App retention, engagement and everything between

Designing mobile apps that will achieve high retention and engagement is a key challenge for developers. Introducing several gamification elements and techniques in the design process can do a great deal to help reach that goal. This session will cover some gamification techniques that can be used in any app. Over the course of this session we will discuss several examples of actual apps and how they used gamification not only in order to boost retention and engagement, but also help with user acquisition. Looking at topics ranging from the evolution of users’ feelings, to social influence, to the unpredictability and variety of rewards, to the manipulation of user behaviour and scarcity, we will aim to provide an overview on how to design apps that engage users with the use of gamification.

Transcript

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4. Gamification is the application of game-design elements and game principles in non-game contexts
   

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5. ●
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6. The sense of ownership, the feeling that something is yours is well recognized in psychology.
   It can be used by publishers in several ways to engage and build a captivated audience.
   

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7. Give every user control over the whole process of adjusting the app experience
   Customization
   “Make each user feel at home”
   as seen on
   

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8. Give the ability to customize an app. That can alter the entire user experience and eventually the user’s
   feelings toward that app.
   Customization
   “Make each user feel at home”
   as seen on
   

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9. How easy is to tear yourself away from a product that knows you very well and move on to one that
   does not know you at all?
   Personalization
   “An environment that learns”
   as seen on
   

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10. Keeping track of a user’s actions (history) is a great way to create a sense of ownership.
    Personalization
    “Track & show user history”
    as seen on
    

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11. Allow users to take actions and save things of interest, progress, or status for later use. This creates the
    illusion of commitment; an illusion that will bring the user back to the app.
    Save for later
    “Invest in commitment”
    as seen on
    

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12. Save for later
    “Invest in commitment”
    Saving or adding preferences and alerts creates an anchor point of reference that will bring users back in
    the future.
    as seen on
    

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13. Track a user’s progress and give them the option to save it. This also helps create a feeling of
    commitment, and bring the user back to try and increase his status and achievements.
    Save for later
    “Track user’s progress”
    as seen on
    

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14. Allow a user to record his performance and activities and compare them with previous ones, as well as
    challenge those with new activities.
    Save for later
    “Challenge previous performance”
    as seen on
    

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15. When a user comes back to an app to find that the developer took into account one of his suggestions
    and made a change, that user is “hooked”.
    Feedback
    “Turn user into an active part of the process”
    as seen on
    

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16. The notion of “catching them all” prompts users to go after all the items in a collection.
    You have to catch ’em all!
    “Introduce a collection”
    as seen on
    

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17. Loyalty schemes can turn occasional users to loyal visitors.
    You have to catch ’em all!
    “Introduce a loyalty scheme”
    as seen on
    

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18. Humans are by nature social beings. They tend to group and socialize with others that share
    their interests.
    These common interests are how people meet each other, get introduced to new friends,
    compete with each other, show off their accomplishments, exchange knowledge and evolve
    themselves.
    

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19. If you see a funny gif that made you laugh, you are much more likely to click on a share button if
    one is easily accessible, and share the gif and the way it made you feel with your friends.
    Let them bring the others in!
    The promoters
    “Share a moment of joy”
    as seen on
    

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20. Allow users to easily share their results/performance in the activity they participated in, with the rest of
    the world. This will drive their motivation and gain them more support.
    Let them bring the others in!
    The promoters
    “Brag about it. Show off”
    as seen on
    

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21. Allows users to ask their friends for help. This can increase awareness of the app and drive users in.
    Let them bring the others in!
    The promoters
    “Ask for help”
    as seen on
    

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22. Encourage users to share an app or send an invite to their social networks in exchange for a reward.
    as seen on
    Let them bring the others in!
    The promoters
    “Get rewards for asking others to join”
    

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23. The introduction of a kind of referral scheme can help the virality of an app and also drive user acquisition.
    Let them bring the others in!
    The promoters
    “Referral schemes as a recruitment process”
    as seen on
    

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24. Offer users rewards if a certain goal is met, such as a specific number of people achieving a goal.
    Let them bring the others in!
    The promoters
    “Driving more and more users to achieve a specific goal"
    as seen on
    

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25. Allow users to react to each other’s content, like status updates, photos, links shared by friends, comments,
    and advertisements.
    Let them interact!
    The socializers
    “Allow reactions to other user’s content”
    as seen on
    

