When all the content present in the interface is in front of you to look at and understand it makes using the service very boring. Using game mechanics to make the content present in the interface more engaging and interesting is an approach that helps the brand very positively. In this article, we will discuss What is Gamification? Why is it important? Some benefits and key principles.
Gamification
Table of Content
What is Gamification?
Gamification is an approach that is taken by the brands to include gaming elements in their interface. The gaming elements that are added provide an immersive and entertaining gaming experience for the users for the content which is not traditionally gaming content. This helps in increasing user engagement on the interface and markets the product better. Features such as leaderboards and achievements are added which gives a competitive motivation to users. This helps in reducing the bounce rate and attracting new customers. This helps users to engage with the service or product while enjoying the game mechanics.
Why Gamification is Important?
Gamification helps in increasing user engagement with the interface as it can make the users more interested in the service or the product. Gamification is not only about adding games to the interface to convert it into a gaming UI instead, it helps the brand to market its service through an enjoyable gaming experience. Gamification is executed perfectly giving the brand a unique and special market identity. The brand gets popular among the customers as a brand that has an engaging interface. It has a positive impact on users. Adding game mechanics to normal services such as teaching something or helping users to navigate through different products can make the boring part very interesting. It gives tasks that are not very interesting an engaging and enjoyable side.
Key Principles of Gamification
- Matching User Expectations: Users usually expect a very engaging and enjoyable experience from websites that have gaming mechanincs with a lot of features which should be met.
- Player Centered Games: The games made should be player centered with balancing the motivation to play, challenge to clear, and acheivements to to get. A perfect balance between these three points is very necessary otherwise the player won’t be interested enough in the games.
- Multiple Features: Having multiple features in games for users to engage with but not so much that they become unnecessarily clustered and confusing. A balance has to be maintained.
- Easy to understand: Make games easy to understand for users so that they can play the games and engage with the service without getting confused or lost.
- Consistency: A general consistency should be maintained throughout the interface so that it looks neat.
- User Engagement: Allowing user to explore and control certain aspects of interface builds trust of the user.
Benefits of Gamification
- Increases User Engagement: Adding gaming mechanics to normal services helps in increasing user engagement as it provides an enjoyable experience.
- Better User Experience: Having a highly engaging website with gaming mechanics helps making websites very user friendly and enjoyable.
- Increases Web Traffic: Websites being more engaging helps in bringing in new customers through marketing and refferal marketing.
- Helps in Learning: Brands that teaches can follow the approach of gamification. Teaching different concepts through games can help the users to learn and grasps new concepts easily which is very beneficial for educational brands.
- Improved SERPs: Having higher user engagement increases web traffic which in turn ranks the website higher on Search Engine Research Pages (SERPs).
FAQs
1. What is Gamification?
Gamification is the process of including game mechcanics in the interface to give the service a enjoyable twist.
2. Why Gamification is important?
Gamification helps in building a brand identity that the interface and the service is enjoyable and engaging which increases traffic.
3. What are benefits of Gamification?
Gamification increases user engagement, provides a better User Experience, increases web traffic etc.