Can we imagine our lives without mobile phones or applications? How many apps do you have on your phone that you almost forgot about? Approximately 1000 new app releases and billions of app downloads every day. So how does one’s mobile app stand out and make a difference? Well, the answer is Gamification in mobile apps! 

Making users download your app is relatively simple; however, keeping them using it is difficult. User engagement and retention play an essential role in this. According to the reports, over 60% of the app users stop using the app after 3-4 months of downloading, so go the extra mile to gamify their experience and make it unforgettable!

Gamification in mobile apps

Using gamification and including game dynamics to enhance users’ experience on mobile apps for better engagement and retention is a complete game-changer. Gamified elements trigger a sense of achievement and motivate users to use your app more. The goal is not to create a gamified experience but to give them a memorable one. 

Creating an interactive, relevant, and engaging experience not only motivates users but will also increase your brand awareness. A game-like experience where rewards, badges, leaderboards, and quizzes are a few essential elements that will make your app different and fun!

How to boost user engagement using gamification elements?

Here are simple yet effective elements of gamification that you can use in your mobile apps to boost your user engagement.

Badges: Badges and stickers can be used to represent accomplishments that users can collect, share among their friends and family, and add to their profiles.

Points: Point-based rewards result from the user’s progress in your app. Rewarding users generate more leads and bolster your ROI.

Leaderboards: Leaderboards maintain a sense of competition by listing all the individual’s progress and often perform better.

Rewards: Rewards work the best if you want to retain your users. Receiving something in return excites and encourages them to revisit your application.

Progress Bars: Bars tracks the individual’s progress toward a goal. Mapping progress motivates them to improve their score by completing more tasks.

Trivia: Trivia helps users engage in a fun and entertaining way. Interactive quizzes boost engagement and deliver personalized experiences in real time.

Opinion Polls: Polls allow you to determine what your users think and how they feel. Asking your audience for their opinion shows that you care about what they have to say.

Mini-Games: Leverage games to educate and know your user’s needs. These provide a fun experience and improve daily active users.

Quizzes: Quizzes can help build an interactive experience for your users, and at the same time, they will make them feel productive.

Tips on how to do it effectively

Know the purpose: Creating meaningless game experiences with no purpose will not get you any results. Know your objective and the user’s intent to find a suitable solution to satisfy your needs and the user’s requirements.

Know your target audience: Identify your target audience, their interests, behavior, and requirements. Collecting and analyzing this data will help you understand what strategy can be developed to satisfy them and increase your brand loyalty.

Keep it Real: Understand the users’ psychology and deliver emotional responses. Give them what they need rather than giving them what you want to share. Conduct surveys, take feedback, and ask questions. Keep it simple but real!

Below are a few examples of how apps used gamification to boost their user engagement:

Forest

This Forest app uses tree planting as the key gamification concept. It helps you stay focused on your tasks without distractions like social media. While working on a job, you “plant a seed” that may grow into a mighty tree. Or may not if you succumb to temptation and interrupt the activity, the tree will wither.

The more focused you are, the more trees you can grow, and eventually, they can turn into a forest. This is a creative and effective way to motivate users to stay focused and reduce stress!

Codecademy

It is an online platform that teaches software development and coding. In 2018, the company released a mobile app called Codecademy Go. The platform uses various elements to gamify its app!

Badges are awarded for mastering specific stages of certain skills. Currently, there are four types of badges for the completion of exercises, courses, particular courses, and promotion badges. Progress dashboard that shows the completed lessons as well as the next ones. Points are given per each completed exercise.

MySugr App

The MySugr app was created especially for people who have diabetes. There is also a version for children MySugr Junior. The app depicts the disease as a monster that should be tamed. 

Diabetes patients should constantly keep track of their eating habits and sugar levels, which can be pretty dull. MySugr can turn this monotonous routine into an exciting experience with all necessary mobile app gamification elements, such as progress tracking and rewards.

Wrapping up

Transform your dull routine into an exciting and fun experience using gamification. Many industries, including education, e-commerce, retail, and healthcare, have adopted gamification to keep their users engaged and enhance their experience.

Want to try gamification for your app but don’t know where to start?

Take a free demo with us today and do it the right way!

The Upshot.ai Advantage

Upshot.ai is an omnichannel, user engagement, and gamification platform that helps digital product owners and marketers improve product adoption and conversions.

With Upshot.ai, banks, Insurance, and FinTech firms can enhance their digital experiences with pre-built gamification features. It can provide personalized insights, actionable recommendations, and contextual nudges designed to deepen its relationship with its users. 

Book a demo of the most comprehensive user engagement and gamification platform to achieve your digital product goals. Join our communities for more insights, guides, and best practices that keep you updated with proven strategies and tips to supercharge your campaigns.

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