E-shops use various creative strategies to increase their competitive advantage. One of the more interesting strategies is the use of game elements in electronic sales platforms.
The essence of this strategy is to engage buyers in various game tasks, after completing which they are rewarded with badges, virtual gifts, ranking in leaderboards, etc. Game elements are much more complex than discounts, gifts or other marketing techniques used, because applying game elements requires not only strategic, creative, but also graphic design and IT solutions.
Researchers from Vilnius University’s Faculty of Economics and Business Administration conducted a study funded by the Lithuanian Science Council, which aimed to determine whether game elements, as a marketing tool, motivate buyers to choose the same store in the future.
The study surveyed e-commerce marketing managers to find out how they perceive the use of gamification in the e-businesses they manage. Research participants divided into two main groups according to their opinions on the benefits of game elements to the organization. Some of them did not doubt the benefits of game elements – according to business representatives of this group, the mentioned elements not only strengthen loyalty, but also increase awareness and sales, create an emotional background or encourage the user to spend more time in the online store. However, it should be noted that another group of e-business representatives viewed gamification with skepticism: according to them, the use of these elements burdens the organization with additional tasks, they are irrelevant to the user and do not increase loyalty, and the benefits provided by gamification are difficult to measure. A large number of respondents mentioned several obstacles limiting the possibilities of more active implementation of game elements in electronic stores – these are financial, human resources, time and technical aspects. Although the majority of research participants expressed a favorable position towards gaming elements, they emphasized the importance of functional adaptation of gaming elements, stating that they must be understandable to users, evoke positive emotions, be original, suitable for the target segment and compatible with marketing objectives.
As a follow-up to this research, shoppers were interviewed to find out their attitudes towards motivational games in e-stores.
The study showed that buyers identify two benefits associated with gaming elements. The first of them is intrinsic motivation, which the user associates with pleasant activities, fun, comfort, or social development. Intrinsic user motivation is not associated with material benefits, but it provides emotional satisfaction and joyful experience. In the case of intrinsic motivation, buyers’ involvement in games is stimulated by the possibility of giving gifts to other players or communicating with each other in various discussion forums, as well as it may be attractive for buyers to collect thematically related objects, etc. Meanwhile, the second motivation for game elements is extrinsic, which is associated with material incentives, for example, it can be a valuable virtual treasure hidden in the game or virtual money. Enticing buyers into the game can also be displayed on a public scoreboard based on certain achievements, it can also be a virtual badge that rewards the player when they reach a certain level, or it can simply be the ability to access content that is not available to other players .
Source: VU
123rf photo.
