A couple of weeks ago, we talked about the challenges developers face in the modern app ecosystem, and how alternative app stores can help overcome them. However, getting people to download their apps is just the first in a long line of obstacles developers must face to be successful in a mature app market.

As a user, there is such a vast number of apps to choose from and try, and the related attention span for each one is so small, that app engagement quickly becomes a problem. In fact, Localytics reports that the average retention rate is 35% for 30 days, and 20% for 90 days. For a developer, this means that, even if a user finds your app, likes what he sees and chooses to try it out, 4 out of 5 will no longer have your app installed in 3 months. Shocking.

It then becomes just as important to invest in user retention as it is to invest in user acquisition. One of the most useful tools at a developer’s reach to increase retention is Push Notifications, which is why we’re here.

Building a successful Push Notification strategy is an art, some might say, and there really is no substitute for experimenting until you find out what works for your audience.

Here are some best practices that, in our experience, can make a tangible difference in how your users engage with your push notifications, and consequently, your app:

1. Timing matters — The purpose of Push Notifications is, primarily, to build engagement. But if we’re not careful, it might generate the opposite. A Localytics surveyfound that, when receiving 2–5 push notifications from the same app in a single week, 46% of users would opt-out of Push Notifications, and 32% would stop using the app altogether when receiving 6–10. It further states that open rates are highest for users who receive weekly notifications.

2. Not all hours work the same too. Research indicates significant differences in open rates depending on what time of day it is. Users tend to be more agreeable to Push Notifications around lunchtime than in the afternoon, for example. A lesson we ourselves learned the hard way…

3. Segment your users — This one seems obvious, but it can really make or break your Push Notifications, so it bears repeating: The more relevant the message to the end user, the higher the change they’ll open it. Therefore, it pays to send push notifications to the users you believe are more likely to benefit/identify with what you’re saying or offering. Case in point: previous in-app actions. Looking at what users do inside the app is probably the best indicator of their preferences. Which is why we at Aptoide pay special attention to the customer journey of usersonce they open our app. By identifying groups of users by their behaviour, we’ve been able to target our notifications and get a 100% increase in open rate.

Of course, correctly segmenting your users and knowing when to send notifications takes a lot of trials, and lot of errors. Which brings us to our last point.

4. A/B Test Everything — Whether it be copy, length, time of day, user segments, etc, be sure to test every element of your notifications, and keep optimizing it until you hit your sweet spot. The more (tests), the merrier. We’ve experienced 50% increase in open rate in some tests simply by changing the beginning of a sentence!

Effective Push Notifications take time to master, and ultimately, each developer must find what works best for their specific user base, meaning there are no “magic wand” solutions that will work for everyone. But they are a very powerful tool to increase app engagement, and, frankly, quite a lot of fun!

If you’d like to know more about this, check out our Developers Program and get in touch.

Did you know that in some countries the official stores are banning the VPN apps? And of course in those countries people rely upon those apps to get around their governments firewall, which censors information and surveils peoples' use of the web.

What's happening in China?

A lot has happened in latest years. A lot of the innovation we see today comes from China. However, the government has ordered China’s three telecommunications companies to completely block access to VPNs by February 2018. And official App stores are included in this as well. Actually, VPNs are as of now already banned unless they register with the government and inform them, enabling state surveillance and censorship of users.

Reuters reported back in July that the Great Firewall had been upgraded with new capabilities. And even the top Chinese hotels have ceased to offer their guests VPNs.

The worst part is that the government also made it possible to interfere with messaging apps. While now blocked entirely in some places, WhatsApp users found that they were unable to send videos and photos through the chat app. But it gets worse: some News apps like the New York Times and The Wall Street Journal are completely banned in China and also in other countries of the list.

And the thing is that this ban highlights a serious risk in the official app store model: governments will observe the control that manufacturers press over their customers' devices and insist that this control be deployed to serve political ends.

Well, not on our watch. We got you!

