Push notifications are one of the most seductive communication tools in a marketer's toolbox. They enable you to reach the majority of your app users, with nearly 98% of messages being read. And restaurant app users who receive a push notification have a 20% higher retention rate than those who don't receive them.* It's easy to see how push can become addictive.

But this is where the danger lies. Many restaurants get carried away, and see an ever-increasing volume of mobile messaging as an easy way to grow sales. Inevitably they give in to temptation and end up driving negative customer sentiment and uninstalls.

Here are a few tips to help avoid annoying your customers, so you get the most out of your push program:

Keep frequency in check: It can be tempting to send customers a message every day, especially when you see the initial spike in sales. But put yourself in your customer's shoes - would you want to receive daily messages from a restaurant you visit once a week? Start off slow, and test your way into increased frequency.
Pay attention to the implicit red flags: Monitor metrics to ensure that users who receive push notifications are not uninstalling at high rates.
Trigger notifications: Automate the sending of push notifications based on user behavior to ensure messages are sent at the right time.
Personalize content: Personalized messages garner higher conversion rates compared to mass messages. Plus, they make your customers feel like you're speaking directly to them.

If used properly, push notifications are a powerful way to keep your customers engaged and drive orders through your app, and in-store visits. To learn more about how Tillster's push notification solutions can help your restaurant, click here or contact us.

*Kahuna Q1 2016 Marketing Index