Skyrocket Conversion Rate in Mobile App using Firebase Remote Config : Implementation Guide (Part 1)

What is Remote Config?

With rapid growth in the Tech industry and all the latest updates along with AI advancements, mobile applications are rapidly changing and constantly evolving, where pushing updates through the Play/App Store can be a slow and cumbersome process. What if we are able to get the latest updates without getting involved in the downloading process?

Firebase's Remote Config feature offers a powerful solution, enabling developers to make real-time modifications to their app. It works like a remote control, allowing the seamless introduction of new features on the fly.

How does remote config work?

Let's first understand the idea of how Remote Config operates.

This process includes :

• Fetching the values
• Activate the values
• Evaluate the conditions.

Initially the developers make required changes to the application as per the need and then set the condition. For instance, whether the new update is suitable for all the users or only for targeted users such as users having min version or targeted based on location.

Thereafter, firebase sends updated configurations to the application. After which the app fetches these values and applies the changes to those targeted audiences.

Similarly, personalised notifications can also be sent to user’s mobile phone from your app, based on user actions eg. they have abandoned their cart before making a purchase. In this blog we’ll be focusing on making dynamic changes using Remote Config.

Comprehensive Guide to Implementation

It is recommended to have a Firebase project connected to your Mobile Application. If you want to integrate Firebase analytics to your app, refer to  Firebase Analytics Integration.

In your mobile application code, here in Android Studio, add firebase dependencies in build.gradle file (Module:app).

Thereafter, navigate to the Firebase console to set up the Remote Config and follow the steps as demonstrated below.

Step 1 - Configure A/B test Using Remore Config

Select Remote Config option available under Run section and click on ‘Create Configuration’

Step 2 - Choose or Create Parameter value to utilise in A/B test

• A dialog box will appear on the left to fulfil the remote config requirement.
• Add the name you want your parameter to be known as and then select its type of data beside it.
• Along with that you can set the ‘Default value’ for your configuration where ‘false’ stands for hiding the feature of the application and ‘true’ stands for activating the new feature of the application.

Step 3 - Configure Advanced Settings

Moreover, we can also set up additional settings by clicking on the ‘Add new+’ button.

• Conditional Value: Allows us to specify the new feature to only those who fall under the specified conditions such as : Demographics, App version, Device type, User language and many more.
• Rollout:The Rollout option is considered when only a certain percent of users must receive the new update. For instance, if we consider only 30% of users to get the new update,  the rest 70% of them ae disabled to receive the update.
• Personalization: Personalization in Firebase Remote Config leverages machine learning to automatically deliver a customized experience for each user

Step 4 - Create Condition with Conditional Value

For now, let us move further with the Conditional value option.

• Another dialog box for a detailed condition filter appears on the screen where we have to describe the name of the condition to be known as and the colour that can display the distinct audience with its filter.
• Here, we have chosen the Indian audience as our base variant for the new update.
• After fulfilling all the required filters you can hit the ‘Create Condition’ button.

• Check all the parameter details are added as per the requirement and then click on ‘Save’.

Step 5 - Validate and Save all configurations the Publish Changes

• On clicking the save button you will observe the dashboard that displays all the details of Remote Config that are added into your application.

Note: Configs will not reflect unless we confirm it by clicking on the ‘Publish changes’ button available on the top right of the dashboard.You will also have a pop up message that appears and asks for the permission to publish the changes.

• On applying the changes, you will see the first version of your config that displays how your new features via remote config are working.

Step 6 - Integrate Remote Config in your Mobile App

Here, we are making changes to our Android mobile app

• Well, we will not observe any user engagement in the remote config as we’ve to complete the configuration in our application code as well.
•  Lets jump to our Android Studio for code integration.
• Follow the code instructions provided below.

This step includes Initialising the Remote Config variable and setting the default value.

• Next comes the process of checking the status of Remote Config to determine whether the specified conditions have been met.

• Thereafter, the value name mentioned in Step 2  is matched with the code updation so that we can clarify if the targeted audience received the new update or not.

Note : It is important to publish the new Remote Config APK to the app store so that all the new updates related with Remote Config can be distributed to the audience as per target predefined.