In-app notifications: How to make the build vs. buy decision
Elevate user engagement and retention with in-app notifications
In today's digital landscape, where consumers are bombarded with information and have limited attention spans, product managers must find innovative ways to boost engagement and retention. In-app notifications emerge as a crucial element in crafting a successful communications strategy. Let’s find out why!
What are in-app notifications, and why are they useful?
In-app notifications are relevant, personalized, and timely Application-to-Person (A2P) messages, supported by rich media, sent within a company’s app. They are frequently used to communicate critical information, offer updates, or engage users with information relevant to their current usage of the app. In-app notifications can be hyper-relevant due to the robust programmatic triggers for sending notifications based on user actions, behaviors, or context. In-app notifications are most useful as part of a notifications feed that centralizes notifications.
An in-app notifications feed is critical because businesses can send rich, personalized, interactive messages that persist inside the mobile app, so users can easily engage with and act on the notifications as and when needed. As the notifications are delivered in the mobile app, 100% of users are automatically opted-in; users will never miss important notifications or deal with the burden of comprehending or consolidating different messages coming from different business units or phone numbers. With an in-app notifications solution like Sendbird Notifications, messages are securely delivered inside a centralized screen in the app, giving the brand 100% share of voice and the users a central area on which to rely.
In-app notifications: To build or to buy?
When integrating in-app notifications, you have two options: build your own system or use Sendbird for a ready-made solution. Building in-app notifications in-house presents six key challenges. The challenges and solutions are summarized in the table below.
Field | Challenge | Sendbird solution | ||
| UI/UX design | Requires ongoing, coordinated efforts across design, engineering, and product teams, including platform-specific designs. | Offers a customizable Notification Center, easy to integrate without extensive team coordination. | ||
| Engineering | Involves complex front-end and back-end development, including API optimization and message retention policies. | Provides pre-built templates and robust APIs for secure, scalable, real-time notifications. | ||
| Management | Demands a sophisticated admin dashboard for messaging, analytics, and A/B testing. | Ready-to-use admin dashboard with user-friendly features for effective notification management. | ||
| Analytics | Requires significant resources to provide robust analytics features and actionable insights. | Built-in analytics for detailed campaign metrics. | ||
| Scalability & performance | Challenges in handling large-scale user bases and traffic spikes. | Proven scalability, handling over 7 billion messages monthly. | ||
| Security & compliance | Ensuring GDPR and HIPAA compliance is crucial. Don't underestimate the potential brand fallout from lax security. | Offers built-in compliance and security measures. |
Solve the build vs. buy problem
Why choose Sendbird Notifications?
Sendbird Notifications offers a comprehensive solution for implementing in-app notifications, catering to modern mobile and web app needs.
Key advantages of Sendbird Notifications
Reduced time to market: By eliminating the complexities of building an in-house system, Sendbird significantly accelerates the implementation process.
Predictable cost structure: Sendbird's simplified pricing model, including zero maintenance fees, provides a predictable and manageable financial structure.
Unparalleled scalability and reliability: Sendbird's proven platform, handling over 300 million monthly users and 7 billion messages, ensures scalability and reliability.
Ease of use: Sendbird's intuitive interface and seamless integration with tools like Clevertap make it easy to get started and send notifications quickly.
FAQs
1. Is Sendbird's notification service GDPR and HIPAA compliant?
Yes, Sendbird takes care of all the compliance requirements, including GDPR and HIPAA, ensuring that your data is encrypted and your brand remains secure.
2. How difficult is it to switch from an in-house solution to Sendbird’s in-app notifications solution?
Transitioning to Sendbird is seamless, and you can integrate it into your existing infrastructure without much hassle, as Notifications is powered through a single, unified API across all channels. There are varying implementation times for Sendbird Notifications, but we've seen customers complete the setup in as little as a week.
3. What kind of analytics can I expect for my in-app notifications?
Sendbird provides robust analytics through the Dashboard, allowing you to measure key metrics such as impressions, clicks, and click-through rates for all notification types.
5. Can Sendbird Notifications be customized to fit my brand's look and feel?
Absolutely. You have the option to either use our customizable UIKit for a quick, yet personalized, setup or build the UI from scratch to fully tailor the experience using our SDK.
Start building in-app notifications with Sendbird
Creating an in-house notification system is a multifaceted challenge. Sendbird Notifications offers an efficient, reliable alternative, removing the complexities and letting you focus on your core product.
Ready to quickly and easily implement in-app notifications? Schedule a demo today, or contact us to learn more.
