Mobile applications have become a staple of modern life. They have changed our lives in ways we would not have imagined a few decades ago. People use apps for everything from ordering food to shopping and staying fit. However, as the number of apps increases, it becomes more difficult for developers and businesses to engage and retain users/customers.
Businesses and applications are now utilizing marketing psychology to better understand, attract and retain their users. Moreover, they are using technologies like gamification to stay ahead of the competition and to make the most of their business journey. Gamification is an effective strategy for developing interesting and rewarding experiences that keep people returning for more.
This article will explore how to use gamification in mobile apps to engage and retain users.
Introduction To Gamification
What is gamification?
Gamification is a marketing tool to drive the superior value of a mobile app. It is the concept of applying game design to something that isn’t generally considered a game, such as a web app, native app, or website. It’s not about playing games or collecting points, but the game science aspect can be leveraged to enhance engagement levels in mobile apps. It can include points, badges, leaderboards, and other rewards to create a more engaging experience. In recent years, it has become increasingly common in mobile apps. Developers add it to apps to enhance user engagement.
For example, you can set goals for users to do particular tasks to obtain in-app rewards. From a practical point of view, gamification can be implemented to promote desired behaviors within the frame of a specific task in almost a typical application platform more entertaining and engaging by giving it a gaming edge. Determining what your users get for which task and considering numerous combinations and results will determine the success of your design.
Mobile app gamification
Mobile app gamification entails using game mechanics to boost user experience and engagement. It can incorporate rewards, achievements, progress tracking, and social elements to make the experience more interactive and enjoyable. Gamification in mobile apps can help with the following:
- Increase user engagement: Gamification gives users a sense of progress and achievement, making them more inclined to use the app in the future.
- Encourage user retention: Users who feel rewarded and engaged will likely utilize the app in the long run.
- Improve user experience: Gamification can make the app more enjoyable and engaging, enhancing user experience.
Importance Of Gamification For Your Mobile App
Before you decide to gamify your app, you should learn the benefits of mobile app gamification and how it can increase user engagement.
Here are some examples of how gaming elements in your mobile app can motivate users:
- It promotes competition. Scoreboards of other users’ achievements motivate gamers to work harder and compare their performance to theirs.
- It evokes one’s curiosity. Curiosity encourages users to progress and get additional prizes.
- It adds a sense of control. Nobody enjoys being forced to do anything. That is why gamification seeks to offer users control and allow them to decide which milestone to achieve next.
Advantages Of Gamification For Your Business
Gamification has various benefits to offer for your business to make it successful; here is how gamification can help you make the most of the profit.
Gamification can help you with app users retention
Mobile apps with game elements have the potential to influence and encourage app users. A satisfied customer will return for more services. Businesses can inspire buyers to engage competitive instincts by including gaming elements in their apps. Attracting the right type of user is the first step in creating a successful and profitable app. The key to making an app effective is to engage and keep the user; just installing it is not enough!
Attract new users
By providing rewards, you can attract first-time users to install and stick to your app. You can reward referrals and enhance the prizes for extra rewards. Another strategy to attract new users is to hold contests that require users to enter their name and email address to use the app.
Gaming elements to educate users
Offer a reward and encourage users to open an account in order to increase engagement. Using gaming elements instead of loyalty points to retain users can make it more thrilling. You can also reward them with points for opening the app frequently. However, ensure that the gamification procedure is simple and that users can see a chance of getting rewards.
People use apps that provide value and render solutions to specific problems. People prefer apps that fulfill and excel in their expectations. Understand your users’ requirements and think of ways to satisfy your customers.
Competition
Gamification fosters a sense of competition among app users. A gamification layer should be included with a mobile app. Your goal should be to provide an experience that app users will remember. Since mobile apps have become such an important part of our lives, they must be designed to hook and engage the user.
How to Implement Gamification in Mobile Apps
To successfully implement gamification in a mobile app, developers must take several factors into account, which are:
Identify the user’s motivation
Understanding the user’s motivation is the first step in implementing gamification. Users may use the app for various reasons, including learning a new skill, reaching a fitness goal, or interacting with others. Mobile app developers can adjust gamification aspects to match the demands of users and enhance engagement by knowing their motivation.
Select the right game mechanics
Developers can use various game mechanics to gamify their mobile apps. These are examples of points, badges, leaderboards, challenges, and awards. Developers need to choose the right game mechanics for their app based on the user’s motivation and the app’s goals.
Make the game mechanics meaningful
Game mechanisms are only effective if they are meaningful to the user. For example, giving a user a badge for finishing a task is only significant if the user values the badge. The game mechanics mobile app developers use must be relevant to the user’s motivation and create a sense of progress and success.
Make it social
Adding a social element to gamification can increase engagement and improve user retention and experience. Social elements include sharing achievements on social media or competing with friends on a leaderboard. By adding a social element, developers can create a sense of community and competition that keeps users engaged.
Test and iterate
Gamification is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Developers must test and iterate on the gamification elements to see what works best for their app and users. This can include collecting user input, tracking user behavior, and modifying game mechanics to increase interest.
A Few Examples Of Mobile Apps Using Gamified Elements For User Engagement
Gamified apps are now accessible in a wide range of sectors. Examples include e-learning, healthcare, eCommerce, gaming, finance, productivity, fitness, etc. Let’s look at several mobile applications that have successfully included gamified elements for user growth and engagement.
Healthcare
The healthcare app sector is vast and might include fitness & well-being, medication, mental health, rehabilitation apps, etc. Below we have listed some incredible apps that have gamified their apps.
- Fitbit
- MySugr
- Mango Health
E-learning
Learning is no longer connected with a boring routine. Learning activities have evolved into e-learning with the rise of the internet, mobile apps, and gamification. The use of technology to facilitate learning is an exciting experience. Here are a few well-known gamified educational apps:
- Duolingo
- Khan Academy
- Codecademy Go
Productivity
These app categories assist us in gamifying our regular routines and living more productive lives. These applications employ game features to remind us of the important duties we often put off. These reminders are designed non-annoying, more as an opportunity to complete a challenge. The following are some examples of gaming elements in productivity apps.
- Forest
- Todoist
- Habitica
Conclusion
As highlighted in this blog, gamification is important for in-app user retention. With its interactive game elements, gamification can transform the face of your app and keep your users engaged. The most effective way to engage users is to implement games that reward them for playing and shopping on your app. Building an app that improves people’s lives can be a profitable and rewarding experience. Reward app users when they achieve milestones inside your app to enhance conversion rates.