Push notifications: Re-engage and retain users effectively

Push notifications: Re-engage and retain users effectively

Dear Apptics community,

Have you ever wished to proactively engage and communicate with users even when they are not actively using your app? Apptics already empowers you with features for app health, performance, usage, engagement, and growth.

We are excited to add Push notifications that will help you take user engagement to the next level and facilitate re-engagement with users!


Introduction to push notifications

Push notifications allow you to trigger notifications to your app users about important updates, events, offers, posts, etc. As the name suggests, these push notifications are app-related messages shown to your users as pop-up messages on their devices. These notifications are sent to users who have already installed your app and have enabled push notifications on their device settings.

Push notifications complement traditional methods like email, SMS, and phone calls. They serve as a highly effective channel to communicate with users, keep them informed of any updates instantly, and encourage active engagement. You can send these notifications even when your users are not actively using the app. This way, you can open new opportunities for re-engagement and boost user retention for your app.

Sending push notifications using Apptics

To start sending push notifications in Apptics, you must first complete the push notification setup. This involves authenticating the appropriate push notification service provider certificates with your app and later adding their details in the Apptics console. You need to upload the Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) credentials for Android apps and Apple Push Notification service (APNs) certificates for iOS apps. Once the necessary certificate details are provided for the package name/bundle ID, you can proceed to create and send push notifications to users. You can refer to our push notifications guide for detailed guidance.

A push notification contains many elements including text, media, action buttons, and much more. Usually, you would have to trigger them natively by sending the notification payload in your app code or using third-party tools. In Apptics, we have simplified and streamlined the process of creating a push notification in five simple steps.

1) Schedule


You start by providing a name to the push notification you are drafting for your reference. Then, you set the timing of the push notification. For the first phase of push notifications, you can either trigger the push notification immediately after publishing it or schedule the notification for a later date and time.

2) Audience


Define the target audience for the push notification by using filters and criteria.
  • Filters - Select at least one application ID to target your push notification. You can refine your audience further by filtering based on device type, model, app version, OS version, country, and user group. To measure the effectiveness of your notification, you can track the conversion rate by specifying a desired action you want users to take within the app after interacting with the notification.
  • Criteria - Set the criteria based on which you want your selected audience to receive push notifications. You can set the criteria pattern based on previous user activity (the events triggered or screens visited by your users) within a selected date range.
Notes
Note: The number of devices targeted for the notification based on the filters and criteria you apply in the Audience tab will be shown as the target device count.

Apart from selecting the audience for the notification, you can also analyze how effective it was amongst your users. You have an option as Conversion. It allows you to choose an event (that is already being tracked in Apptics for your app) and measure how many users have taken the desired action within your app after interacting with your notification.
Quote
Example: Say you send a notification for a webinar happening tomorrow. The desired action here would be for your users to register for the webinar after interacting with the notification. If the action of registering for an event from the app is tracked as an event in Apptics, you can select the same event to know how many users registered for the webinar after interacting with the push notification.

3) Content


After scheduling the notification and targeting your app users, you must provide the notification content. The content mainly includes the title, message, and image. If you have a desired action you want your users to take after interacting with the notification (of course!), you can provide the URL of the page/screen and redirect them.

4) Additional elements


Now that you have provided what needs to go in the notification, you can provide additional details to customize how the notification should appear and behave on the user's device. They include:
  • Sound to play while the notification is delivered
  • Notification payload
  • Increment app badge icon to notify unread notifications
You can also add some Android-specific elements like the notification channel, app icon, and app icon color that you can add to customize the notification appearance and sound.

5) Action buttons


The final step is to add interactive elements in the notification to encourage active user engagement. You can add a maximum of three action buttons and provide the associated details, such as:
  • Category name - It decides the notification type and action buttons that will appear. This applies only to iOS apps.
  • Action ID - A unique action ID to track user interaction associated with each action button.
  • Button label - The text is displayed on the action button.
  • Icon path - The file path of the image that will be used as the button icon.
  • Click action - The display name for the button icon.
While you create the notification and provide the necessary details, you can get a preview of the notification based on the entries you have provided so far.


