Website Gamification: Turning Browsing into Play for Increased Engagement

March 30, 2024

If you are into web design or web development, odds are you have encountered website gamification at some point.

It may sound a little cliche, and we completely agree with it! But gamification is not only for video games. Numerous websites in different industries have broken this stereotype.

Now, how did we arrive at this point? Who would have thought that SaaS websites would fully embrace gamifying their platform?

That’s exactly what we are here to delve into! In this article, you will learn about gamification, its significance in web design, and a few real-life examples of successful gamification implementations.

Ready to get started? Let’s dive in!

The World of Website Gamification

Website Gamification involves integrating game-like features into applications to improve engagement by encouraging users to play. It can be discovered in multiple locations and industries, such as apps, education, software, fitness, business, and website technology.

In business, game elements can provide individuals with a more enjoyable space in a setting that would otherwise feel like work. On your website, gamification is a conscious approach to improving user attention, and it can also improve loyalty and motivation.

Core Elements of Website Gamification That Transform Engagement

Points

The point is that the collection is the essential feature of any game-inclined app or game. They are rewarded for action on your site and will count up as the user makes an effort over the system.

This offers the user a simple and direct approach to witnessing their progress. Points are given in various ways, such as for reputation or experience. They count up over time, are redeemed for rewards, or contribute toward achievements.

Achievements and Badges

Achievements and badges typically work together, with the user gaining a badge to reach precise milestones within the system. In video games, badges are rewarded for achieving long-term or challenging tasks.

In Website Gamification, achievements are rewarded once a user has achieved a specific number of points or finished a set of tasks. The user acquires a badge that is shown on their profile.

Leaderboards and Competitions

In gamified methods that incorporate leaderboards, individuals compete against each other and are classified according to their achievements or points accrued. Apps may also conduct competitions between users in which individuals compete for the most elevated score in a specified time frame.

Scores are shown openly so that users can analyze their advancement against their competitors. Competitions can be organized either among teams or individual participants.

Unlocks

Both achievements and points unlock fresh game features after the user has achieved a specific threshold. For instance, once users reach a particular number of points, they may be rewarded new rights within the plan. Alternatively, having met particular accomplishments, the user may be offered new tasks.

Completeness and Progress bar

Completeness and progress bar trackers facilitate users’ meeting all stages in a specific series. For instance, they are generally employed to help individuals mark out all parts of their user profiles.

Adding a location, profile photo, and other information will impact the advancement bar toward fulfillment. Completeness bars can also be employed to drive customers along the method of completing a buy, requesting a quote, or serving out a long form.

Random Chances

An unexpected chance is a standard form of website gamification that’s straightforward to execute. It has been employed at school, work, and home for centuries.

Individuals use chore wheels to allocate household tasks among family members by spinning the wheel. Pulling numbers from a hat is another standard way to employ random decision-making opportunities.

Despite the element of randomness, it can help individuals feel more encouraged to partake in tasks as they know their selection wasn’t personal and will change next time. Multiple board, card, and video games depend heavily on random luck to advance game elements.

Discover the Magic: Real-World Website Gamification Wonders

Social Media

Reddit is a beautiful example of a social media app/website that employs various elements of website gamification:

Users earn “Karma” points, which other individuals reward through upvotes on their posts or comments.
Individuals can bestow awards upon each other. These awards are shown on users’ posts and in the user’s profile with titles and icons.
Users earn trophies, which are identical to badges, for specific milestones, like the duration of their tenure on the app or for confirming their email address.

Education and Training

Treehouse is a site that delivers online courses on web design and connected coding subjects. It is an excellent example of gamification in an academic environment with badges, points, and learning tracks.

Students earn points when carrying out significant actions on the platform, such as doing code challenges, completing quizzes, completing courses, and experiencing forums.

When users acquire accomplishments, they achieve a badge on their profile.

Source: Treehouse

Health and Fitness

Fitness trackers like Apple Watch and Fitbit contain plenty of gamification to make workouts more fun and inspiring. For instance, Fitbit users desire goals like resting heart rate, the number of steps per day, the number of minutes of exercise per week, and pounds lost.

Source: Fitbit

Data from activities is tracked and shown on a dashboard.
Steps are displayed and counted all over the day.
Weight loss or maintenance is displayed and tracked graphically.
Users gain badges for achieving precise goals.

Elevate Your Website with Engaging Website Gamification Strategies

Points and Progress Bars

A prominently displayed progress bar on the website can monitor the user’s purchase count—the progress bar loads based on the points collected for each buy and the money spent.

Badge Achievements

Typical call-to-actions (CTAs) make users achievements and badges. These CTAs are typically used.

Share an invitation to the website with a companion
Follow the company on social media
Use a coupon
The customer’s first order
Sign up for the email list
Purchase number milestones like completing 5 orders, 10 orders, etc.

Spin a Wheel As A Part Of Website Gamification

It is enticing to display a wheel with different rewards, such as free shipping or discounts. The user rotates the wheel, lands on a reward, and offers the prize to their account.

Product Recommender

Product recommenders function similarly to quizzes that let users discover the products they are searching for.

Users choose from various product attributes, and the quiz results display which of the store’s products fulfills their requirements.

Conclusion

Website gamification is an effective way to add interaction and joy to your app or site. Furthermore, it can improve websites in any industry by employing gamified elements such as badges, points, and progress bars.

Statistics show that gamification enhances user engagement, encouragement, and revenue. That said, it’s worth gamifying your app or site to capitalize on these advantages.

FAQS

How does gamification increase customer engagement?

Gamification is utilized to attract potential customers and retain existing ones by ensuring their continuous engagement. Autodesk experimented with this concept by devising a storyline and integrating a variable reward system and in-game benefits to motivate users.

Why is gamification a trend?

Gamification has confirmed itself to be an influential trigger for improving customer attention. By incorporating game features into marketing methods, brands are encountering a substantial 48% growth in customer engagement.

Who benefits from gamification?

Gamification can be employed as an educational tool to educate adolescents of every requirement. Scientists have examined the usefulness of gamification as a video game in training students with autism.