Have you ever seen a good looking popup during your shopping experience that triggered you into participation in a referal or points program?
If so, then most likely you were able to see one of the Shopify loyalty plugins in action. There is a large number of options to pick from, but lets focus on the ones that let you actually gamify the user experience.
What is Gamification?
I wrote about what is gamification here, but to sum up gamifiacation is applied behavioral psychology that learns from gaming industry experiences and transforms some of the game-like elements into the business medium, providing joy and engagement of the end user.
Gamifiaction makes the experience interesting, and adds a layer of interaction between the customer and the brand.
Gamification, when implemented properly, gives shopify stores the competitive edge that is especially valuable when it comes to loyalty. Returning customers are much more profitable than new customers as they don't require marketing spend.
Rewards in Shopify
Almost every big Shopify store now has some form of rewards system. This ensuers that returning and loyal customers get something extra on top, and feel valued and noticed.
Rewards can take different forms, but mainly are:
- coupon codes
- discounts
- access to items before anyone else has
- access to special promotions
- VIP experiences like: events, meetings, beta testing programs
The important part about rewards is that they should be spread across the customer experience evenly enough, to keep him motivated and entertained, to not create a picture of reward being too far ahead, or too easy to get.
To earn a reward you usually need a "mean of value" - in most cases that would be points. For every 1$ you spend, you get a specific amount of points. After spending enough in the store, you can exchange your points to specific rewards.
Levels in Shopify - customer segmentation
Many loyalty programs let you specify "levels" that enable certain rewards after certain customer spend. This "tiers' motivate customers to spend a little bit more to earn the extra rewards in exchange.
Most stores have 3 or 4 tiers: 1st one would be given automatically with any purchase, 2nd one would be mostly applicable after the first purchase (considering the basked size has enough value), 3rd one would usually sit in between 3x and 5x average basket size.
How to add gamification to your Shopify store?
Shopify has a vast library of extensions available to you just by selecting them, without any dev work required.
The main challenge is selecting the right ones for you. I did some research and picked 2 shopify plugins that actually let you implement proper gamification mechanics.
I intentioally removed all the "wheel spins" "reward drops" and other casino-like experiences from this article, knowing that they would target only a narrow group of purchases.
What we need here is something serious, something that would work - even for a big clothing brand.
Smile.io
SHOPIFY APP: https://apps.shopify.com/smile-io
DEMO STORE: https://smile-io-demo-store.myshopify.com/
API access: upon request at the highest package $599usd a month
Video
Gameball
SHOPIFY APP: https://apps.shopify.com/gameball
DEMO STORE: https://gameball-loyalty.myshopify.com/
API DOCUMENTATION: https://developer.gameball.co/
Video
Comparison between the systems. Which one is better?
In terms of popularity Smile.io is a clear winner, with almost 5000 reviews averaging 4.8 rating, it is clear that this systems does very well for his users. On ther other hand, Gameball seems to be just starting to get traction with a little bit over 180 reviews - and also very high rating of 4.8.
In terms of basic functionalities, both systems seem to deliver the same experience.
In terms of API access and ability to expand the platform with your own custom code, Gameball is leading with its very good developer portal, while Smile.io offers API access only uppon request and only from the largest pricing tier.
How much does Shopify gamification system cost?
Gameball is free to install with up to 500 customers with points, then it has two packages at $39/month and $119/month
Smile.io is a little bit more expensive with free tier up to 200 monthly orders, and packages of $49/month, $199/month and $599/month. You would need to buy the most expensive package to get the API access.
Summary
If you are using shopify and have not implemented any gamification systems yet, then you might be leaving a lot of money on the table. Gamification and loyalty systems can increase your store volume by even 30-40%.
You can pick from many different shopify apps that deliver this service for you with a small fee, and test by yourself.
Remember that functionality is one thing, but analysis and properly balancing the system is far more important. Experience comes handy, but once the system is setup right, then you can sit back, relax and enjoy the extra profits!