Testing the push notification


In Apptics, you can test the notification once you select the timing, define your target audience, and provide the message for the notification. You can view the option to test the notification starting from the step to add content for your message.

You can test the notification on devices that are registered with APNs/FCM and have debug mode enabled in them. You can select the application ID and provide the device token, which will be available in Xcode/Android Studio for the test device. After testing the notification, what's next? Hitting the publishing button, of course!

Once you finish all the steps with the necessary details, save the notification as a draft for future iterations, test on devices, and finally publish when it is ready!

Monitoring the results


After creating push notifications, it is much more important to know if they have been successfully sent to your users. So once the notifications are triggered, you will be able to view the performance stats for the notification. They include:
  • Target count - The number of targeted devices for the notification.
  • Success count - The number of notifications that were sent successfully from the push notification service provider.
  • Failure count - The number of notifications that couldn't be delivered due to technical issues.
  • Received count - The number of notifications delivered to the user's device.
  • Opened count - The number of notifications that users opened and interacted with.
  • Conversion count - The number of times users took the desired action after interacting with your notification.
We have rolled out the push notification feature in its BETA phase, and it awaits enhancements in the future. Some of them include recurring notifications, user segments, and automation of push notification workflows. Stay tuned for interesting updates!

Cheers,
Team Apptics


        • Recent Topics

        • Enhanced data export features: XLSX format, custom character encoding, and selective record export

          Greetings all, Here are a few enhancements related to exporting CRM data, including the ability to export data in XLSX file format now. The Export feature under Data Administration now offers new options that expand its flexibility and enable users to
        • Tip #42 – How to manage data security with Privacy Settings – 'Insider Insights'

          Data privacy is a cornerstone of trust in remote support. Through Privacy Settings in Zoho Assist, you can set up how data is gathered, stored, and handled in your organization. These settings ensure compliance, data protection for sensitive details,
        • Zoho DataPrep and File Pattern configuration

          I'm using Zoho data prep to ingest data from One Drive into Zoho Analytics... The pipeline is super simple but I can't any way to get all the files that I need. Basically I need to bring all the files with a certain pattern and for that I'm using a regex
        • Introducing Dark Mode / Light Mode : A New Look For Your CRM

          Hello Users, We are excited to announce a highly anticipated feature - the launch of Day, Night and Auto Mode implementation in Zoho CRM's NextGen user interface! This feature is designed to provide a visually appealing and comfortable experience for
        • Quick Item Search & Auto-suggestion for Invoices

          Hi Team, I am facing an issue while creating invoices in Zoho Books. Currently, I have to type the full item name in the correct sequence and spelling for it to appear. For example, my item name is: "Distemper Acri Silk Special White 10kg" If I type something
        • Empowered Custom Views: Cross-Module Criteria Now Supported in Zoho CRM

          Hello everyone, We’re excited to introduce cross-module criteria support in custom views! Custom views provide personalized perspectives on your data and that you can save for future use. You can share these views with all users or specific individuals
        • Ticketbai! en el Pais Vasco

          Hola a todos, En enero de 2.022 se va a implantar en el país vasco un nuevo sistema de facturación, denominado ticketbai!, ¿hay alguna previsión de realizar las adaptaciones en zoho books o zoho invoices? Ignoro la cantidad de clientes que tienen estas
        • Zoho CRM mobile app feature update: home page widgets, field tooltips and user image upload

          Hello everyone! Your business doesn't pause when you're on the move, and neither should your CRM. That's why in our latest update, we've introduced a few new features to make your mobile CRM experience smoother and more efficient. Let's take a quick look
        • Zoho CRM Plain Text Template: Line Breaks and Formatting Issue

          Hello, I'm following the instructions to create email templates in Zoho CRM, but I'm having a problem with the plain text version. https://help.zoho.com/portal/en/kb/zoho-sign/integrations/zoho-apps/zoho-crm/articles/zoho-crm-email-templates#Steps_to_create_a_custom_email_template
        • Optimizing Task Handling: Auto-Remove Recurrence for cancelled Tasks.

