5 Excellent Techniques for Mobile App Gamification

5 Excellent Techniques for Mobile App Gamification

It is not necessary to tell again how much impact mobile app development has on business these days. As more and more mobile apps appear on the Google Store and App market, it becomes more difficult to engage, retain and convert mobile users. That is where gamification in the mobile app enters the stage.

Keep reading to explore what mobile gamification is and what techniques can be used to implement gamification in any type of a mobile app. 

What Mobile App Gamification Is

Gamification involves using game dynamics to stimulate users to use the application and enhance user experience with an app. Mobile app gamification invites users either to reach their own goals or start competing with others. Such experience is built upon the insights from psychology and unconscious responses. This way, companies that use gamification in mobile apps have higher chances to get more traffic and boost ecommerce sales.

Top Mobile App Gamification Techniques

app gamification

It doesn’t matter what your company’s focus is since gamification in the mobile app has lots of advantages for all businesses. For example, Samsung partnered with SwagSoft to build an enterprise app for training floor salesmen. Thanks to the applied gamification techniques, they managed to get rid of the expensive and ineffective business processes and  increase employee engagement.  

Here are the 5 gamification techniques you can use to improve user experience and increase leads acquisition:

1.  Self-Expression

People have a great desire for self-expression, and you can satisfy this human necessity by introducing some winning ideas. Let users use creative icons, names and skins to express their individual personality in your app. Providing digital gifts that can be shared to social media is another awesome strategy not just to retain users but also to encourage social interactions. It will strengthen relationships between people, and pull the person into your app to redeem the gift.  

2.  Competition

It is not enough for some people to be recognized, they are eager to win. You can satisfy this need by awarding points for certain achievements and adding them to the leaderboards. Scores motivate people to play or otherwise engage with an app, earn points and win. Supporting a spirit of competitiveness will help you satisfy the user’s desire to challenge themselves and win. 

3.  Rewards

Mobile App Gamification

People are more enthusiastic about doing something when they are sure that their efforts will not be neglected. You can give prizes to users for purchasing through an app, spending time in the app, or taking part in the competitions. 

Remember, the reward must be valuable for users. Avoid giving senseless badges or empty points as they may cause users’ disappointment instead of enhancing engagement. Instead, consider in-app currency that may be spent on purchasing some goods. See how Starbucks used gamification techniques to increase retention and sales for more ideas. 

4.  Achievement

Do not let users work too hard for a reward; istead, trigger an action on minor users’ achievements. If you have seen unicorns flying across your screen when you finish the task in Asana, you must already know how great it feels.   

This type of mobile app gamification is very important, especially when the person has just begun to use the app. Pairing UX with social media is going to produce even better results, as sharing their achievements with friends, users act as promoters of your brand and attract more users.  

5.  Status

Everybody likes to demonstrate their status. Ratings or levels in the digital world are identical to the ranks people have in real life. Earned statuses should be highlighted as they enhance user engagements and offer additional opportunities for monetization. 

For instance, LinkedIn users get “All Star” status when providing information for all sections in the profile, including recommendations, etc. Think of how you can use this gamification dynamic in your app.

Conclusion

Gamification mechanics can improve user’s engagement in e-commerce app stores, enterprise apps, education applications and virtually any other type of mobile app. Using one or several techniques to gamify your app, you will be able to introduce a pleasant experience to the app users and enjoy the increased monetization of your app

We, in Swag Soft, might be in the best position to spot the opportunities for mobile app gamification, as we have an equally strong expertise both in mobile app development and in game development. Feel free to reach out to our friendly experts to discuss your project and the means to make it more engaging and loved by your target audience.