What are in-app notifications?
What are in-app notifications?
As the name suggests, in-app notifications are alerts that appear to users when they are actively using an app. They are designed and implemented by app developers, meaning that when it comes to design and customization, the options are endless.
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In-app notifications typically appear in the form of notification bars/banners or modals. Notification bars appear horizontally across the screen (usually at the top) and are designed to be minimally intrusive, sharing a discount offer or similar but not disrupting a user’s navigation through the app. Modals (consider these the mobile equivalent of the pop-up box on desktop) focus a user’s attention on an important message or request, for example, rating the app or opting in to specific app-related content. Modals do momentarily interrupt the user’s app experience, so it’s vital to build in a quick and obvious way to exit.
In-app notifications can take up a device’s full screen, but most appear as an overlay with the user’s current app screen visible in the background. This maintains user trust and makes it clear that this additional, unsolicited content is part of the in-app experience.
In-app notifications are not to be confused with push notifications, which are “pushed” to users’ devices whether they are in the app, in a different app, or in no app at all. Users have the ability to disable push notifications, but not in-app notifications.
Branded in-app notifications
Carefully considering the content of a modal is one thing—taking design to the next level by fully branding your in-app notifications and making them reflective of your app’s styling truly pays dividends. Consider rich content such as images and videos to engage your users and pique their interest. Branded notifications can appear significantly more “native” than basic modals, giving the user confidence that what they’re seeing is a continuation of the app experience, not an ad or other third-party content.
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What is the purpose of in-app notifications?
In-app notifications can be used for a multitude of purposes, depending on the business need. Ask yourself what strategic goals you’re currently focusing on, and take it from there to determine the user action(s) you’re hoping to encourage.
Maybe you’re aiming to boost the number of users opting in for push notifications, so that promotional offers you’re sharing have greater reach. In this case, a modal offering users the chance to opt in is a step in the right direction. Perhaps you’re hoping to incentivize user referrals to bring more users into your app community—in this case, a referral link notification (see the Lively example pictured above) is a strong move.
Optimizing your in-app notification strategy
You can be selective when it comes to in-app notifications—rather than displaying them to all users, target specific user groups to appeal to the behaviors of particular segments.
As is the case with any additional in-app content (in-app ads, in-app notifications, etc.), it’s important to remember that less is often more. Overdoing disruptions—they may be brief and they may be easy to dismiss, but they’re still minor disruptions—is the name of the game to keep users happy and engaged.
A/B testing is an effective way to understand which notifications are landing well with your users, so you can double down on the messaging that’s resonating positively, engaging users, and leading to desired actions or outcomes.
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When you set up your app in the Adjust dashboard, you can add a whole host of user events that you’d like to measure. These include actions often associated with in-app notifications, such as social media shares and friend invitations.
Read more about Adjust event setup and request a demo to speak to the team and see hands-on how you can enhance your in-app experience and measurement capabilities.
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