Chart Of The Week: More Than Half Of App Users Enable Push Notifications

Convincing mobile app users to opt-in for push notifications is the first challenge in implementing a successful push notification strategy. Based on data collected by MIDiA from 5 leading vendors 53% app users enable notifications. While this number serves as a notification landscape benchmark, it is important to note that opt-in rates vary according to factors including mobile platform, industry vertical, and individual app characteristics:

• Android, iOS, and the power of opt-out data: iOS users have to manually opt-in to notifications while Android automatically opts-in on behalf of users, with the possibility of manually opting out later. This is a key driver behind the differences between rates across the two platforms. This is often disingenuously represented as 100% opt in rates for Android, however, Android users do frequently and swiftly opt out of notifications.
• Opt-in rates vary across and within verticals: Some app categories lend themselves better to push notifications than others. This is largely based on how integral a part notifications can play in an app’s value proposition. For example travel and transportation categories often achieve some of the highest opt-in rates because timely, location-specific travel information has clear value. In comparison, Food and drink apps achieve lower opt-in rates due the content lacking the same time and location specific content. Creating additional value through notifications is arguably more difficult with on demand content apps (e.g. video, music, recipes) rather than utility apps (e.g. navigation, stock trackers).
• Convincing to opt in is getting more difficult: One vendor’s data showed opt-in rates declining from 45% to 43% in 2014, with retail in particular – a core push vertical – in particular dragging down the rate. Although the average number of apps per device remains stable, more apps are deploying notification campaigns. The greater the frequency of push campaigns the higher that opt out rates will go.

This data and analysis is taken from the MIDiA report: ‘Push Notifications: Vendor Landscape And Best Practices’. For more detail on how to get this report email us at info AT midiaresearch.com