The Art of Push Notifications: Finding the Perfect Balance
Push notifications can be a powerful tool for engaging your app’s users, but when done wrong, they can lead to a disastrous user experience. The consequences can be severe, resulting in users deactivating notifications or, worse, uninstalling the app altogether. In this article, we’ll explore the importance of finding a balance with push notifications and learn from real-world examples of both successful and failed strategies.
The Dark Side of Push Notifications
Let’s take a look at two modern companies that didn’t quite get it right: Groupon and Pinterest. Groupon’s aggressive email notification strategy initially proved successful, but eventually led to a significant drop in engagement and sales. The company’s overuse of notifications resulted in users opting out, and their email channel lost its effectiveness.
Pinterest, on the other hand, tried to increase user engagement by sending more notifications, but ended up overwhelming users with too much information. The notifications, although well-intentioned, were not user-focused, leading to frustration and annoyance.
Doing Push Notifications Right
So, how can you avoid making the same mistakes? Here are some essential tactics to consider:
Ask for Permission
Before sending notifications, ask for permission at the operating system level. Timing is crucial – consider asking for permission after the user has had a chance to discover the value of your app.
Create a Strong Onboarding Experience
Implement a good onboarding strategy to showcase the usefulness of notifications within your app. This can include tooltips that hint at features, allowing users to see the benefits of notifications firsthand.
Find the Right Amount
Experiment to find the perfect frequency of notifications for your app. The right amount depends on the purpose of your product, but remember, it’s about providing value to your users, not selling something.
Time Them Well
Consider the optimal timing for each notification, taking into account the user’s workflow and daily life. Allow users to customize notification times if it makes sense for your product.
Use Precise Wording
Be concise and clear in your notifications, using rich notifications with images, titles, and body text to provide value even when users don’t tap on them.
Make Them Relevant
Personalize notifications based on user needs, goals, and preferences. Use location-based notifications if suitable, but always ask for permission.
Allow Customization
Offer users the ability to customize notifications, respecting their preferences and needs.
Ensure Proper Implementation
Use a third-party service to handle push notifications, ensuring scalability and reliability. Experiment with different providers to find the one that best fits your needs.
Learn from Exceptions
While there are general rules for push notifications, there may be exceptions to the rule. Be open to experimenting and finding what works best for your specific app and user base.
A Positive Example: Duolingo
Duolingo, a language-learning app, is a shining example of how to do push notifications right. They focus on positive reinforcement, personalization, and human interests, making their notifications engaging and motivating. Their notification types include learning reminders, motivation through competition, personalized recommendations, and streaks.
The Bottom Line
In the end, it’s all about providing value to your users. Push notifications are a delicate balance, and it’s essential to ask yourself for every notification: is this user going to benefit from this information at this moment? Remember, it’s an honor to get permission to send notifications, so do it respectfully and always provide value.