Finding the right way to utilize
mobile push notifications is both an art and a science. If you have an app and
you’re trying to goose users into action, push notifications are the way to go.
Here I will break down the not-yet mighty push notification, general best practices,
opt-in best practices, two main ways to segment your customers, timing best
practices and push notification types.
General best practices:-
1. Provide Value – What does your customer get out of
interacting with your push notifications? Is it an exclusive sale? Whatever it
is, make sure it’s clear and gives the user insider access to something that
non-users won’t get.
2. Make it visual – Adding pictures and videos
to a push notification can result in more powerful storytelling by triggering
emotional responses in users that plain text simply can’t. If you’re selling a
product, that’s on sale, add a picture of the product. If a deal is expiring,
add a clock.
3. Personalize – If you’re communicating directly on
the phone’s interface, include the user’s name to mimic the feel of a
one-on-one conversation.
Opt-in best practices for Push Notifications – Before users
take any action on your push notification, they must opt-in.
1. Convey the value of your push notifications – Include value
proposition that specifically focus on the benefits users will receive from
push notifications. Ensure these value propositions are display under the app
store description, as well as when users first engage with the app.
2. Wait for right time to ask for the permission – Resist asking
users to opt in right when they open the app, they won’t understand the full
value of the service yet. Let users explore the app first, and then ask for
permission when they are at a point where there is a clear need that push
notifications could satisfy.
3. Use a “soft-ask” approach - First, use
in-app messaging to ask users if they want to receive push notifications. If
the user says “yes,” then present those users with the official permission
prompt. If the user replies “no,” allow them more time to find value in the app
before asking again.
4. Consider making an in-app micro-permission control
center – In-app micro-permission control centers allow users to
select the types of notifications they are interested in receiving.
5. Leverage in-app messaging on customers who refused to
grant permission – While you can only send the official permission prompt
to a user once, you can leverage in-app messaging as many times as you want.
Customers who answered “no” to official permission prompt should be targeted
with in-app messaging that highlights the benefits of receiving pushes from the
app. These messages should also include a link to “Settings” from which push
notifications can be enabled.
Segment Push notifications according to Behavior – The more
tailored to its audience a push notification is, the higher its open rate will
be. As such, segmenting is imperative. One effective way to segment your user
base is through their behavior. Looking at the various ways customers interact
with the app provides valuable insight into what they care about and how
engaged they are with the brand. This, in turn, helps us understand how often
we want to send them pushes and what aspects of the app to highlight when we
do.
Segment Push Notifications according to user
Preferences – Another effective way to segment users is by their
preferences, which informs strategy on which products customers care about the
most. We can gain insight into user’s preferences by looking at their past
engagement with products through the app and website and by defining their
inclusive and exclusive traits.
1. Inclusive Traits – When a user interacts with
a product through the website or app, this indicates they have a positive
preference towards that item.
2. Exclusive Traits – When a user ignores
promotions or emails for a certain product, this indicates they might have a
negative preference toward that item.
Timing for Push Notifications – The effectiveness
of any push-notification strategy is largely dependent on timing. The day of
the week, time of day and frequency at which you send push notifications can
drastically affect their open rates.
1. Consider your users time zones – The last
thing a push notification should do is wake a customer up in the middle of the
night. Take time zones into account to ensure that all customers are receiving
pushes at reasonable times.
2. Avoid Scheduled blasts – Think
about what times and days during the week your users typically engage and
consider how this may vary by region, demographics and user behavior.
3. Progressively increase the intervals between pushes
for disengaged customers – Customers who are disengaged with the app must be
dealt with very carefully, as sending too many pushes to someone who isn’t invested
in the brand could easily cause them to delete the app. Use a push strategy in
which you progressively add more time between each push.
4. Never stop testing – While these guidelines may
provide a nice starting point for a push strategy, it’s imperative to keep
testing and honing your timing and cadence to find the optimal times to reach
users.
Notifications Types – There are
many different types of push notifications that can be used to accomplish a
variety of goals, ranging from informing users of new promotions to providing
them with industry-related entertainment.
1.
Welcome
Push
2.
Preference
based Push
3.
Cart
Abandonment Push
4.
Delivery
update Push
5.
Topical
Push
6.
Promotional
Push
Once you’ve gotten users to download your app, push notifications are a great way to
increase conversions and revenue – but don’t abuse the privilege. Be thoughtful,
be relevant and be helpful and your users will reward you by engaging.
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