Best Gamification Software

What is Gamification Software?

Gamification software is a platform that allows businesses to apply game mechanics as a marketing technique to increase and enhance user engagement and experience. These mechanics may be presented in the form of badges, points, rewards, etc., and may be used independently or through other software marketing tools. They have become a useful strategy for marketing teams within companies of all types and sizes, as they are an effective customer engagement strategy.

Marketing teams use gamification software to increase engagement among customers and motivate users to take actions that would benefit the business to some capacity. For example, asking customers to participate in a poll that provides data on your customers’ favorite features or pieces of content. Many companies take the approach of rewarding customers that agree to be brand advocates. This might include giving customers a badge or swag in return for creating a video about why they love your product.

Customers and users are generally more motivated to participate in these types of activities if they’re presented as an interactive game, leaderboard, or reward system. Another way of utilizing gamification software is by using it internally for your employees as a way to compete and thus increasing sales. For example, LevelEleven is a gamification software that rewards sales reps and marketing team employees for meeting or exceeding their quota.

In addition to helping collect valuable customer engagement data and motivating employees to increase sales numbers, gamification software can also help brands gain new customers and increase customer loyalty. Therefore, these tools have become an attractive strategy for marketing teams to consider when looking to increase customer engagement.

Gamification Software Features

Many of the most common features across gamification software products include:

• Customizability
• Competitions
• Behavior analytics & metrics
• Social sharing
• Leaderboards
• Reputation scoring
• Goal Setting
• Rewards Management
• Feedback Management
• Collaboration Tools
• Progress Bar
• Achievement Badges
• In-Game Learning
• Interactive Polls
• Point System
• Templates

Gamification Software Comparison

Before investing in a gamification platform, consider the following key factors:

• Usability: How easy or difficult it is to use a gamification platform should be a major factor in determining which product to use. This applies to both businesses and customers. A system that's difficult to understand may easily turn customers away. Likewise, a smooth software set up helps businesses increase efficiency and save time. Be sure the gamification software you end up purchasing is user friendly for both administrators and end-users.
• Type of Participation: There are several ways in which customers can interact with your business through games, rewards, contests, polls, etc. Some products such as Influitive are more community-driven and invite customers to participate in activities such as social media posts/reviews in return for earning badges and/or points. Other products such as LevelEleven are more focused on motivating internal teams (like sales and customer success) to close more deals and renew more customers. First, decide if you’re looking for an internal-facing or external-facing gamification platform.
• Type of Business: Type of business, including company size and industry, is another important factor to consider. Some products, such as Kahoot!, are designed for the education industry whereas products such as Hoopla are better suited for sales/marketing teams. Research which products will be best suited for the type of business you have.

Pricing Information

Gamification software is usually priced per user, therefore costs may vary. Prices per user may range from $30 to $70 per month. Some vendors offer a free version of their software that will allow a limited number of users. Many vendors require you to contact them for exact pricing.