A popular education app sends out three different push notifications every day. The first reminds students about their daily lesson at 9am, the second shares a motivational quote at lunchtime, and the third encourages them to complete any unfinished exercises at 6pm. After running this strategy for months, the team discovers something surprising—only 12% of users actually open the app after receiving the motivational quotes, whilst 67% respond to the lesson reminders. They've been wasting effort on messages that simply don't work.
This scenario happens more often than you'd think in mobile app development. Companies spend ages crafting push notification campaigns, only to discover they're shooting in the dark when it comes to performance tracking. The truth is, most app developers send notifications without properly measuring which ones actually drive engagement, conversions, or user retention.
Without proper tracking, push notifications become expensive guesswork rather than strategic communication tools
Push notifications can make or break your mobile app's success—but only if you know which ones are working and which ones are falling flat. Getting this wrong means you're potentially annoying users with irrelevant messages whilst missing opportunities to send the notifications that would actually bring them back to your app. That's where performance tracking becomes your secret weapon. By measuring the right metrics and understanding what your data tells you, you can turn your push notification strategy from random messaging into a precise tool that drives real results for your mobile app.
What Are Push Notifications and Why Do They Matter
Push notifications are those little messages that pop up on your phone screen, even when you're not using the app that sent them. They're like a gentle tap on the shoulder from your favourite apps—letting you know something interesting has happened or reminding you to come back and check things out.
Think of them as your app's way of staying in touch with users without being too pushy (pun intended!). When someone downloads your app but hasn't opened it for a while, a well-timed push notification can bring them back. When you've got breaking news, a special offer, or an update they'll care about, push notifications deliver that message straight to their lock screen.
Why Push Notifications Can Make or Break Your App
Here's the thing—most people download apps and then forget about them pretty quickly. Without push notifications, your beautifully designed app might just sit there gathering digital dust. But with the right notifications, you can keep users engaged and coming back regularly.
The numbers don't lie either. Apps that use push notifications typically see much higher engagement rates than those that don't. Users are more likely to open your app, spend time in it, and actually use the features you've worked so hard to build.
The Types That Actually Work
Not all push notifications are created equal, though. The most effective ones usually fall into these categories:
- Personalised recommendations based on user behaviour
- Time-sensitive offers or updates
- Reminders for incomplete actions
- Social notifications (likes, comments, messages)
- Location-based alerts
The key is sending notifications that genuinely add value to your users' lives—not just noise. Understanding how social psychology influences sharing behaviour can help you craft notifications that users actually want to engage with.
Setting Up Your Tracking System
Before you can measure which push notifications are working, you need to build the foundation that makes measurement possible. Think of this as installing the measuring tools before you start cooking—without them, you're just guessing whether your recipe worked.
The first step is implementing event tracking in your mobile app. This means adding small pieces of code that record what happens when users receive and interact with your notifications. Every tap, dismissal, and conversion needs to be captured and sent back to your analytics system.
What You Need to Track From Day One
- Delivery confirmations (did the notification actually reach the device?)
- Open rates (how many people tapped on your notification)
- Time stamps for all interactions
- Which specific notification campaign triggered each action
- User actions taken after opening the notification
- Dismissals and opt-outs
Most mobile app development platforms offer built-in tracking tools, but they're often quite basic. You'll probably need to integrate with third-party analytics services to get the detailed data you need for proper performance tracking.
Set up your tracking system before you send your first push notification. Trying to add measurement afterwards is like trying to remember what you ate last Tuesday—possible, but not very reliable.
Technical Setup Requirements
Your development team will need to configure unique identifiers for each notification campaign. This allows you to separate the performance of different messages and understand what's working. Without proper tagging, all your notifications will blend together in your analytics—making it impossible to optimise your strategy. If you need help with this technical setup, consider working with experienced mobile app developers who understand the complexities of tracking implementation.
The Key Metrics You Need to Monitor
When you're tracking push notifications, you need to focus on four main metrics that actually tell you what's working. I've seen too many people get lost in vanity numbers that look impressive but don't move the needle for their business.
Delivery rate comes first—this shows how many of your notifications actually reached users' devices. If this number is low, you've got technical problems to fix before anything else matters. Open rate follows next; it tells you how many people tapped on your notification when they saw it. This metric reveals whether your message was compelling enough to grab attention.
The Numbers That Drive Business Results
Click-through rate measures what happens after someone opens your notification—did they take the action you wanted? This could be making a purchase, reading an article, or using a feature in your app. Conversion rate takes things one step further by tracking whether that click led to your ultimate goal.
Here's what good numbers look like: delivery rates should hit 90% or higher, open rates typically range from 10-25% depending on your industry, and conversion rates vary wildly but anything above 2-3% is solid. Don't panic if your numbers start lower—every app is different.
Timing and Frequency Matter Too
Track when people engage with your notifications and how often you're sending them. Send too many and people will turn them off completely; send too few and you'll miss opportunities to re-engage users. Monitor your unsubscribe rate closely—if it spikes after certain campaigns, you'll know which messages aren't hitting the mark. Remember that getting permissions right from the start is crucial for maintaining healthy notification engagement rates.
Tools and Platforms for Measuring Success
Right, let's talk about the actual tools you'll need to track your push notifications. I won't lie—there are loads of options out there, and picking the right ones can feel overwhelming at first. But here's the thing: you don't need every tool under the sun to get started.
Most mobile app developers begin with the basics. Firebase Analytics is free and gives you solid push notification tracking out of the box. It shows you delivery rates, open rates, and basic user behaviour after they tap your notifications. Google Analytics for mobile apps is another solid choice, especially if you're already using it for web tracking. These platforms handle the heavy lifting whilst you focus on creating better content.
