According to a study by Statista, in today’s mobile app market, there are over 2.5 million apps on Google Play, 1.8 million on Apple App Store, 669 thousand on Windows Store, and 489 thousand on Amazon App Store. So in all, we have over 5 billion mobile apps!
It is challenging to develop apps that stand out from the competition with such a huge number. The app should have something unique and exciting to offer so that the users download and keep the app.
If your app does not provide the users with a unique proposition and a fun experience, the users will not download your app, and even if they do, they will uninstall it after use.
Mobile app users have millions of options, and if your app is not the best deal out there, then there are no chances of your app to survive this intense competition.
Image Source: https://mambo.io/gamification-infographics/gamification-in-mobile-apps-infographic
Without something unique to offer, your app wil not only lose the existing users and not be able to attract new ones. This will be a huge loss for the app creator’s business.
Not attracting new users will also impact your app’s performance in the app stores as fewer users mean fewer reviews, and thus your app’s ranking will also suffer. So, sooner or later, your app’s operational cost will become a loss for your business.
So what can you do to make your app stand out and offer an interesting user experience?
The answer is – Add Games To Your Existing Mobile App.
This article will look at how to add games to your existing mobile app. Let’s get started.
Add games to your existing app
There are two ways of adding games to your existing app. One is to add a separate game section in your app, in which there will be various games that the users can enjoy, or you can just add the feeling and accomplishment of gaming in your app by adopting various gamification methods.
Let’s explore both options thoroughly.
1. Add new games to the existing mobile app
Launching your brand/app’s game is a new and uprising marketing strategy that many big brands are using nowadays.
With games, you can showcase your products/services to the users in a fun way or advertise them. Giants like Red Bull, WWE, etc., have used this strategy, and it was not only successful as an advertisement strategy but also became a great source of income.
Apps like Netflix and Flipkart have added a separate game section in their respective ways. Netflix has added games of their exclusive series and movies that the users can enjoy with their Netflix subscription. Flipkart has daily games that users can play to win discount coupons and offers.
2. Use Gamification
Mobile app gamification refers to adding game components and contexts in the mobile app to make the app’s user experience a fun-filled one. The app’s fun features help increase the app’s traffic. Moreover, this experience encourages the users to use the app again.
With points and level upgrades, the users will get rewarded for using the app or purchasing from the app, and the app will be able to get loyal customers.
Here are Gamification methods that can be integrated with your mobile app to gamify it:
Levels
When the users start using your app, they will start with level one. After that, their in-app purchases, browning, experience, etc., will help them level up.
After completing a certain task, the level of the users will increase. The better their level is, the more rewards they will get. This way, you can motivate the users to use your app more to upgrade their level and get more benefits.
Badges
The badges will be a trophy or a symbol of completing a milestone in the app. When the users complete the milestone, they will get the badge that they can flaunt in their profile and showcase to their friends and family.
Along with the badge, you can also give the users certain unique features ro titles that they can use in the app. Or you can add a discount coupon or voucher with the badge to make it more appealing.
Performance Charts
The performance chart will showcase the daily progress of the users and how far they are from their goals or the rewards. The performance chart will showcase the daily progress of the users and will motivate them to do better.
It will be like a leaderboard but very well-detailed. For example, if your app is a fitness app, the performance charts will showcase the users’ daily/weekly/monthly progress and keep a detailed record of their exercises, schedules, and diet.
Points
Points will be the basic reward for all the user’s tasks via your app, whether it is a purchase or a goal met. The users can then use these points to redeem them for gifts, prizes, discount vouchers, or rewards.
The point system will work amazingly with any app, especially a purchased app. You can give points with each purchase, each review of the purchased item, and even for not returning the item. This way, the users will get a reason to shop via your app.
Leaderboard
The best motivation for the users to perform better is by showcasing a leaderboard and letting them know how other users are performing. This will motivate the users to go the extra mile and be featured on the leaderboard.
You can also make this a competition where the top spots on the leaderboard will get a gift or coupon. This will really motivate the users to do their best to be on the top of the leaderboard.
Social Integration
Having social integration in all the apps and games is a trend. With social integrations, the users can add their social media friends as in-app friends, and then they can keep an eye on the progress of other players. They can share their achievements too.
Sharing their progress and everything will help the users connect with their friends or look out for each other. This way, your app will become a special place for them, and they will use your app more and more.
Why should you add games to your existing mobile app?
Adding games to your app will be a great asset and addition to your app. It will not only provide a fun-filled experience to the users but will also upgrade your user experience. The addition of games can increase your app’s ROI by 2x and user engagement by 10x. In addition, it will reduce user churn and make the users revisit your app repeatedly.
There is always an option for you to create a new game and launch it as separate software, but that will not benefit your existing app. So instead, here are some definitive reasons you should add games to your mobile app.
