Developers should make more use of in-app messages, particularly those that are triggered based on a specific user action, Localytics recommended, in order to increase engagement and retention.

At the moment, these messages are overlooked in favour of push messages, sent to a user when not in an app. But in-app messages result in around 21 per cent more monthly launches, the report said.

What’s more, users who receive in-app messages are more likely to return to the app again: those using it see 23 per cent of users return three months after they download, compared with 16 per cent for apps that do not (click image to enlarge).

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“Individualised” messages, which take into account a user’s actions within the app as well if the user fits into a particular audience based on their profile attributes, are very effective, the report noted.

In-app messages can be triggered in two ways: from the start of the session or by an event (an action a user takes within the app). The latter was described as a “more sophisticated and effective approach” because it has a 18 per cent click through rate, compared with 10 per cent for the former.

For example, if a user adds an item to their cart, an app can trigger a message with a coupon to encourage them to check out.