How Push Notifications matter in Mobile Apps

Push Notifications determine the necessity of a mobile App. If the app is not using Push Notifications, it is missing out majorly on the best marketing tool it could come across. Text messages are completely different phenomena that one might confuse with push notifications
but the purpose of push notifications is to prove the handiness of an app and one of the reasons as to why should users keep using that particular app. The appearances that they take on the lock screen might look similar but they are actually two completely different things.

What are Push Notifications?

Push Notifications are small messages designed by applications to stay in connection with the users. They are messages that inform the users about discounts, new features of the app, news, updates, etc. regarding the particular app it is being sent from. Users may or may not choose to respond to the notifications, the reasons for which we will discuss later in the blog. This communication channel built by the applications often decides whether the apps are going to be kept by the users or not.

What Decides if the Notifications will get clicks or not?

Push Notifications are all about subtle approach. The subtler and necessary the approach, the better the response the app will get. Imagine if your phone keeps buzzing with unnecessary notifications the entire time from a certain app – what would you do? Would you look for the option to shut off the push notifications or will just uninstall the application and go looking for better quieter competition? You don’t want that happening, now, do you? You need to make sure that the notifications that go on to the users phone must be of use to them or at least be enticing enough for the user to take interest in it and click to look forward.

Push Notifications can be made interesting by the addition of video content or image content along with the text that can be seen in the lock screen. The additional proof of what the text is saying will add to the authenticity of the notification adding to the reasons why the user might open it and see. The second way to make it more interesting is by compiling the message in as fewer words as possible. Using 10 or fewer words will increase your chances of being clicked and viewed than using lengthier texts in simple push notifications.

What we see in the push notifications that mostly annoy the users is the irrelevance of the notification to the user. Notifying a user about discounts on things that aren’t even available in the particular area is absolutely pointless. According to a user’s previous buy or searches on the app, one can construct a choice pattern of the user to send him very particular notifications of the kind he/she prefers. For example, if you add a particular item in your cart on the Amazon application only to buy it later when it may have some discounts on it or maybe just to buy later, Amazon sends a notification regarding that particular item or searches related to the item and reminds you to buy it. Consumers now depend upon the Push Notifications sent by Amazon for their products.

These notifications matter also when the allowed GPS connect with the application allows the application to pinpoint where a user is and if a push notification can be sent to avail something from a user being there. For example, with apps like Town Money Saver, the location of a user helps the application to send push notifications regarding that location and the discount coupons available in that location. It would help the user out in terms of being aware of the offers and deals surrounding them. Suppose if the application sends the discount coupon of a store in Cincinnati to a user in Columbus, the application is likely to get uninstalled.

Push Notifications android vs. ios

Marketing is a tool of innovation that is put to test every time by higher quality digital devices. iOS has a security feature which enables the users to choose whether to receive the push notifications or not. The installation of an app goes through a process where the OS intercepts its ability to send push notifications and aks the user. However, in the Android version, the app asks for permission to send push notification during the ‘I agree’ section. It doesn’t ask for special permission from the user. This increases the receiver base in android phones but also leads to the loss where the users won’t go the extra mile to disable the push notification feature, but just uninstall the app and find a worthy replacement for the same.

It’s all about marketing strategy. It’s a privilege of unbothering notifications for iOS users because in Apple phones the notifications aren’t readily visible to the immediate onlook, whereas, in android phones, the user has gone ahead a step to remove the notification.

Why are push notifications important to mobile applications?

Push notification is basically application reminder or advertisement that keeps the user involved with the app to keep its traffic going. Subtle and healthy push notifications that are short and sweet would rather encourage the users to open it than to shun it off. This would increase the market of the app and keep the users close to it.