By Rieva Lesonsky
The latest trend in marketing isn’t just fun and games—although that’s a big part of it. “Gamification,” or the use of games to get consumers to spend more time with your products or on your website, is becoming a popular way to attract and keep customers, The Los Angeles Times reports.
If you’ve ever “checked in” to a location using Foursquare, you know what I’m talking about. Companies are using tactics from video games, such as giving users prizes, points or virtual “badges,” to entice them to spend more time on the company’s website or otherwise interact with the company for a longer period.
Using games to motivate customers has a long history in business, with green stamps, VIP clubs and rewards programs being just a few examples. But now gamification is moving into the virtual world.
How are companies using gamification? Among the examples cited by The Times:
- SAP Labs, a business software maker, uses games to reward users who contribute to its SAP Community Networks forum. Developers who answer questions or post articles to the forum are rated by other community users based on how useful their articles or information was. If they get good ratings, they receive points.
- San Francisco online clothing retailer ModCloth uses a game called Be the Buyer to engage customers. Users can look at sample garments and vote on whether the item should be sold on the site or not. Items that get enough votes get manufactured; those that don’t are not.
What does it take to make gamification work? There needs to be some reward attached to the game, and it needs to be one that users care about. In the examples above, SAP contributors often promote their points scores to highlight their tech expertise, with some even including them on their resumes. At ModCloth, the company says products voted into being by consumers typically sell out, so the product is its own reward for users.
What are some common gamification mistakes companies make? First, it’s possible to make gaming too obvious. If users feel like they’re being manipulated or jumping through hoops, they’re likely to become resentful and stop playing. Second, the game needs to have a meaningful reward. For instance, in Foursquare users don’t just get virtual badges—there is typically also a real-world reward, like discounts or free items. Third, the tasks users must perform to get the reward need to be enjoyable in themselves. Game experts say there’s a name for repetitive, boring tasks in games: “the grind.”
If you can conquer all three of these factors and create a game that’s meaningful, fun and motivates users to do what you want them to do without being obvious about it, you just might win the real prize: more customers and more sales.
Image Courtesy Flickr User Sam Howzit (Creative Commons)
Google+Web.com is now offering forums designed to support small businesses in cities throughout the US. Learn more about these forums here: http://Businessforum.web.com/
Tags: Marketing, sales, small business, social media, Technology
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