Push Notifications: Useful or Annoying?
Kosala Aravinda
17 replies
Let's discuss the pros and cons of push notifications. Are they enhancing user engagement or causing notification fatigue?
Replies
David Laubner@bostondave
It's a real estate game. The average person has 100s of apps on their phone if we're talking mobile and browser notifications are the worst. Real utility is required here or you will just turn off your users.
I block all push notifications for every app I install and never allow them via the browser.
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Hey @bostondave, I see your point, and that's a valid point. I start by blocking all notifications, and then if I see value in the app to be kept notified, I enable notifications. But then I wish I could pick and choose what type of notifications I want to receive.
Most of them are annoying (especially the ones that validate some activity in their apps so you can come back). A few exceptions though: 2-step verification, payment confirmation, new emails/slack/comms directed to me.
@steve_lourdessamy Interesting.. I see your point! Maybe have priority levels.. so if it is a payment notification, then you will get notified as a push notification, but if it is a friend request, for example, you can see them at your own time...
Launching soon!
Sometimes useful - I've allowed them with Product Hunt and its kept my streak going haha
Both. Useful if they remind me of something I actually care about. Annoying if they're just spamming my screen for no reason.
@ethan_ross_u5 It is finding the right balance. Would you pick and choose which updates you would notify users about?
They can be useful, but usually they tend to be annoying as people use them just like if it's their main communication channel. For crying out loud, set your personalization algorithms so I don't get notifications on the features and services of your app I don't use. That's got to be simple, isn't it?
Hey @burmistrov, Damn, there's some golden nuggets there! You just hit the nail on the head, my man! No one cares about the features of the app LOL! I think most apps tend to think people care... I am in the same boat as you. I think people care about the value-add it would impact them personally! I like the "personalization algorithm" take on this... we need to be more empathetic towards users...
Most of them are not useful. Brands only use push notifications to sell, sell, sell!
Bad move!
When you have access to someone's phone real estate, be useful and helpful.
I don't want to buy a Zara shirt every week.
Hey @pointae, Yo, that's so true. Not everyone needs a shirt every week ROFL! Just like @burmistrov mentioned above, brands should not be using this as a communication tool but a reminder... I don't know how I feel if my alarm starts communicating instead of sticking with reminding me what I want it to remind me of...
As long as notifications are purposeful and used sparingly, I don't think they are an issue.
Hey @scottlabsai, thank you, that makes sense. With what you are saying, the keyword I took is "sparingly". I have been bombarded by notifications from X recently, and I want to read them, but at the same time due to the blasting of notifications, you tend to miss out on important ones.