Choosing Between Free and Paid Solutions
Free tools work brilliantly for smaller apps or when you're just starting out. But as your mobile app grows, you might need something more robust. Paid platforms like Mixpanel, Amplitude, or Braze offer deeper insights and more granular tracking. They'll show you exactly which user segments respond best to different notification types—and trust me, that data becomes gold when you're trying to improve performance.
The best analytics tool is the one your team actually uses consistently
Integration and Setup Considerations
Whatever you choose, make sure it integrates properly with your existing mobile app infrastructure. Some tools require significant development work to implement; others plug in with just a few lines of code. Performance tracking shouldn't slow down your app or create a poor user experience. Test everything thoroughly before going live, and always have a backup plan if your primary analytics platform goes down. If you're considering major changes to your tech stack, you might want to explore migrating to serverless architecture for better scalability and cost management.
Understanding Your Push Notification Data
Right, you've got all this lovely data coming in from your push notifications—but what does it actually mean? I see this confusion all the time with clients who get overwhelmed by numbers and charts. The trick is knowing which bits matter and which bits you can safely ignore for now.
Your data tells a story, and like any good story, it has a beginning, middle, and end. The beginning is your delivery rate—how many notifications actually reached people's phones. The middle is your open rate—who bothered to tap on your message. The end is your conversion rate—who actually did what you wanted them to do.
Reading Between the Lines
Numbers don't lie, but they don't always tell the whole truth either. A low open rate might seem bad, but if those people who did open went on to spend money in your app, that's actually brilliant data. Quality beats quantity every single time.
Look for patterns in your data rather than getting caught up in individual campaigns. Are certain days of the week performing better? Do shorter messages get more engagement? Is there a sweet spot for timing that works for your audience?
What Your Data Is Really Telling You
Here's what to focus on when reviewing your push notification performance:
- Delivery rates above 90% suggest your technical setup is sound
- Open rates between 10-25% are considered healthy for most apps
- Conversion rates vary wildly by industry but track your own baseline
- Time-to-open data shows you when people are most engaged
- Unsubscribe rates should stay below 2% per campaign
Don't get bogged down comparing your numbers to industry benchmarks—your app is unique, and so is your audience. Focus on improving your own performance month by month.
Common Mistakes That Ruin Your Results
After years of helping companies fix their broken push notification strategies, I can tell you that most problems come down to the same handful of mistakes. The good news? They're all completely avoidable once you know what to look for.
The biggest mistake I see is not tracking the right metrics from day one. Too many people get excited about open rates and forget about the metrics that actually matter—like retention and conversion. Your mobile app might have great open rates, but if users are uninstalling after seeing your notifications, you've got a problem. Always set up proper performance tracking before you send your first notification, not after.
Timing and Frequency Blunders
Sending notifications at the wrong time kills results faster than anything else. I've seen apps send shopping notifications at 3am or fitness reminders during typical work hours. Your data will show you when your users are most active, so use it. And please, don't spam people—sending five notifications in one day is a guaranteed way to get uninstalled.
Set up A/B tests for timing and frequency from the start. Test different days of the week and times of day to find your sweet spot, then stick to it.
Ignoring the Data You Collect
What's the point of collecting performance tracking data if you never look at it? Many teams set up their analytics and then forget about them completely. Your data is trying to tell you a story about what works and what doesn't—but you need to actually read that story and act on it. Check your metrics weekly, not monthly, and make small adjustments based on what you learn.
Advanced Strategies for Better Performance
Once you've got your basic tracking sorted and you understand what your numbers mean, it's time to get clever with your push notifications. The difference between apps that send decent notifications and ones that send brilliant ones often comes down to these advanced techniques.
Smart Timing and Frequency
Stop sending notifications at random times—your users aren't robots, and they don't all live the same life. Look at your data to find when each user is most likely to engage. Some people check their phones first thing in the morning, others are night owls scrolling at midnight. Send notifications when your users are actually paying attention, not when it's convenient for you.
Frequency matters too. If someone opens every notification you send, you can probably send more. If they're ignoring most of them, pull back before they uninstall your app altogether. Consider implementing strategic timing approaches similar to those used in successful referral programs.
Personalisation That Actually Works
Using someone's first name isn't personalisation—it's the bare minimum. Real personalisation means sending notifications based on what users actually do in your app. If someone always shops for trainers, don't send them notifications about handbags. If they use your fitness app every Tuesday and Thursday, remind them on those days, not on weekends when they're clearly taking a break.
Test different versions of your notifications with A/B testing. Change one thing at a time—the message, the time you send it, or the call-to-action button. Small changes can make a big difference to your open rates, but you'll never know unless you test properly and track the results carefully. When planning these features, make sure you're focusing on essential functionality first before adding complex personalisation layers.
Conclusion
Tracking push notifications doesn't have to be complicated—but it does need to be consistent. Throughout this guide, we've covered everything from setting up your tracking system to avoiding the mistakes that can mess up your data. The truth is, most mobile app developers overcomplicate things when they're starting out with performance tracking.
Here's what really matters: pick your key metrics and stick with them. Don't get distracted by every single number your analytics platform throws at you. Focus on open rates, conversion rates, and how push notifications affect user retention in your mobile app. These three metrics will tell you almost everything you need to know about whether your notifications are working or not.
The platforms and tools we've discussed will help you gather the data—but the real work happens when you start acting on what that data tells you. If your open rates are rubbish, test different message timing. If people aren't converting, look at your call-to-action buttons. Performance tracking is only useful if you're willing to make changes based on what you learn.
One last thing: don't expect perfect results straight away. Every mobile app audience is different, and what works for one app might not work for another. Give your tests time to run, collect enough data to make informed decisions, and remember that small improvements add up over time. The apps that succeed with push notifications are usually the ones that keep testing and refining their approach, not the ones that got it right on the first try.
