When it comes to user engagement, gamification is an effective tool to acquire and engage new customers, and retain existing customers. Statistics state that appropriate gamification boosts user engagement by 30% with online engagement such as commenting and likes can increase up to 13%, content discovery by 68%, and social media sharing by 22%. 

While there are millions of apps on the app store, developing an app that builds curiosity to users and makes them stick longer using gamification enhances user’s experience as compared to ordinary apps. Sharing simple discount codes, or rewards, or digital badges can be effective for customers to make a purchase or complete a task. 

Gamification is mainly focused on the user — gamified elements to increase the ‘stickiness’ of the mobile app to increase customer retention. Implementing some fun and engaging elements from games to the mobile app will result in increased customer acquisition because when users find it interesting they love to spread the word about the app to their friends. Ultimately, this will result in bringing new users. Once the customer realizes the potential of the gamified mobile app, it will be a great reason to share it with their family and friends circle.

Let’s read about some of the interesting gamification strategies implemented by a few brands. 

Why Is Gamification Important for Mobile Apps?

Gamification strategies can motivate and influence customers to use the app more and below are some of the proven gamification impacts

1. Builds Curiosity: It awakens curiosity to help brands to motivate users and get more rewards

2. Fosters Competition: The scoreboards with special achievements of customers trigger and motivate other users to play and accomplish more. 

3. Sense of Control: Customers do not like them to be forced to carry out some task, this is the key intention of the gamification as the users get control and decide on the milestone they want to proceed with. 

Real-time examples of Apps Using Gamification for User Engagement

Duolingo

Duolingo is a language learning application that utilizes the below features: 

– The app offers internal cash termed as lingots which the users are able to procure for completing various activities. 

– Social connection features of the app allow the users to team up with their other friends and companions invited through Facebook. 

– Different badges are given for various accomplishments of the users. For instance, users can collect a badge after completing a specific number of tasks, or following a specific number of friends, or spending a specific measure of lingots, and so forth. 

– Point-based reward system and a scoreboard.

Khan Academy

This is a popular education app that you can use to learn multiple subjects, from history to science to maths. Here are the means by which it gamifies the learning cycle: 

– The app offers an expertise tree feature that helps you to track your learning.  All the subjects that you can learn at Khan Academy are sorted out as an individual grouping, so the users can track and observe their learning. 

– Badge Identifications: The app offers several choices of identifications that are themed as celestial bodies and planets. Contingent upon the level of the complexity of the subject the identifications are categorized into classes such as Meteorite, Earth, Sun, Moon, Challenge Patches, and Black Hole. Badges under every classification have unique names such as Geek of the Week, or Mad scientists. 

– The application shows your progress level in each subject as a galactically themed accomplishment system and grants points for each completed level and getting identifications.

Todoist

This application encourages clients to finish various tasks, from minor everyday routine to significant work task, in the below method: 

– Point-based prize framework: For every completed task, the users are rewarded by the app with karma points. There are also negative karma “rewards” for missed cutoff times. 

– Levels:  A specific measure of karma points to open up the next levels. 

– Social commitment highlights: The clients can share their karma score with their friends through social media platforms 

Fitbit

Fitbit is a wearable wellness tracker that is associated with a mobile app along with the below gamification features: 

– Badges: At the point when the user finishes a specific action, for example, jogs a specific number of distances, they get a badge as a quantifiable accomplishment. For instance, the Serengeti Badge is granted for 500 miles, with respect to the distance of Serengeti National park. 

– Social commitment: You can discover your new companions who are likewise utilizing Fitbit and compete with them in different sports-related tasks. 

– Unique Challenges: With Fitbit, you can virtually walk around the place of your choice, so you can both explore new places and stay fit at the same time. 

Mango Health

This app reminds users to take their medicine on time and records each taken portion. What makes it not quite the same as other gamification apps are that Mango Health gives its clients real-life rewards. Other game-like components are the internal currency that clients can earn for taking medicine on-time and social highlights.

Take away 

The ultimate aim of gamification is to increase the stickiness of your app that will engage more people and motivate them to come back. Gamification elements work at its best when having a social sharing feature, so the mobile is the perfect platform. On the other side, this can help more people to share their user experiences among their friends’ circle and motivate many others to join the adventure. If you use this feature cleverly, gamification can be the biggest transforming asset the average experience into lots of adventure and fun.