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How Dropbox uses gamification to reward users

Author's avatar By 13 Sep, 2011
Essential Essential topic

Practical customer engagement examples #2

Last time I talked about the use of QR codes for engagement. My customer engagement example this time shows how to use gamification to make an app (or website) more involving and shareable.

Dropbox is one of those utilities I now find I can’t live without and I noticed this use of game mechanics (gamification) on their ‘Get Started’ page.

The goals for building this feature fit nicely with what I see as the essence of engagement in this definition of customer engagement:

“Repeated interactions that strengthen the emotional, psychological or physical investment a customer has in a brand”.

To encourage you to learn more about the product, use it and share with friends Dropbox have set a ‘quest’ to complete seven tasks. Your reward should you become a ‘Dropbox Guru’ is extra storage space. Motivating, fun and rewarding!

Gamification example

Other nice elements on the page which I think app and site designers can learn from include:

  1. The tool tips describing what is necessary to complete each task that pop-up as you mouse over each line
  2. The ‘Hide the Get Started tab’ option in the bottom left corner, allowing you to control the interface. This is a recognition that not everyone likes to play and that control itself creates engagement.
  3. The ‘Upgrade’ option in to top right implies it is a positive thing to do and that it will be rewarding through the simple use of the star icon.

If you have seen any other great examples of gamification please share them below. Thanks.

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