Notifications get read when they are useful to the user.

A push notification strategy is the set of rules that decides when, how often and with what message your app reaches its users. A push notification is a short message that lands on the phone's screen even when the app is closed. That is where both its power and its risk come from: it grabs the user's attention directly. In this article we explain how to set up notifications not as an announcement megaphone but as a tool that serves the user.

Permission first, then notifications

On the iPhone, you have always needed the user's permission to send notifications. Newer versions of Android now have a similar permission screen as well. This permission is usually asked only once; if the user says "don't allow," you have to send them to their phone settings to ask again. So the first time you ask is very valuable.

A common mistake is asking for permission the moment the app first opens, before the user has seen anything. A better approach:

• Ask for permission at the moment the benefit of notifications is clear. For example, when a dealer places their first order, ask: "Shall we let you know when your order ships?"
• Show your own short explanation screen before the system permission prompt. If the user says "yes," open the system prompt; if they say "later," you can try again down the road.
• Be honest about what will be sent: "Order status and account activity," for example.

Separate your notification types

Not all notifications are the same. From the user's point of view there are three groups:

A good app lets users turn each of these groups on and off separately in the settings screen. A user may turn off campaigns but keep order notifications on; a single "all or nothing" switch, on the other hand, usually ends in "nothing."

Frequency and timing

The widely accepted principle is this: if the user doesn't think "glad they told me" when a notification arrives, it shouldn't have been sent. Practical rules for this:

• Put a weekly cap on marketing notifications and have the system enforce it automatically.
• Don't send anything at night other than transactional notifications. Take the user's time zone into account.
• Don't send several notifications in a row on the same topic; if there are multiple events, combine them into one notification.
• In B2B apps, stick to business hours; sending a dealer a campaign notification on a Sunday morning damages the relationship.

Segments: the right message to the right person

A segment is a group of users who share certain characteristics. Sending the same notification to everyone is the easiest route, and the least effective. Even simple segments make a big difference:

• Users who have / haven't ordered in the last 30 days
• People interested in a particular product group
• Role differences such as dealer, end user or staff
• City or region

For segments to work, you need to plan from the start which data the app will collect. It is also important not to overdo it; collect only the data you will actually use.

How to write notification text

A notification shows a few lines on the screen, often on the lock screen. So:

• Say what happened in the first few words, such as "Your order is on its way."
• Don't put personal or sensitive information in the text; other people can see the lock screen. Details such as amounts, health information and addresses should stay inside the app.
• When the notification is tapped, take the user straight to the relevant screen, not to the home page.
• Avoid piles of exclamation marks and capital letters.

KVKK and commercial messaging

The device ID and segment data used for notifications are personal data and must be covered in the privacy notice required by KVKK (Türkiye's Personal Data Protection Law). Campaign and promotional notifications may count as commercial electronic messages, in which case consent rules come into play. You can find the general framework on consent in our article on email marketing and newsletters as well. In Globya's projects, KVKK requirements are never left out, and there is no extra charge for them; we describe our approach on our KVKK approach page.

Checklist

• Is permission requested at the moment the benefit is visible?
• Can each notification type be turned off separately in the settings?
• Is there a weekly cap for marketing notifications?
• Are rules for nights and weekends defined?
• Does any notification text contain information that shouldn't appear on the lock screen?
• Does every notification open the right screen?
• Is the notification open rate monitored regularly?

How we do it at Globya

We build the notification infrastructure together with the app, but first we list with you which events actually deserve a notification. We tie transactional notifications to events coming from your order, ERP and payment systems; for marketing notifications, we prepare a sending screen in the admin panel where you can pick a segment, schedule the message and rely on a built-in cap. You will find the overall framework on our mobile app page.

Frequently asked questions