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26. Allow in-app chat or commenting on other users’ actions. This is a great way to initiate communication in
    a group.
    Let them interact!
    The socializers
    “Moving from passive to active communication”
    as seen on
    

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27. Allow users to ask other members of an app questions and receive responses. This can actually make an
    app really engaging.
    Let them interact!
    The socializers
    “Allow them to ask questions”
    as seen on
    

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28. Add leaderboards or other scoring schemes that monitor a user’s app performance within the community.
    This can actually build competitive feelings and make users more engaged in the usage of the app.
    Let them interact!
    The socializers
    “Let them compete with each other”
    as seen on
    

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29. Allow users to see how their friends actually perform. This can “bind” them to the app, making loyal users
    out of them.
    Compete or compare!
    The ambitious & curious
    “Let them see what their friends are doing”
    as seen on
    

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30. An app’s user base is a scale-down model of society. Show them what is currently trending in a specific
    app’s world.
    Compete or compare!
    The ambitious & curious
    “Show them what others are talking about”
    as seen on
    

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31. In behavioural economics, scarcity is a well known approach that drives engagement and desire
    in a product but can also lead to some ‘irrational’ decisions by users.
    

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32. Introduce components or features that are rare and difficult to acquire. This will make users eager to have
    them.
    “Only a few exist out there!”
    as seen on
    

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33. Build a state of scarcity through a limited edition version.
    “The limited edition”
    as seen on
    

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34. A scarcity effect can manipulate user desire and promote anticipation in potential app users.
    “You can’t have it!”
    as seen on
    

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35. Allow only a few people to reach/gain specific privileges like power moderation. Leveling up is a challenge
    and this can drive daily engagement and participation.
    “This power is only for the few that will earn it”
    as seen on
    

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36. Create offers on specific dates and within specific timeframes, in a first-come, first-served mode, until stock
    lasts.
    “First-come, first-served until it runs out!”
    as seen on
    

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37. Prompt users with a limited time offer to drive desired actions.
    “Limited time offer”
    as seen on
    

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38. You have to wait..Boosters can thrive when strategically placed in moments of silence.
    “Moments of silence - Boosters”
    as seen on
    

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39. Today’s deal not only triggers users to make purchases but also attracts new visitors daily; users that are
    looking to see what the Today’s deal is.
    as seen on
    “Today’s deal”
    

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40. A regular promotion can attract people’s attention and bring them to an app every day.
    “Free App Of The Day”
    as seen on
    

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41. Providing restricted access to content as part of the app’s design can sometimes be the key feature to an
    app’s success.
    “Limited time access”
    as seen on
    

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42. Heighten the feeling of missing out on a rare opportunity. This can keep users coming back to the app and
    motivate them to take action.
    “Driving decisions”
    as seen on
    

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43. Introduce scarcity by revealing the number of items left. This can push users into making a decision, prompted
    by the fear of missing out.
    “Only a few left at the time you checked”
    as seen on
    

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44. Introducing features with limitations can be also a secret to an app’s success.
    “Feature limitations”
    as seen on
    

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45. Introducing limitations in access to content may provide several monetization opportunities.
    “Access limitations”
    as seen on
    

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46. When people are allowed to be creative, they engage more with a product and once that creativity gets
    social it all becomes fun and highly addictive.
    

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47. Leveraging creativity can be both fun and addictive.
    as seen on
    

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48. as seen on
    

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49. as seen on
    When creativity is combined with social mechanisms, the fun begins. And fun brings in masses of users,
    turning them into loyal players in the process.
    

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50. as seen on
    “Can you be more creative?”
    and on
    

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51. “Get rewarded for your creativity!”
    as seen on
    

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52. as seen on
    

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53. as seen on
    

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54. as seen on
    Remove barriers and let users free. This will increase user participation and engagement on a platform.
    

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55. as seen on
    Let them create new features and share them with others.
    

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56. Ads exploit people’s feelings every day, in ways we cannot even imagine.
    Can we design apps and products around a story that people would follow?
    

