In today’s digital landscape, user engagement is everything. Whether website, app, or online channel, your digital platform should be interactive enough for your target users. That way, they’ll interact on your platform and do business with you.
Enter gamification, the process of incorporating gamified elements into your digital platform. Gartner cites that gamification can “enhance user engagement and drive customer acquisition and retention.” But what exactly is it, and how does it work?
This page explores how gamification can boost user engagement. Learn how to incorporate games into your digital platform to keep users engaged and drive business success. Read below.
What Is Gamification?
Gamification involves incorporating gamified elements into non-game contexts to attract user participation and increase engagement. It plays a crucial role in business amid the digital landscape, whether for websites, software apps, or other online platforms.
According to Precedence Research, the global gamification market could grow from $10 billion in 2022 to $116.68 billion by 2032, forecasted to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 27.9%.
Think of points, rewards, leaderboards, levels, badges, and even interactive content in marketing on digital platforms offered for user engagement. They make the whole user experience (UX) more fun, interactive, and competitive.
Below are some common types of games integrated with digital platforms in business settings:
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Competitive leaderboards: Let users see where they stand, adding friendly competition.
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Enticing points and rewards: Give points or prizes for actions, making it fun to keep going. Take the Starbucks’ rewards program:
- Exciting quests and challenges: Provide fun tasks that motivate and engage users.
- Interactive polls and surveys: Offer quick ways for users to share opinions and feel involved.
- Engaging quizzes and assessments: Allow simple tests that make learning fun and interactive. Take a peek at this online quiz on BuzzFeed as a perfect example:
- Immersive virtual and augmented reality: Immerse in a whole new digital world (VR) or incorporate digital elements into real surroundings (AR).
Understand that there’s psychology behind gamification. It triggers the following attributes among users:
- Excitement: Games can be entertaining and exciting.
- Motivation: It keeps you going and going.
- Dedication: You’ll work hard to win the game.
- Achievement: Games make you want to win.
- Fulfillment: Winning a game makes you fulfilled.
- Addiction: Games can make you addicted to them.
In the next section, find out how gamified elements engage users on digital platforms.
How Gamification Helps Boost User Engagement
Murtaza Oklu, Owner of OMO Transfer, says, “There is something exciting, entertaining, and engaging about games. That’s why businesses add gamified elements to their digital platforms to keep users engaged. And that can go as far as generating leads and converting sales”.
But how exactly does gamification work? Here’s how it helps boost the user engagement:
1. Games encourage user participation and interaction
Games can be quite fun and interactive, encouraging users to participate and interact. In fact, Jonathan Feniak, General Counsel at LLC Attorney, recommends incorporating gamified elements into digital platforms, like the one they plan to use for their background-checking platform. “Gamification turns boring user activities into interactive games, resulting in a boost in user engagement.”
Learn from Nike’s Run Club App, a perfect example of gamification. Its app mixes fitness and fun by letting users take on challenges, track their progress, and see how they rank on leaderboards. The app’s gamified elements create a community by inspiring people to stay active and connected with Nike. That’s how you encourage participation and interaction!
2. Games increase motivation through points and rewards
Chris Aubeeluck, Head of Sales and Marketing at Osbornes Law, says, “User engagement requires instant attraction and constant motivation. Your digital platform should appeal to your target audience and encourage them to participate regularly. Games do exactly that—they attract and motivate users. So, consider offering points and rewards as a way to draw users in and make them participate”.
Suppose you’re selling pre-owned Rolex on your e-commerce website. How can you get prospective customers to buy your watches via your digital platform? In that case, keep them hooked on your platform through exciting games by offering points and rewards. If they hit certain points, reward them with discounts for purchasing items from you.
3. Games foster a sense of achievement and fulfillment
Brooke Webber, Head of Marketing at Ninja Patches, highlights the value of gamification in business. She believes that it promotes a sense of achievement and fulfillment among users. “Winning games make people feel accomplished and fulfilled. That’s why, in marketing and promotion, gamified elements make prospects want to win and keep them engaged.”
Let’s consider using spin-wheels to qualify leads and increase engagement. You can integrate them with your e-commerce platform, where prospects can spin the wheel and win special discounts or exclusive deals. Their much-coveted win will not only fulfill them but also keep them engaged with your online business.
4. Games enhance learning and retention among users
Grant Aldrich, Founder of Online Degree, says, “Games aren’t only for leisure and entertainment but also for learning and education. Think of incorporating gamification into e-learning as a way to level up engagement. Many online platforms offering training programs, online courses, and learning opportunities add gamified elements for user engagement”.
Case in point: Duolingo is a mobile app and/or web for language learning. This platform makes learning a new language feel like a game, allowing users to earn points and unlock levels. With a touch of friendly competition, it keeps users engaged and coming back for more. That’s how gamified elements integrated with learning apps can make a world of difference.
5. Games drive habit formation through routine activities
Jesse Hanson, Content Manager at Online Solitaire and World of Card Games, suggests online games for habit formation and user engagement. “There’s no denying that games can be entertaining and addicting for people. If you offer routine games on your digital platform, you can carve habits among your users and keep them constantly engaged on your platform.”
That’s why it’s easy to see online businesses or e-commerce websites offer some sort of games on their platform. They seek to drive website traffic, reduce bounce rates, and increase sales conversions. Ultimately, games can make a world of difference in their marketing strategies, sales tactics, and overall business success!
Discover how to add gamified elements for user engagement below.
How To Incorporate Games for User Engagement
Gamification has become all the rage these days. Companies and organizations integrate various gamified elements into their digital platforms for user engagement. And that leads to a 700% increase in conversion rate, as shown below:
But how do you get started with gamification for user engagement? Follow the crucial steps below:
- Set SMART goals for gamification. The ultimate goal is to boost the user engagement. But what specific objectives do you have for your business—To enhance the UX, generate more leads, or convert sales? Are they specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound?
- Identify your target audience. Create user personas that are more likely to engage with your digital platform. Are they website visitors, potential customers, or regular clients of your products or services? Use data analytics and web scraping tools for research!
- Decide what games to play. As they vary from one type to another, pick those aligned with your target goals and audience needs. Will a point and reward system, a level and progress bar, or an interactive poll and survey work?
- Create an interactive UI. After deciding which gamified elements to incorporate, you can develop an engaging user interface. For instance, add gamified elements to your ERP software for logistics operations in the metal industry. It offers clients a little entertainment while streamlining processes and minimizing costs.
- Test the gamified elements. Once the UI is in place, you can now run robust testing, whether functional, performance, or integration. The goal here is to see if the elements actually work for the target users and make the necessary adjustments before the actual launch.
- Start the balls of games rolling. Now, it’s time to launch the actual games. Be clear on your game mechanics to encourage participation and avoid confusion. More importantly, promote these to attract more users, whether through customer email marketing or social media marketing.
- Monitor and measure engagement. The work doesn’t stop with launching your games. There’s a need to set key metrics, track user engagement, and measure your performance. That said, optimize your gamified elements when necessary!
Final Words
User engagement on your digital platform is the first step to overall business success. It translates to customer satisfaction, lead generation, and sales conversion. So, what better way to achieve these goals than to incorporate gamified elements into your website or app?
As discussed above, gamification triggers user interaction and motivation. It also promotes achievement and fulfillment as well as learning and retention. Ultimately, it drives habit formation, leading to consistent user interactions on your digital platform!
Consider the crucial steps above for setting gamification in place, and you’ll achieve a boost in user engagement!
Looking to boost your user engagement through gamification? GoZen Engage is an interactive content and gamification platform that lets you incorporate engaging and innovative games. Contact us today and sign up for free!