          Hello Everyone, A Custom function is a user-written set of code to achieve a specific requirement. Set the required conditions needed as when to trigger using the Workflow rules (be it Tasks / Project) and associate the custom function to it. Requirement:
        • Important updates to your connectors

          Hello everyone, Greeting from Zoho Creator! We're excited to announce that we'll be rolling out significant backend updates to Zoho Creator's built-in connectors to enhance security by following the latest frameworks. The existing version of some of the
        • Create, collaborate, and manage agreements with Zoho Sign

          Agreements drive business. We launched Zoho Sign in 2017 as a simple digital signature tool to sign agreements from anywhere, at any time. Over the years, we've learned that most agreements go through last-minute changes before they're signed. Our users
        • Function #25: Automatically generate purchase orders from a sales order

          We kicked off the "Function Fridays" series with the goal of helping you automate your everyday accounting tasks. As we delve into today's post, I'm delighted to announce that we're here to present the 25th custom function in this series. While it is
        • Has Anyone successfully integrated Zoho and Sage Intact?

          Hey all, We’re evaluating Zoho One + Sage Intacct and I’m trying to connect with anyone who has actually implemented the two together.Specifically, I’d love to know: -- Which functions you kept in Zoho vs. Intacct (e.g., Product Catalog, AR/AP, invoicing,
        • 5名限定 課題解決型ワークショップイベント Zoho ワークアウト開催のお知らせ (9/25)

          ユーザーの皆さま、こんにちは。Zoho ユーザーコミュニティチームの藤澤です。 9月開催のZoho ワークアウトについてお知らせします。 今回はZoomにて、オンライン開催します。 ▷▷参加登録はこちら:https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/6OSF2Bh6TumsMIlDwaY_PQ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Zoho ワークアウトとは? Zoho ユーザー同士で交流しながら、サービスに関する疑問や不明点の解消を目的とした「Zoho
        • hiding a topic from all but one segment (or list)

          My organization sends out a number of newsletters using Zoho Campaigns. One of those newsletters is for volunteers. In order to become a volunteer, a person has to first go through our volunteer orientation (training). After that, they can receive newsletters
        • How do I set up this automation correctly?

          When contacts enter my Subscribers list, I want it to reference a custom field to see if it is empty. Then I want it to do two things: If empty: Assign a tag based on a different custom field. If that custom field is empty, assign a different tag. If
        • Custom confirmation message

          How can I change the message that users see after they submit the booking form? I have to confirm some details before their appointment is officially "confirmed", so I want to change it where it doesn't say their appointment is "confirmed" but rather
        • Has anyone integrated SMS well for Zoho Desk?

          Our company does property management and needs to be able to handle inbound sms messages which create a ticket for Zoho Desk. We then need to be able to reply back from Zoho desk which sends the user an sms message. This seems like a fairly common thing
        • Desk x CRM Integration

          Howdy! We currently use SalesIQ but we are considering moving across to Desk as it seems to have more functionality that we want. One of the pulls is the ability for our customers to self serve. But, I might be getting over excited and not actually need
        • Issue with Save & Share Link – Works for Others but Not Creator

          I’ve enabled the "Save and Share" feature in Zoho Forms, and it works correctly for all users accessing the public link—except for me (the form creator). Issue Details: When I save and share the link, recipients see a “no permission” error. The form is
        • Save the pdf report from a registration form in a Folder

          Through Zoho Forms I created a registration form with quite a lot of rules to handle different variables (TEAM types, payment in installments, etc.), and the result is pretty good. The automatic PDF that is sent to the respondent upon submission is already
        • zoho forms integration to zoho work drive

          Scenario: A user fills out a Zoho Form, entering details such as email, mobile number, and other required information, and uploads supporting documents like PAN, Aadhaar, etc. Upon submission, the data is available in Zoho Forms Reports. Requirement:
        • Zoho Forms to Zoho CRM Integration failed - can I restart it?