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57. Groups that people belong to are an important source of pride and self-esteem.
    We look to enhance the status of the group we belong to in order to better our self-image.
    The better a group does, the better the user feels and the more likely he is to take further action to
    improve, protect or contribute to the group’s status.
    and Social Identities
    Open Source
    as seen on
    

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58. Communities created around a story that drives content and dedication can result to a loyal userbase.
    and Social Identities
    “The quest for the perfect elite group”
    as seen on
    

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59. When people feel they contribute to a noble cause, it’s fascinating to see how far they would be willing to go.
    “Share your opinion on things that matter”
    as seen on
    

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60. ● It’s important for people.
    ● I can really put my thoughts on products out there.
    ● Answering surveys makes it seem like someone is listening and actually trying to improve
    things.
    ● Answering surveys allows me to state my opinion in a way that matters.
    ● I can show businesses real responses to help their potential.
    ● I am contributing to better product development. I am an active participant in the process.
    ● Giving an opinion can make a difference. Makes me feel involved.
    as seen on
    

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61. There is only one thing that can beat people wanting to share their opinion and that is a Charity.
    as seen on
    

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62. Show to the world that the community around your products is filled with people with values, driven by a
    passion to make a difference in the world.
    “The core values”
    

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63. Associate an app around an already established idea that has proven engagement and retention.
    as seen on
    

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64. Create a story that users will actually want to follow and be a part of.
    as seen on
    as seen on
    

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65. Focus on users’ feelings and how they evolve.
    Allow users to progress fast and complete achievements or feel special.
    

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66. “Keep It Simple Stupid”
    

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67. as seen on
    “Focus on the first user experience”
    

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68. as seen on
    

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69. as seen on
    

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70. as seen on
    

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71. as seen on
    

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72. as seen on
    

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73. as seen on
    

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74. as seen on
    

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75. as seen on and
    

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76. as seen on
    

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77. When someone receives unexpected positive feedback on an action, such a reward, he will
    instinctively repeat the action.
    When an action results in a predictable outcome, it is no longer fascinating; it is just another
    action or tool, like all the other ones available in the surrounding environment.
    

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78. Research has shown that anticipation that occurs on the unpredictability and variety of rewards
    raises the levels of dopamine, a neurotransmitter chemical that is responsible for transmitting
    signals between nerve cells in the brain and thus drive behaviour.
    A rise in dopamine levels is associated with pleasure, desire and habit and can be found in
    different rewarding behaviours that people usually engage in like eating, bragging and such.
    

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79. Anticipation of the unknown reward makes users wait with excitement until the date of the surprise arrives!
    The Egg Surprise
    “Waiting for the unknown”
    

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80. Give users the option to get a random reward. This will drive users to a specific section while they are
    trying to find out what the reward is.
    Random reward on the
    press of a button
    “Raise anticipation”
    as seen on
    

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81. Anticipation about what the next outcome will be, makes it difficult for users to stop.
    Maybe you win on the the
    next spin
    “You need to play one more time”
    

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82. Every new action creates a hype around a new and better reward, getting users obsessed.
    Who will be your next
    match?
    as seen on
    

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83. Looking for acknowledgment through social networks is something perceived as a reward or
    achievement by our brain and drives satisfaction!
    Social Media
    “The like effect”
    

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84. Even variability in the content can spark curiosity but also obsession in user participation.
    The respondent case
    “What’s next?”
    as seen on
    

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85. The chance of a daily reward, one not always available, can be used in order to drive users to get more
    chances and thus increase re-engagement to the app.
    Daily rewards
    “The Wheel of Fortune”
    as seen on
    

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86. as seen on
    Collecting a Mystery Box
    With a Mystery Box users are constantly looking to collect as many as they can, to explore the prizes
    inside them.
    

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87. Users can see the available items to be earned, but they spend their currency without knowing which one
    they will eventually get.
    It is common to deliver a really cool item at the first buy, in order to excite and engage the user. That will
    keep him eager to spend more credits on future items.
    Different options appear from time to time and so users are eager to spend and get a chance to try them out.
    Blind spending
    “Buying a random item”
    as seen on
    

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88. Users cannot know upfront what it is they are actually buying.
    The concept of constraining in-app purchase options and making them unpredictable may sound irrational,
    but it can be one of the reasons of an app’s success.
    Launch Boxes
    “Buying an unknown pack”
    as seen on
    

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90. Thank you
    andreas@pollfish.com
    @vourkosa
    

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