1. To promote your business
Games are and will be a brilliant marketing strategy for businesses and brands. Have you played games of brands like WWE, Redbull, etc.?
The purpose of these games is to promote their product. This is what you can also do. The main component of developing a game is an idea, and your business or brand is nothing less than a great idea.
You can develop a game around your brand or business to popularize it, and if your game is integrated into your app, people will download and use your app to play the game. This will advertise your business and will get new downloads at the same time.
2. To provide a better experience
The key to ensuring that the users download and keep your app is your app’s experience. If your app offers amazing games with its core features, users will get a better in-app experience.
Games will add a fun side to your app, so people will keep your app installed. This way, whenever they need services/products related to your business/brand, they will use your app first.
3. To push beyond your limits
The mobile game industry is thriving and growing at an exponential rate. By adding games to your existing mobile app, you can enter the gaming industry.
You can transform your product or service into a game, and thus you will get the profit of an app and a game in one place. Venture around different genres and develop amazing games to push yourself out of your comfort zone and experiment with games to provide your users with the best app they have ever downloaded.
4. To provide the users with a reason to come back
Once the users have used your app, they will not come back till they need your product or service again. For example, if your app is a mobile ticket booking app, the users will not use it regularly. They will use it only when they want to watch a movie.
However, if you add games to your app, the users will have more reasons to come back to your app to use it again and again. This will also make sure that the users do not uninstall your app.
Gamification’s Obsession by the World Leading Apps
Doubtlessly, the gaming industry has spiked due to the pandemic. As a result, most people are engrossed with mobile games. Certainly, this has contributed to the growth of the gaming industry by 50%. Games have the potential to cover more markets and draw a larger audience, and this certainly catches the attention of app owners. That’s why gamification came into the market and exalted overnight due to solid hikes in the app engagement.
Here are some ingenious applications that have already started integrating games into their existing app:
1. Netflix Games
Netflix has launched a game section that allows users to enjoy some amazing Netflix games. These games will extend the content life-cycle by supplementing it with gaming.
With this move, Netflix will be able to acquire new users who want to play the Netflix games, and Netflix will also be able to entertain its existing users and provide them with more content.
The games will be related to Netflix series and movies and thus will allow the users to enjoy the shows and movies more. Netflix has acquired Next Games and Boss Fight Games and has started developing various games.
As a point to be noted, Disney has tried launching content-derived games and was not successful, however, it was a long time ago, and if Netflix plays the moves right, this could become a very big step forward for Netflix.
2. Flipkart/Amazon Games
Flipkart and Amazon have used the game section extremely well, and it helps the platforms to increase their sales.
The platform provides various games. The users can play these games to win exciting prizes and vouchers. These vouchers can be used to get special discounts.
If a person wins a game, they will get a 5-20% discount on their next purchase. This way, if a person wins, they get a special discount that will be useless after a certain period of time.
To make sure that the user utilizes the amazing gift that they have won, they will shop using the voucher, and thus this will increase the sales on the platform.
3. Clubhouse Games
Clubhouse has confirmed testing a new in-room gaming feature on both iOS and Android platforms.
As part of the initial launch, Clubhouse will launch a “wild cards” game designed into a series of questions that will spur conversation and help people know each other.
Users can create a separate room for the game, and once all the players have joined, the users can start playing the game. This will provide a unique and fun-filled experience to the users.
Benefits of Adding Games to your Mobile App In 2023
In 2023, users are looking for apps that can provide a unique and captivating experience that leaves them craving more. By adding games to your app, you can deliver that unique experience. This unique approach will be the selling point of your app and will help you get more users and turn them into faithful customers.
Increased User Engagement
If the users are rewarded or will get points for using your app, they will avoid using the competition apps and use your app more, increasing your app’s user engagement.
Better User Experience
By using your mobile app, the users can avail of all your services from anywhere and at any time, but they will also be rewarded for the same. All their progress and history will be stored in the app, improving the user experience.
Constant Social Media Presence
Users are into sharing their experiences on social media. With the progress chart feature and the rewards that the users will get for using your app, the users will be very happy and are likely to post or write about the same on social media.
More positive reviews
The gamification of your app makes it more interesting and more profitable for the users to use. The in-app experience and the users’ overall experience with your brand will improve, and you will get many positive reviews on the internet.
It’s the right time to transform your game
The ultimate goal of adding games to your existing mobile app is to transform it into an app that sticks with the people, and they keep coming back to it to feel more engaged.
Adding games to your existing app works best when the users have the social sharing feature, as they can share everything with their friends, family, and followers. When people share their experiences online, it will not only be good for your app, but it will also be good for your brand and business.
If you are looking for an App and Game Development company to add games to your existing app or a Gamification company, you can contact Capermint Technology. Our team can transform your app into a new and fresh app with games ready to take over the competition and provide the best in-app experience to the users.