Finding ways to engage customers online is essential for a variety of industries. Online platforms provide operators with a way to reach entirely new audiences, but standing out from competitors in competitive sectors can be a challenge.
One way that businesses are appealing to their customer base is through the gamification of apps. This exciting and engaging new way of reaching and retaining customers is something that provides a long-term return on investment and ensures services and products are found by consumers.
Gamification Explained
Implementing game or gamelike elements into tasks or processes has been around for decades, but evolving technology, improving mobile devices, and better connectivity are providing the perfect platform for a variety of operators to benefit.
Gamification has been implemented into varying industry apps including, health, fitness, and the best casino sites have also benefitted significantly.
Dedicated casino content editor Lindsey Jones explains that the most popular real money casino games provided by online operators include slots and traditional table games. Online video slots incorporate many elements of video games including high-quality graphics and soundtracks to create an immersive gaming experience for players.
Health and fitness apps have also begun to incorporate game and reward-based elements to create a more engaging platform for users.
Even financial and banking apps are exploring gamification options that provide users with more interesting ways to make savings and conduct their finances. Achievement awards and notifications make it easy for consumers to carry out previously mundane tasks and encourage them to continue to the next level.
Gamification Fundamentals
Gamification won’t work in all industries, but applying the fundamentals to certain apps will result in an engaged customer base that is keen to revisit the platform.
Applying the following principles will create an engaging platform that encourages user interaction via gaming, tasks, and achievement rewards. These rewards can be payment-based, NFTs, or digital achievements.
User Value
Statistics show that smartphone users typically spend around 3 hours and 15 minutes on their devices every day. This can be spent checking emails, listening to music and podcasts, watching movies or shows, or engaging with apps.
Smartphone games are known for their addictive qualities with the likes of Candy Crush and Flappy Bird achieving notoriety and fame for how many people played them, and for how long.
Social media is another significant draw for smartphone users, and finding ways to compete with the addictive nature of these apps can be a problem for other operators trying to get the attention of users.
Employing techniques that encourage activity and return visits has led to the gamification of more apps than ever before.
Consumers who enjoy certain games are far more likely to return to a site, and tracking user activity can also help. Health and fitness apps that update customers with their achievements create a willingness for the user to continue.
Streak-based notifications are especially popular among health and fitness apps, as well as learning sites. The likes of Duolingo let users know how many days they have accessed the app in a row, rewarding them for their dedication.
Customer Retention
Appealing to customers in competitive markets is an extremely challenging task, but retaining them can be just as difficult. The user experience is essential to keeping customers and using state-of-the-art technology to track user behaviors and tailor the experience to their unique preferences also helps.
AI can be used to recommend and personalize gaming experiences, and loyalty rewards based on customer engagement and spending will also encourage return visits.
Customer Engagement
Encouraging customers to use a site after signing up will depend on how much they enjoyed using it to begin with. Re-engagement can be encouraged through rewards and gamification via push notifications and email marketing.
Challenge and Unpredictability
Completing an action and getting the same outcome every time is perfect for some apps and allows users to easily carry out the tasks they want to. Gamification can be used to add a bit more excitement and unpredictability to other apps, building excitement and creating a challenge.
Failure to complete a task or game can encourage the user to try again, learning from previous mistakes. In the case of streak-based achievements, the user will continue to carry out actions to reach different levels and enjoy success.
Conclusion
Employing an element of fun and challenge to different industries via online platforms has helped growth and interaction. Exciting and engaging challenges add to the original purpose of apps and sites, improving the user experience.
Online industries are constantly growing, and the competitive nature of users being access operators from around the world means that the user experience is key to attracting and holding on to customers. Gamification is one of the ways that operators are providing their users with high-quality experiences, and is helping them cement their place in their respective industries.