Gamified products and services
We turn a product into an engaging experience
We gamify products and services to make onboarding, purchase and activation more engaging and intuitive, while boosting retention and improving UX. It’s ideal for SaaS companies, e-commerce, mobile apps, virtual campuses and retail.
What can be gamified?
Gamification can be applied to almost anything a company offers its customers, whether it targets end consumers (B2C) or other businesses (B2B). A habit app for individuals and management software for companies are gamified differently, because the user, their motivation and the buying process are different, but the goal is the same in both cases: for the product or service to be used more, better and for longer.
Broadly speaking, we split it into three main groups:
1. Products
A product is a one-time purchase that customers buy and use, usually physical (an appliance, a toy, a device or an item from an online store), although it can also be digital, like an app or a test with a one-time payment. Gamifying a product means making it more engaging and intuitive to use, and giving customers reasons to keep coming back to it.
Gamification also adds value to the product that sets it apart from the competition, and that’s what earns it better ratings, more positive reviews and more recommendations.
2. Subscriptions and SaaS
A subscription is a service customers pay for on a recurring basis, such as a gym or an academy. SaaS (Software as a Service) is a type of subscription, but specifically for software: it’s used over the internet, without installing or maintaining it, like management tools, CRMs, or design and online learning platforms. In both cases there’s no object to use, but a relationship to maintain, which is why they’re gamified in similar ways.
Gamification makes that relationship closer and more participatory, for example through loyalty programs, challenges or rewards for reaching goals. It also makes the service used more often and builds attachment. And it creates loss aversion: users don’t want to lose the progress, achievements or perks they’ve earned, which keeps them from canceling or stopping payment. It also enables referral systems that reward users for bringing in new customers, turning subscribers into brand ambassadors. With SaaS, gamifying onboarding and activation also helps customers learn the tool quickly and discover its value as soon as possible.
3. Customer support services
These are the free services that come with the purchase of a product, such as technical support or a warranty. Unlike subscriptions, the aim here isn’t to build attachment: the goal is to reduce how much they’re used and what they cost.
Gamification helps guide customers when they need it, answer their questions by explaining FAQ solutions in a gamified way, and create a more satisfying customer support experience. That way customers solve their issues more efficiently, the stress and frustration typical of customer support are reduced, and negative emotions and problems are de-escalated.
Goals and measurement: product and service KPIs
To know whether gamifying a product or service works, you have to measure it. These are the main KPIs we work with:
- Usage frequency: how often it’s used, measured in daily, weekly or monthly active users.
- Churn rate: what percentage of subscribers cancel or stop paying each month.
- Customer lifetime value (LTV): how much revenue a customer generates on average over their whole relationship with the brand.
- Referrals: how many new customers arrive through other customers’ recommendations.
- Ratings and reviews: the product’s average rating and number of reviews.
- Retention: what percentage of users are still using it after 7, 30 or 90 days.
- Customer satisfaction (CSAT and NPS): how customers rate the product or the support they received, and whether they’d recommend it.
The main KPI depends on what’s being gamified:
| What’s gamified | Main KPI |
|---|---|
| Products | Ratings, reviews and NPS |
| Subscriptions and SaaS | Retention, churn, LTV and referrals |
| Customer support services | Customer satisfaction (CSAT and NPS) |
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Want to gamify a product, a subscription or your customer support, or have a question for us? Tell us.