Gamification in Web Design

Advertising is going digital. Although television is still the advertising platform #1 in the majority of countries, the Web increases its influence on people’s’ minds with each passing year. More and more consumers refuse to watch TV in its traditional sense. So, how to reach this auditory? Gamification is exactly what might be helpful here. In this article, we will inform you what is gamification and why is it necessary.  

What is Gamification?

Generally, gamification can be defined as the implementation of game-like experiences and features into traditional marketing tools. However, nowadays, the gamified approach becomes more about making the target audience to perform certain actions. Gamification in web design is a technique that allows applying gaming mechanics to non-game activities in order to make them more engaging and fun for users or to change their behavior. Gamifying a website makes customers more motivated to return to the site on a regular basis and more interested in the brand. Related readings on Loonar Studios

Games are not just for kids anymore. Many large businesses use gamification to keep both employees and customers engaged. It ranges from complicated systems where a person should unlock a new level to access exclusive part of a site to simple point meters. For example, Starbucks Rewards employed by Starbucks. This program allows customers to earn credits for their purchases and get perks like personalized cards and free refills. Gamifying a website allows tapping into human desires and psychological principles such as altruism, competition, achievement, self-expression, status, and reward. It provides the ability to generate leads, drive traffic, invigorate your user experience and online presence. So whether you are an entrepreneur with big ideas, a company’s owner looking to motivate your team, or a corporate leader seeking ways to educate your staff, gamification is a perfect choice for you.  

Why is Gamification Useful?

Before answering this question, let us think about what games have that we miss in Web design and UX? Games come with high scores, missions, and stunning graphics. That is why gamifying your app or website can make a big difference in your website conversions and engagement rates. Gamification in web design can be used for the following:

  • Gamification incentivizes people behaviors advantageous to your business through competition, prizes, and contests
  • Gamification allows interacting more effectively with your website visitors/app users
  • Gamification increases knowledge retention during customer education efforts
  • Gamification reduces the costs connected to management coaching time and corporate training programs
  • Gamification drives customer engagement and brand loyalty

 

Simple Rules When Applying Gamification:

1.Why to Gamify? First of all, the website owner should come up with the idea why he or she wants to gamify his or her company’s website. This person should know exactly which gamification method is needed to achieve the desired goal. In another case, it won’t work. 2.Combine level systems and points Points should be always relevant to the visitors. Before implementing a point system, find out what it is going to mean to the website users. Should they earn points for making purchases or commenting on posts? Point system motivates people to continue gaining points to achieve the next level. However, points without a system are meaningless. 3.Status is Rank Individuals get a sense of satisfaction when they see their names on the top of a list. Status rankings are a big deal in the minds of people. Use them to attract new users. 4.Make the referrals by attracting users People become interested in earning achievements only if they can brag about it to their Facebook/Instagram/Twitter followers. Moreover, when you allow users to share their achievements, you will also encourage their friends/followers to participate as well. So, it is recommended to add a reward system for bringing in friends as new users.

 

Gamification In Web Design

Usability is a necessary thing for survival as leaving is the first line of defense when people encounter difficulties. If your homepage fails to state what a website offers, visitors go away. If your site is too complicated, visitors go away. If a website’s information does not answer people’s key questions, they go away. This is why UX design and usability matter. It doesn’t mean that we should transform our websites into games. On the contrary, gamification should be something you apply when building and designing your website. It should be a part of the web design process itself. To sum up, it looks like gamification is here to stay for a long time. People love having unique experiences. And gamification is a technique that enhances their experience of using your website and, hence, brings them back. So, use it to make your site more engaging for your customers.