          The integration of Zoho Form to Zoho CRM has failed. Is there a way for me to restart it for the impacted entry?
        • insert an equation, but in document, it shows an image not available.

          I'm new to Zoho writer and used Zoho writer in desktop app version . When I inserted an equation, I got an image not available sign. Any help is appreciated. Thanks, Charles
        • Zoho Desk Android app update - Swipe action customization

          Hello everyone! We have brought in support for the swipe action customization in latest version(v2.9.13) of the Zoho Desk Android app update, enabling you to configure left and right swipe gestures on tickets to carry out the actions swiftly without opening
        • Import KB template OR Export template for zoho desk?

          Greetings. Can you tell me if there is a way to get an EXPORT of my KB articles? OR is there a template you supply for importing KB articles into my zoho desk? I am looking for a method of understanding what fields can be imported, and what their possible
        • XML format to import knowledgebase into Zoho Desk

          Hi, We just started to use Zoho Desk and want to import our knowledgebase from our old support system (Freshdesk) to Zoho Desk. Can anyone give us information about the format of xml file to import? There is no explanation on the related page.
        • Zoho Desk integration with Power BI

          Hi, I want to be able to create a Power BI report which has live updates of ticket data from zoho desk, is this possile at all? Thanks Jack
        • Arranging Ticket Templates

          Is there any way to arrange our ticket templates? It doesn't look very organised when it's just arranged according to when they were created. We want the list to look more organised, by arranging/grouping them by topics, or even just by alphabetical
        • New Mandatory One-Click Unsubscribe Link Overshadowing Custom Unsubscribe Link

          I was recently informed by Zoho CRM Support that they are now mandated by the large email service providers like Google and Yahoo to provide a one-click unsubscribe option in the header (not the body) of all mass emails. I have a custom unsubscribe link
        • What they mean with "Portal"?

          I just downloaded this app to take my personal notes on digital art studio because it seemed to me the most comfortable app to do it, I use it very often, what do they mean by “no activity on your portal”? I have about 1 year of work here and I don't
        • Inactive User Auto Response

          We use Zoho One, and we have a couple employees that are no longer with us, but people are still attempting to email them. I'd like an autoresponder to let them no the person is no longer here, and how they can reach us going forward. I saw a similar
        • favorites no longer listed

          Hello, I can no longer navigate to my Favorites from the pulldown at the top of my grid view (see attached screenshot). I wasn't able to find it anywhere! Please help me display my Favorites. Thank you!
        • Notecards Disappeared

          Got a new phone. Downloaded and signed in Zoho Notebook. Not finding the Note cards. Just Empty Note books. Frustrating.
        • Table Errors

          Hello, I'm new to Zoho Notebook and using it on several Mac/Apple devices. My question is regarding tables: Why do they become broken, and how to fix the error without retyping all my data? (Please see the screenshot attached.)
        • Aggregating the First Value in the Group By of a dataset

          Hi I am trying to get the following Aggregate Formula to work in my chart, but cannot seem to get the right format. I have a series of data that I am running an include_groupby and want to SUM only a column in the first row of each group. So for example.
        • Zoho Tables instead of Zoho Creator Spreadsheet reports <3

          That would make my day for sure. Zoho Creator is create, but miss data entering as AirTable/Spreadsheet can. Seeing Zoho putting effort in this makes me think maybe one day we could see a similar interface for Zoho Creator spreadsheet reports. B.
        • Zoho Sheet - Desktop App or Offline

          Since Zoho Docs is now available as a desktop app and offline, when is a realistic ETA for Sheet to have the same functionality?I am surprised this was not laucned at the same time as Docs.
        • Notebook Stack

          Hi Everyone I Hope you´re fine, I´m sorry if this idea was posted before (I made a search but I haven´t find anything related). So, Having the possibility of stacking notebooks would be an interesting way to order notebooks that correspond to the same
        • Next Page