Let’s face it, apps are here to stay. You can barely get through the week without hearing about a new, cool app your friend or coworker is using.
But with the infinite influx of apps flooding the market, competition is fierce and app marketers have realized that user acquisition is only half the battle. App users are fickle, and their limited attention spans combined with limitless app options result in a high rate of churn. We know from research that a staggering 75% of app users churn within 90 days.
How do you combat this churn? By driving strong mobile engagement with push notifications and in-app messaging. It’s no longer just optional to have these two app features – it’s a must if you want your app to succeed long-term. Below are six statistics to prove just how crucial push and in-app messaging is to your mobile marketing strategy:
Statistics on Push Notifications
1.Push notifications boost app engagement by 88% (Source: Localytics Data Team) Tweet this Stat!
When used properly, push notifications are a great way to drive users to engage with your app on a more regular basis. The key is to find the right cadence so that notifications are neither too sparse nor too frequent. Acceptable push notification frequencies varies between app industries and even end users. For example, a news app alerting users to important event updates in real time will be able to send push notifications much more often than an eCommerce app without coming off as spammy.
Pro Push Tip: A/B Test different push messaging cadences to find the right balance. Be sure to keep a close eye on user churn.
2. 65% of users return to an app within 30 days when push is enabled (Source: Localytics Data Team) Tweet this Stat!
While 65% of users return to an app when push is enabled, only 19% of users who do not have push enabled return to an app within 30 days. This statistic proves just how compelling push notifications are to your ‘app stickiness’ cause. Mobile retention is a major challenge all app marketers face today. The more a user is exposed to your app, the more sticky it becomes. Get users to enable push to keep them attached to your app like Velcro.
Pro Push Tip: Measure the % of lapsed users who re-engage with you after a push notification. This will reveal the True Impact of your campaign.
3. 50% of users opt into push and find push messages useful. (Source: Localytics Data Team ) Tweet This Stat!
Every app strives to be useful to its audience. After all, apps were invented to accomplish tasks. With 50% of users choosing to opt-in to push notifications, app marketers have a prime opportunity to prove their app’s value via push. Every push message should be segmented and crafted with the end user in mind to ensure this value is clearly depicted. For example, a weather app might send a push message to users within a particular region about an impending winter storm.
Pro Push Tip: A/B Test different offers and copy text to hone in on what’s most effective for driving users back into the app. As always, make sure your push notifications are segmented and highly relevant to the end user.
Statistics on In-App Messaging
4. In-app messages increase app launches by 27% (Source: Localytics Data Team) Tweet this Stat!
In-app messages are the perfect way to enhance the app user experience, and the above stat proves just how powerful in-app messaging can be. In-app messages should serve as a friendly guide to help navigate users through the app, giving them helpful pointers and delivering key information pertinent to real-time interactions.
Pro In-App Tip: Use in-app messaging to provide users with a solid app onboarding process that introduces key features and sets them up for success.
5.In-app messages boost engagement by 3x! ( Source: Localytics Data Team ) Tweet this Stat!
Complementary to stat #4, in-app messaging does wonders for mobile engagement. Not only will your app users return to your app more frequently, but they’ll also be much more engaged. This makes perfect sense because in-app messages serve as a roadmap to help users accomplish their desired tasks. Using in-app messages to help users achieve their goals creates highly engaged app users who turn into power users with higher conversion rates and LTVs (lifetime values).
Pro In-App Tip: Create app user profiles to ensure you serve the most tailored in-app messages possible.
6. In-App messages triggered from an in-app event increase conversion by 4X (Source: Localytics Data Team) Tweet this Stat!
We know app users expect a highly personalized experience, and by utilizing in-app messaging as part of a real-time user interaction, you deliver that one-two punch necessary to drive conversion. Giving users the information they need in a timely manner not only encourages them to convert, but also grants them a sense of security that will make them more likely to convert on a more regular basis.
The OpenTable app does a great job at this by sending users an in-app message confirming their reservation with an option to add it to Google Calendar. In addition, they send an email with the reservation information for further record. The more your app weaves into the user’s everyday life, the more inclined they are to become power users.
Pro In-App Tip: Transactional in-app messages do a great job at giving users peace of mind that their conversion action completed, but why not take it one step further with a CTA?
Owning Mobile in 2016
While many marketers may already utilize push and in-app messaging today, it’s evident from the above statistics that they are not using them effectively. Using push and in-app to simply broadcast generic messages to your entire user base is spammy, and will only increase churn. Don’t be a victim of the mobile engagement crisis. Instead, use your app data combined with powerful push and in-app engagement tools to combat churn and promote strong user experiences.
Looking for some best practices around push and in-app messaging? We’re holding a webinar on April 28th at 11:00am EST on, “The Do’s And Don’ts Of Stellar Push & In-App Marketing Campaigns”. During it, we’ll outline everything you need to know to build a solid strategy and ensure you are using these powerful tools in the most effective way possible. Click on the banner below to register:
