. Mobile notifications can also include rich media, such as images, GIFs, and emojis, to make them more engaging and enhance the user experience.
Craft personalized, automated, and high-performing mobile push notifications that truly connect with your audience
Why Are Push Notifications Important?
There are several benefits of these notification that makes it so important, especially in the context of mobile apps. Here are some mentioned:
Enhance Message Visibility:
Get your messages seen instantly, even when the user is not actively using the app. You can send time-sensitive updates for an enhanced user experience. For example, a food ordering application uses push notifications to keep users continually updated about their order status in real-time.
Instant Communication:
Mobile app push notifications let messages be delivered in real-time so communication can be established instantly. For example, push alerts can be used by a finance mobile app to notify users of stock market movements. To promote instant interaction, it may have call-to-action buttons or rich media.
Enhanced User Engagement:
Personalized push notifications can increase click-through rates by up to three times. Well-segmented push notifications can help apps reach a larger audience.
Improved Retention:
By encouraging users to return to the app or platform, push notifications can lower user attrition. Apps improve long-term retention by creating repeating visitation habits through the regular delivery of contextual push notifications.
Driving Action and Conversions:
Push notifications can create urgency for users to take desired actions, for example making a purchase. Apps can successfully lead users through the funnel by utilizing call-to-action buttons, push messages, and in-app notifications.
Entice Your Buyers With Unlimited Push Notifications Utilizing MageNative Mobile App Builder
Types of Mobile App Push Notifications
Every user deserves the right kind of push message. Each type of notification has a specific purpose in keeping the users engaged and updated.
Check out the infographic below to explore 10 types of notifications and when to use each for maximum user engagement:
6 Best Practices for Creating Impactful App Push Notifications
Even the best app push notifications can fail if they are not planned with the right strategy. Timing, personalization, and value are the main keys. In addition to providing information, a well-designed notification for a mobile app encourages action, increases click-through rates, and enhances the user experience in general.
Here are tips you cannot exclude in your push notification strategy:
- Ask for Permission Strategically: Build trust by describing the value first before asking for access.
- Segment & Personalize: Send personalized push notifications based on user behavior and interests.
- Trigger at the Right Time: Deliver contextual push alerts during peak user activity.
- Keep It Concise: Ensure your push alerts are action-oriented and clearly state your call to action.
- Add Rich Media: Add images or deep links to enhance user experience and increase conversions.
- Manage Frequency: Ensure a balance because sending out too many push notifications can reduce response rates.
Top 10 Most Creative Mobile Push Notification Examples
H&M
H&M offers post-purchase push promotions such as “Love your new jacket? Complete the look”. It makes an ordinary order confirmation message into a tailored shopping reminder.
Google combines data from Calendar and Maps to provide real-time mobile push alerts. For example, “Leave now to reach your 10 AM meeting on time.”
Amazon
Amazon uses app push notifications to remind customers of items left in their cart, promoting instant checkouts with timely, product-related prompts.
Headspace
It sends witty push messages like “Take a deep breath – you deserve it,” mixing mindfulness and gentle humor to promote better user retention.
Duolingo
Duolingo keeps learners motivated with playful in-app notifications like “Your streak misses you!” This makes language learning fun and rewarding.
Netflix
Netflix sends insider-style, spoiler-alert push notifications, sometimes even using iconic dialogues from the series making users eager to watch.
Tinder
It captivates its audience with sassy, brand-relevant push alerts that encourage users to swipe and chat again.
Reach, retain, and re-engage your customers effortlessly with push notifications.
Real-Life Success Stories: How Push Notifications Revolutionized Business Strategies
Push notifications serve as a powerful tool, revolutionizing how businesses engage with their audience, as evidenced by some successful case studies in diverse industries.
1.TipRix:
TipRix, a retail app, saw a remarkable 35% increase in click-through rates and a significant 20% surge in sales within the first quarter by employing personalized notifications to share exclusive deals and tailored recommendations.
2.Jura:
Jura, a subscription-based service, achieved a 25% increase in user retention and doubled click rates compared to email marketing campaigns by using notifications for timely reminders and personalized content recommendations.
3.Cali Lens:
Cali Lens, a mobile eyewear retailer, experienced a 40% rise in user engagement by sending targeted notifications about new product releases and limited-time offers, resulting in a 30% boost in sales within just two months of implementing their notification strategy.
