How to Earn Push Notification Opt-Ins: 7 Essential Resources

Why are push notification opt-in rates such an important metric?

Because our data shows that users who opt-in to push notifications in their push message settings are four times more engaged with apps — and are retained at double the rate of opt-out users.

Push notification opt-ins are an important component of a healthy and growing app — and a key strategy for successful permission-based marketing. And with more than seven years of experience in mobile engagement, we’ve got lots to share about opt-in best practices.

Here are seven of our most useful resources:

1) Benchmark Report: Push Notification Opt-In Rates

Part of our ongoing mobile engagement industry benchmark reports, our Push Notification Opt-In Rates benchmark report (based on 3,000 apps and 100 billion push notifications) helps you benchmark how your opt-in rates match up with your peers. It also provides tips on moving the needle if you need a boost. 

2) Top 10 Tips to Get the Opt In

Our digital strategists share their most effective tips and tricks make sure you set yourself up to get the opt-in — from your App Store description, to winning back a customer who opted out.

3) How to Present a Clear Value Proposition When Asking for Push Notification Opt-Ins 

Why should someone enable your notifications in their push message settings? They won’t know if you don’t make it clear — and most people’s inclination is to decline unless they have a good reason to do otherwise. Get proven strategies from Rue La La, NHL and Breaking News apps in this blog post.

4) Creating a “Pre-Permission” Dialog Box to Set the Stage for an Opt-In — Now or Later

Learn how to create a “soft ask” pre-permission dialog box that appears before the, “Would you like to enable push notifications” mobile opt-in screen appears from the phone's OS. This pre-permission opt-in dialog quickly and persuasively explains why a user will find your push notifications valuable. The post also shares how to set this up in Urban Airship Engage — as well as how to use automated triggers to invite users who opted out to revisit their decision and change their push message settings.

5) Onboarding Strategies to Increase Opt-In Rates

One of the main objectives of your initial interactions with a new user should be to welcome them in a way that makes them want to opt-in. Our Guide to Onboarding New App Users gives you a series of strategy questions to consider — including whether you want to delay the opt-in prompt until a user has opened the app for the second or third time.  

6) Earning (and Keeping) an Opt-In Requires Earning Trust

Is your app creating utility and putting customer needs first? If not, you’re probably going to have a hard time getting users to opt-in to your push notifications. In this post, “How Can I Entice Customers to Come Back to My App?” we focus primarily on re-engaging inactive users, but there are useful tips and ideas for getting the opt-in as well.

7) When You Can't Get the Opt-In: Using In-App Messaging as a Communication Tool

What does in-app messaging have to do with getting users to opt-in? Well, the fact is that you’ll probably never get to a 100% opt-in rate. In our blog post In-App Messaging: 5 Key Elements to Drive Better Mobile Engagement, you'll learn how and when to use in-app messages as an alternate communication channel with users — and tips for using in-app messages to ask a user to re-enable push notifications if and when the time is right.  

We hope these tips help you increase your opt-in rates — and delight your customers!

As always, get in touch with any questions — or to share tips of your own. Contact us anytime, or tweet us @urbanairship.

Want more tips on strengthening your mobile marketing strategy? Get the scoop from our digital strategists in our white paper Top 10 Questions: Best Practices and Insights From Our Digital Strategists. Download it today!