What is a push app? Complete guide to push notifications

Push notifications: an essential communication channel

Push notifications, or "push app", are messages sent directly to the user's smartphone, even when the application is not open. This mechanism has become a pillar of modern mobile app engagement strategy.

How do push notifications work?

The mechanism relies on three main actors:

The technical flow is as follows:

• The app registers with the push service and obtains a unique token
• This token is sent to the application's back-end server
• When the server wants to send a notification, it contacts FCM/APNS with the token and message
• The push service delivers the message to the device

Different types of push notifications

Best practices for effective push notifications

Personalisation and segmentation

• Segment your users by behaviour, location and preferences
• Personalise content with first names and contextual data
• Use machine learning to optimise send timing

Frequency and relevance

• Don't exceed 3 to 5 notifications per week to avoid fatigue
• Each notification must bring clear value to the user
• Offer granular notification settings within the application

Technical aspects

• Implement rich notifications (images, action buttons, custom sounds)
• Handle deep links to redirect to the right page in the application
• Test on both platforms: behaviour differs between iOS and Android

Business impact of push notifications

The numbers speak for themselves:

• Push notifications increase 90-day retention by 190%
• Average open rate is 4.6% (compared to 1.5% for email)
• Users who enable push have a 3x higher LTV

Implementing push with your team

Setting up a robust push notification system requires skills in mobile development and back-end architecture. At Neoshore, our dedicated teams master Firebase, APNS and real-time messaging architectures.