Also read: Top 5 Strategies to Re-engage Inactive Users in Your Mobile App
Tips For Creating Compelling Content In Notifications
When it comes to creating attention-grabbing notifications, a few key strategies can make all the difference in engaging your audience effectively.
- Segmentation and Personalization: Utilize data-driven insights to segment your audience based on their behavior, preferences, or location. Craft personalized messages that resonate with each segment. Tailoring notifications to specific user interests or past interactions increases the likelihood of engagement.
- Concise and Clear Messaging: Keep notifications short and to the point. Clearly convey the benefit or value the user will get by engaging with the notification. Avoid jargon or overly promotional language, aiming for a clear, concise, and action-oriented message.
- Timing and Relevance: Send notifications at optimal times based on user behavior and time zones. Ensure the content is relevant to the user’s context. Sending timely notifications that offer value based on the user’s actions can significantly increase engagement.
- A/B Testing: Experiment with different message formats, images, or call-to-action buttons. A/B testing helps in identifying what content resonates best with your audience, allowing for continuous improvement and higher engagement rates.
- Optimization for Various Devices: Ensure your notifications are optimized for different devices, be it mobile phones, tablets, or desktops. Tailoring the content for each platform ensures a consistent and seamless user experience.
By integrating these emerging trends and employing these tips, businesses can create more engaging, personalized, and impactful push notifications, thereby fostering stronger connections with their users and driving better conversion rates.
Most Asked Merchant’s Questions on Push Notifications
1. What is a push notification service?
A push notification service is a platform or technology that enables apps to deliver real-time updates or alerts directly to a user’s mobile device. Merchants that use MageNative mobile app builder have a built-in push notification service to engage their target audience with personalized push messages, segmented campaigns, automated alerts and AI generated messages.
2. What is the purpose of push notifications/ Why do we use push notifications?
Push notifications are sent to keep users engaged by providing them real time updates, offers, reminders and much more! They increase conversion and enhance click through rates.
3. What are the three types of push notifications?
Push notifications can be categorized in many ways, but the major three different types are:
- Mobile Push Notifications: These are sent from apps to users’ phones.
- Web Push Notifications: These notifications are delivered via browsers.
- In-app Notifications: These appear when users are active inside the app.
4. What is the difference between push notification and in-app notifications/ in-app messaging?
| Push Notifications | In-App Notifications |
|---|---|
| Display on the lock screen or when the app is not open. | Displayed while the app is open in its interface. |
| Designed to bring users back to the app. | Designed to guide or inform users that are already inside the app. |
5. What are the benefits of push notifications for business?
Push notification increases engagement and customer retention, enhances user experience and convince users to take action.
6. What are the drawbacks/ disadvantages of push notifications?
Despite the effectiveness of notifications, sending too many push messages can overwhelm users and result in uninstalls. Poor timing or irrelevant alerts can hurt the user experience and reduce engagement over time.
7. What is the difference between web push notification and mobile push notification?
| Web Push Notification | Mobile Push Notification |
|---|---|
| Sent via browsers on desktop or mobile. | Delivered through mobile apps. |
| Operate directly through web browsers, without requiring any app installation. | Require user consent and the installation of the app. |
8. What is the difference between Android push notification vs apple push notification?
| Android Push Notification | Apple Push Notification |
|---|---|
| It is powered by Firebase (formerly Google Cloud to Device Messaging). | It uses Apple Push Notification Service (APNs). |
| It offers more flexibility, customization, and even background delivery options. | It focuses on security and controlled user experience. |
Summing Up
In this push notification guide, we have observed that these are one of the smartest ways to re-engage, convert & retain your mobile app users.
- How NotifyGenie AI by MageNative Turns Push Notifications Into Instant Sales Triggers
- The Winning Push Notification Strategies for Maximizing Mobile App Engagement
- How to Reduce Mobile App Cart Abandonment Up to 70% Using Push Notification
Are You Looking For A Mobile App that offers Personalized Notifications?
About The Author
I’m Anusha Ansari, a content writer and a tech enthusiast specializing in Shopify. I guide merchants to optimize their stores and grow their businesses. With skills in SEO and content writing, I ensure my articles are engaging and effective. I love exploring new apps and tech trends, sharing my insights to help others succeed.
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