The success of a mobile depends on various factors including the development team, the quality of pre-development research, UI & UX, and even the app’s user engagement & retention strategy. Be it Android app development or iOS app development, the developers have to also focus on ensuring that the app can keep users engaged. Otherwise, it’d run out of steam quite fast. 

The quest for a great engagement strategy eventually found a solution in video games. App development companies started thinking of everything that made video games appealing and engaging to gamers. The same can be applied, in a different form of course, on apps to increase engagement. This is what gamification means basically. 

Gamification

Gamers are familiar with reward systems – playing a game, achieving a feat in the game, and getting rewarded for the effort and the skill. This gaming dynamic can be applied on mobile apps either to generate more revenue or to be more appealing to users and retain them. Many mobile application development companies in UAE and across the globe have started gamifying their apps and are finding it a successful tactic. 

Here are a few dynamics that are making a difference in modern-day apps. 

1. Reward system

Everyone appreciates a bonus or a reward of some kind. If they get some kind of bonus or a reward for using an application in a specific way, it’d encourage them to keep using the app. This can be particularly beneficial for startups. Users would be getting a sense of accomplishment with a reward system, and keeps engaging with the app. The startup, on the other hand, will be able to build a good user base just like that. 

Users can be rewarded for the time spent using the app, or for their in-app purchases, and badges that will earn them bonus benefits giving them a ‘premium member’ feel.

2. Rewards that help users express

Users wouldn’t mind it if they are given an opportunity to stand out from hundreds or thousands of app users as a winner of some unique reward. Badges or customizable avatars enable users to express themselves in such a way – they appear unique among every other app user. Such users can be given digital gifts – something that will come in handy for them when they use the app or something they can exchange for a real-world commodity in a physical store (coffee shops, stores etc.).

This practice can essentially make a user become loyal to a brand, and voluntarily become an evangelist i.e. the user will then be willing to share a few good words on the app to their contacts, potentially increasing the app’s user base. 

3. Achievements

Achievements in the apps is a game dynamic that gives app users a sense of reaching a different level that many others haven’t. For example, if the user has completed a particular number of purchases through the app, he/she would get an achievement tag which would in turn give them loyalty points, bonuses, prizes, or other goodies. The idea is to encourage users to put an effort into getting achievements within the app. 

Conclusion

Gamification is possibly only because of the advancements in mobile technologies. New-gen technologies like AR and VR coupled with gaming dynamics are capable of completely redefining mobile app experiences and user engagement. So it’s safe to say that gamification of app is worth investing in.