You purchase a healthy smoothie online from your favourite restaurant to start your morning. Your food apps have allowed you to use your saved rewards to get a significant discount on the morning snack you’ve had your eye on.
You use your running app in the evening and head to the neighbourhood park. You compete with your friends across the globe, earn a badge for finishing first, and post it to your Instagram page. After all, who doesn’t like to brag about a victory like that?
Then, after taking a few deep breaths, you pick up your phone and spend 10 minutes reviewing the new language you’re learning (let’s say Marathi). You can be seen get the badge of Jhakkas on the leaderboard.
You’ll have had enough of a term called app gamification by the time you return from the office or workplace, and you won’t be alone because, according to a recent survey, 70% of the 2,000 biggest businesses in the world use gamification in their Mobile apps.
Why is gamification important?
User motivation and engagement can be highly impacted by gamification. As per studies, the presence of game aspects in non-gaming apps might influence the brain’s dopamine to be released, which encourages users to engage with the app longer.
Gamification can also encourage competitiveness, curiosity, and a sense of control among users. Considering these advantages, it’s worthwhile to consider gamifying your app to boost user retention and engagement.
All eyes are on stats
App gamification delivers a win-win! How? Brands gain engaged users while users enjoy a more fun and rewarding experience, a fact echoed in convincing statistics worldwide:
- As per Locatalytics, user retention rates for brands using gamification in their mobile apps have improved by 22% on average. Â
- On average, engagement rates for brands using gamification in mobile apps rise by 30%, as per research.Â
And, what’s the starting point?
There are several things we can do if we want to understand and use app gamification to increase brand engagement and retention. Your application may climb the leaderboard with some foresight and gamification features, such as competitions, progress bars, badges, and points and leaderboards.
Here’s a quick checklist of things to do before beginning your app gamification adventure before we get into some of our favourite gamification-using apps:
Know your target audience
Understanding them will help you create gamification aspects that appeal to them by allowing you to recognize their interests, motivations, and pain points.
Set definite objectives
Are you looking for increased retention and engagement? Are you spending more now directionless? Nope. Establishing clear goals early on will help you develop a gamification strategy that meets your and your users’ objectives.
Begin with something basic
Although it may be irresistible to dive right in, it’s best to start basic to test and improve your gamification aspects before introducing more intricate features.
Give rewards, always
It’s only enjoyable if you do! Rewards encourage and provide incentives. The secret to success is figuring out what benefits your audience desires; therefore, keep your audience research in mind!
Make the experience unique
Stick-to-your-app rates are higher among users who feel the game is customized just for them. Following your progress with the essential gamification components, you can accomplish this in several ways: Provide users with the option to personalize their experience or offer challenges or incentives depending on their location, past purchases, or interests. Tailor content and rewards to each user’s preferences.
Make it the ‘social’
People are considerably more likely to feel a sense of satisfaction when they share their accomplishments on social media, which promotes ongoing participation. Think about including social components like shared badges and incentives, tasks that can be completed with friends, or leaderboards that encourage rivalry.
The Curious Cases of – App Gamification = Engagement Increment
Nike Training Club
Nike Training Club turns workouts into a rewarding experience! More than just a fitness app, it gamifies your healthy lifestyle. Complete exercises to unlock exclusive content and rewards for added motivation. With Nike Training Club, ditching the workout load and building lasting fitness habits becomes fun, always!
CRED
CRED offers an amazing gamified experience by incorporating aspects of games into every aspect of its software. A daily spin-the-wheel feature that offers chances to win prizes like gift cards, a referral program that allows users to earn gems that can be redeemed for rewards, and a CRED coin system, where each coin is equal to one rupee and can be used to unlock various rewards or access to CRED games for even greater prizes, are all part of their strategy. This multi-experience gamification strategy increases enjoyment and engagement while streamlining the user experience.
Quizlet
Quizlet transforms study sessions into an entertaining experience. Gone are the days of complex, tearing flashcards! Instead, Quizlet offers games like “Match” and “Gravity” to keep things lively. In ‘Match,’ you’ll race against the clock to pair terms and definitions, honing your memory in a fast-paced challenge. ‘Gravity’ adds an element of urgency, making you type in the correct answers before definitions disappear from the screen. With Quizlet, learning becomes a thrilling game!
Zomato
Zomato is a widely used food delivery software that uses many gamification techniques on social media. One noteworthy example is a promotion that allows users to earn points for writing reviews, liking or commenting on social media posts, sharing food images, and recommending others join Zomato. Users were rewarded with free meals or discounts proportionate to their activity level.
Duolingo
We can only discuss gamification by mentioning Duolingo, the most popular learning program ever. Even while the app’s notorious badging system has come to be associated with Duolingo, the app’s appeal extends far beyond badges. It makes a very exciting learning environment that make users able to meet their language proficiency.
To inspire users, the program provides a variety of challenges and incentives, including daily streaks, levels, badges, and competitive leaderboards. Additionally, students can earn Lingots, virtual money that they can use to buy power-ups and access extra content. Then they can post about their achievements and growth stories on the various social media platforms.
App gamification amplifies engagement. Believe in it!
Gamification has completely changed how marketers approach user engagement and retention to drive app development. A few examples of this include health apps that offer rewards for reaching step goals and language learning apps that promote progress through levels and challenges. As technology develops, we can anticipate ever more imaginative and inventive ways to add gamification to our mobile experiences.