Use mobile app personalization to engage users on the move

“There’s an app for that,” but is it engaging its users? To remain top of mind with customers, app publishers need to deliver value at relevant and timely moments on a daily and weekly basis.  

Mobile app publishers often employ push notifications to reach users at the right time and place. By programming notifications to appear on users’ wearables or in cars, you can create contextually relevant alerts that reach customers on the move. 

If you use valuable consumer behavior data to inform these notifications, your mobile app can provide rewards and personalized insights that reach users at the right times. From alerts about traffic to updates on retailer discounts, mobile app developers can use push notifications to reach and engage customers better than ever before. 

Do you have the right data to inform your mobile app user experience? 

Although push notifications are relatively straightforward to include in an app experience, it can be tricky for app publishers to decide who they should target and when. Most mobile app developers don’t have enough behavioral data on their customers to accurately target consumers with relevant offers and notifications.  

Examples of mobility data that can help inform push notifications include:  

  • Common routes 
  • Average time spent in the car  
  • Frequent destinations 
  • Having the ability to home in on key mobility factors allows you to better understand where your customers are going —  and what offers and messaging will motivate them to take action with your app experience.  

Mobility insights provide a more accurate view of consumer habits 

So you’ve identified the data you need to deliver your best in-car push notifications — but where can you source the missing data from? Your best data insights on how people drive or use transportation are found in mobility intelligence. 

Mobility intelligence offers a unique opportunity to discover when users are on the move. With this data, insurers can better understand customers to reach them wherever they are with personalized offers on their phones, in their cars, or on wearables, like smart watches. This form of telematics is gathered by means of onboard diagnostics (OBD technology), mobile app platforms, or hybrid technologies. 

By leveraging real-time driving data, mobile app publishers can identify trends, like when customers pass your store or when they commute. But what are some of the results of relying on mobility data to create push notifications for wearables? 

Use case #1: Health and fitness apps 

Health and wellness apps primarily drive engagement by motivating users to complete their fitness goals with the help of the app. By offering users personalized reminders at the right time and place, app developers can incentivize engagement when users are most likely to respond.  

For instance, mobility data provides an inside look at when users are on common running routes or have finished their workouts. In this case, the fitness app could send a push notification to their smartwatch, prompting the user to open their app and view their workout stats. 

Use case #2: Retail apps 

Restaurant and retail apps typically achieve their best engagements by offering specific, location-based offers and deals. You can use driving data to see when users are passing your business or when they visit most frequently. QSRs and retailers can send users a notification that appears on their car’s digital dashboard with personalized offers and discounts on select items for a limited time. 

How to communicate the benefits of push notifications to users 

Once you have access to mobility data to help craft timely push notifications, you need to convince consumers of their value. Amid growing concerns about consumer privacy and a heightened interest in where and how data is collected, it’s vital to inform users of the benefits of location data and notifications. 

Some helpful tips for educating customers about location data and push notifications: 

  1. Help app users understand why location data and activity permissions are needed so they’re more likely to allow them. 
  2. Educate app users to understand the benefits of the “always-on” permission before asking for it. 
  3. Position push notifications as a value proposition to your consumers as a means for them to receive the latest deals and personalized offers when they’re on the go. 

Get personal with your mobile app experience

Arity connects you to unmatched consumer mobility data, allowing you to integrate driving information into your app experience. Partner with us to access predictive mobility insights and better reach your customers when they’re most active. 

Get in touch with an Arity team member to learn how you can personalize your in-app experience with mobility data.