Photo: Pixahive
There is little question that computer games are a hit with both the young and the older. After all, who does not enjoy being rewarded for their achievements. The great news is that now you can utilize gamification – or game mechanics – to advance your business. Here is how.
What is Gamification
The marketing website hdrebelution defines gamification as “a way of creating employee or client engagement to obtain certain results. When it comes to business, gamification can increase sales and leads, as well as motivate employees to achieve better performance. Gamification usually refers to adding gaming technology to existing software or an online community to maximize long-term engagement or brand loyalty.”
What Gamification Can do for Your Business
Motivate Your Employees
Lack of employee engagement can decrease your business productivity. On the other hand, when your employees have an emotional connection to your goals, your business productivity is likely to skyrocket.
Gamification can motivate your employees by showing them that their contribution is valued. Virtual rewards, such as points and badges, are a great way of ensuring that your employees feel that their contribution is appreciated.
eBay is just one of the numerous companies that have utilized gamification in its recruitment process. MindTickle is an e-learning platform where new recruits can learn about the ins and outs of the company and interact with their coworkers. The platform tracks the employees’ progress and rewards them for completed tasks.
Generates Customer Loyalty
Customers who feel an emotional connection to a certain brand are more likely to stick with it long-term, says Doreen Keller from fitforMoney.de. “And what better way to create this connection than through loyalty programs and active customer participation. Adding gaming components to loyalty programs can make the entire process more fun, ensuring that your customers do not lose interest along the way,” she said, adding that over 71 percent of companies said that they spend between 2 and 4 percent of their revenue on loyalty programs. “For large companies such as Volkswagen, this can amount to as much as between 5 and 10 million dollars a year.”
Studies have found that customers tend to value emotional connection to a brand over ease of use and effectiveness. Millennial and Generation Z customers, in particular, seem to value gamification mechanisms, such as leaderboards and badges, in loyalty programs. In fact, a survey in Germany revealed that 43 percent of participants found the possibility of gaining points important in a loyalty program.
Better Collaboration
Gamification can make a difference, particularly for employees who do not find their work interesting or appealing. This is because gamification offers additional rewards, making work about more than just salary. It can also motivate employees by making them feel like they are a part of the team working to achieve a common goal.
Gamification can also be used to promote certain types of behaviors. For example, virtual platforms can be used to let employees know what their coworkers are doing to increase workplace collaboration.
