Parse, the Facebook-owned mobile app platform, has added a new feature to their roster today called ‘Push Experiments‘ which allows developers to test different versions of their push campaigns and use analytics to monitor users’ engagement with them.
You could send one message today – and the other tomorrow – to see which performs better, but the problem with this approach is that an external factor like getting featured in the media could spike your app’s popularity and lead you to incorrect conclusions about its performance.
To test the new feature, you just need to open Parse’s web console and add some of your users to different test groups. After this, you can send each group a different message to see which has the better reception before rolling-out to the rest of your app(s) users.
Beyond seeing which message is best received, you can also when the optimum time is to send notifications by use of parameters such as location and/or time. Sending a notification alerting your user to return to your game during work hours, for example, isn’t likely to be as effective as when the user is home.
Any developer using Parse can make use of the new Push Experiments feature for free. Once you are logged-in, just hit the “Use A/B Testing” link from the Push composer page. Be sure to use the feature responsibly, overuse can end up with users uninstalling your app rather than returning!
What do you think about Parse’s new A/B testing features? Let us know in the comments.
