Push notifications are an important part of any mobile app business. An effective push notification strategy helps to drive app engagement and app retention. It can also have a direct effect on your mobile app revenue or app monetization strategy.
Many developers understand the value of push notifications in relation to communication. Whilst this is one of the main benefits of adopting a push notification strategy, there are other rewards that developers can tap into.
These rewards are slightly different depending on the kind of app that you have. There is evidence that effective push notification strategies have a strong impact on in app monetization. We’ll look at what you can gain, other than engagement, from developing and nurturing your mobile app push notification strategy.
Abandoned carts, lost revenue
Users abandon 90% of mobile shopping carts. That’s a high number that app owners can combat with an effective push notification strategy. This is especially true if you create the right strategy. One in which your push notifications follow the golden rules of push.
Push notification best practices
- Relevant – always ensure that you send push notifications to users at the best possible moment. Don’t send notification at times which aren’t relevant. This will decrease app engagement and ultimately app monetization.
- Helpful – Your push notification service must be able to provide value to the user. A successful push notification strategy will communicate helpfully to the app users at the point of delivery.
- Analyse data – always use data to inform your push notification strategy. Measure everything, hypothesize, test and repeat.
Now, this presents developers with a huge opportunity. With such a high number of mobile users abandoning baskets, app owners must address the issue. One way to reduce the number of abandoned baskets, and increase app revenue, is through the use of relevant push notifications.
Now we’re talking about something different to sending generic push notifications. Also, let’s remember – relevance doesn’t only mean addressing a user by name. Push notifications are much more effective when you consider relevancy. So let’s look at how you can adapt this into your push notification strategy to boost revenue.
The traditional abandoned basket push notification journey goes like this:
This push notification strategy may work in some cases. But the effectiveness of the push notification can be improved if it’s delivered at the right time.
You need a push notification service that allows you to understand and engage with your users at the right moment. Remember the push notification best practices – how can we apply them to this situation?
One way you can apply these to your push notification strategy is by using location.
Back to our abandoned cart push notification. Layering this push notification with location can achieve a much better result.
What is a location-based push notification?
A push notification strategy that uses location delivers push notifications based on the users’ location. This is helpful for many reasons. One is that it allows communicating specific messages to users in helpful and relevant moments. This translates to better engagement, and in turn, better in app monetization.
So in the case of an abandoned basket, we can hypothesize a few locations in which it would be helpful to remind a user.
One might be when they are in a consumer shopping location. The user will already have shopping on the mind and in most cases where they have forgotten about the items in their basket. Communicating with the user in this moment is much more likely to produce engagement.
Of course, this can be fine-tuned depending on what your app offers to its users. If you have more niche items then you can increase the specificity. For example – sports goods, communicate when they leave a gym.
Using push notification as reminders in relevant locations rather than sending generic cart abandonment messages will dramatically improve your app revenue.
User purchases
Now here’s another look at how mobile push notifications can have a positive effect on your mobile app revenue. If your app offers users the option to purchase goods, be it physical or digital, then push notifications can be useful.
Again, look at when it could be beneficial to deliver these notifications. If you can find a way to deliver value to your users then you’ll boost engagement over time. This will translate into better app revenue and improved monetization of apps.
Try informing and promoting user purchases at the right moment. In times of value, you will dramatically improve your revenue from in-app purchases.
It’s not as simple as picking a single time or day. Push notification strategies should be based on more than that. Namely, the location and situation of the user. That’s where location comes into your push notification strategy.
Try sending promotions or communicate in-app purchases at a moment of locational relevance to the user. Again, this will vary depending on the type of app or the type of purchase, but let’s look at a few examples.
Let’s say you have a language learning app with a subscription model. You could offer a promotion for the subscription to entice users into subscribing. But you can go one step further with location. Try sending notifications to the users when your users return from a trip through an airport.
These are just one example. You can get ultra-specific with your location based push targeting. The more precise you get, the more engaging your push notification strategy will be. More engaged users mean better app monetization.
Get in touch to see how location can specifically improve your app and help you generate more app revenue.
Time in app – monetization
If you have considered your app monetization strategy you’ll know that the monetization of apps is affected by the number of time that users spend in your app. That’s app engagement, and it’s something that push notifications can directly improve.
Therefore, by crafting an effective push notification strategy, you can allow your users to spend more time in your app. This will lead directly to improved app revenue.
Consider the push notification best practices when trying to boost app engagement and retention. The effectiveness of a push notification strategy is improved with location.
So in terms of engagement – we can look at ways that location-based push notifications can improve app engagement metrics. This is to do more with communicating with the users at the right time to encourage them to spend more time in your app.
Always have your in app monetization strategy in mind when considering your push notification strategy. push notifications can be useful beyond engagement. Stick to the push notification best practices and you’ll be on your way to more app revenue.
Conclusions
- App push notifications can boost app revenue and the monetization of apps, as well as engagement.
- Push notifications best practices include being relevant, helpful and data-driven.
- Adding location to your push notification strategy is an effective way to improve engagement and revenue.
Grow your app with Tamoco
James is the head of marketing at Tamoco