If you happen to live in one of those countries or simply do not like internet's Big Brother surveillance, we want you to know that you can count on us. Here's a list of all the must-have VPN apps on Aptoide. All apps on Aptoide are available for everyone everywhere. We do not censor. We do not ban. We do not inform. On Aptoide, thanks to our incredible community of users, you will have access to more than 800.000 Android Apps, even the ones that aren't available on other app stores. You can create and manage your own store. Aptoide is also available for all Android versions and available in VR, TV and STB. Plus you’ve got a friend in us, and by us we mean our fierce community.

From us to you: a list of all the must-have VPN apps on Aptoide

How did we get here? First, the Android boom has been a global phenomenon in the true sense of the word. Earlier this year, TheVerge reported that almost 450M mobile devices were shipped in the 4Q of 2016 alone. Of these, 80% were Android devices, and this growth is being fuelled by emerging markets. One needs to look no further than Aptoide to understand this: Of Aptoide’s 200M users, 60% come from emerging markets.

This rapid expansion of the Android market has meant new opportunities, but also new challenges. On one hand, the sheer number of apps available for Androidmakes it very hard for new apps to get visibility of any kind. Clutter is becoming an issue, and Google Play has not been innovating enough to effectively tackle these new Discovery Challenges.

On the other hand, and more to the point of this post, new markets bring new users, with different preferences and financial behaviours, meaning new Monetization Challenges. Once again, Google has not been able to keep up with the market, and once again, Aptoide is a good measuring stick: 25% of Aptoide’s user base does not have access to Google Play Services, either because they live in a country, or have a device, that does not support them.

Alternative App Stores are an answer to the evolving needs of users and developers alike. So how exactly does Aptoide fit into this?

To tackle the Discovery Challenges, Aptoide operates on a game-changing social model, whose cool details we’ve already explained here and here.

To help developers overcome these new Discovery Challenges, Aptoide has built its own In-App Billing (IAB) solution, which is built precisely to complement Aptoide’s user base, therefore help users make the most of their apps, and help developers monetise previously inaccessible users.
The basis of Aptoide’s IAB value proposition are local payment methods.
We are always looking to add new payment methods that fit our user base and are quality, trust worthy partners, in order to make it easy, seamless and safe for anyone who wishes to make the most of their apps and games.

To see how this can have a real impact on users, and a tangible benefit for developers, we’ll show how two of the fastest growing Android Markets require a local approach:

→ Brazil sports almost 70M Android users, by all measures a large market ripe for monetisation. However, looking more closely at user trends, we see that, according to Forbes, 1 in every 3 online transactions are made using Boleto, a local, bank-transfer based method that is exclusive to Brazil. So the amount of money being left on the table by Google Play is significant. By working with BoaCompra, Aptoide guarantees Boleto, and a variety of local cards to complement the international credit cards Google Play users can access.

→ Southeast Asia is one of our most rapidly growing regions, and countries like Indonesia threaten to crack the top 5 markets on Aptoide in the near future. TechInAsia reports that, for that country alone, smartphone users were more than 100M last year. However, credit card penetration in Indonesia is even more bleak. According to Adyen research, credit and debit card penetration in Indonesia is 15%. Once again, Aptoide partners with MOL, a flagship online payment with a strong presence in the region to allow users across Southeast Asia to experience their apps and games to the fullest.

We also pay attention to developers’ needs, and understand their pain of managing different app builds in parallel. That is why we’ve made our solution extremely simple, requiring only minimal changes from the standard Google Billing, and involving no SDK integration. Inquisitive minds can learn more about our IAB solution and read our migration guide here.

As the Android market matures, alternative App Stores can be a decisive channel to bring emerging markets into the fold. They can bring tangible, and much needed, value for developers and users alike, and Aptoide is leading the way when it comes to IAB innovation!

We are excited to explore all the possibilities emerging markets bring to the app economy, so stay tuned, because we’re just getting started!

Find out more about Aptoide’s Developer Program and our In-App Billing solution. Let’s grow together!