Increase Surveyors on Survey Sites through Gamification

Although Gamification is relatively an unfamiliar concept, it is by no means new or unusual. The term was initially introduced in 2002, however, it did not gain popularity till 2010. Now it is used to refer to the technique of incorporating gaming competition/reward in software.

• What is Gamification?

It is the use of game thinking and game mechanics in a simple non-game context to increase user-engagement and quality of research. The core strategy is to reward users for accomplishing tasks by providing points, badges or virtual currency, achievement levels, etc.

• How Can It Be Used In Survey Making?

Instantly, we can see how such a thing can be beneficial for a survey website. Surveys are generally pretty boring with simple, to-the-point, questions which present no challenge or motivation to the respondents. Still, all surveyors want a higher response rate for their surveys to gather enough data that can be deemed credible by the world.

For online surveys, Gamification includes:

• Leader Boards
• Achievement Badges
• Achievement Levels
• Virtual Currency
• Point Collection
• Avatars
• A Progress Bar for Respondents.
• Personalized unique rewards

• Perks of Gamification in Online Surveys

As online surveys are easier to conduct, many organizations prefer to use them for their online market research. They are more effective in nature and feedback is acquired in a much shorter time frame.

Game mechanics introduced in online surveys can greatly improve the response rate for surveyors. If they choose a survey site which offers Gamification, they will have a greater chance to lure customers into giving timely and well-thought-out feedback. Not only the response rate soars, it also increases the enjoyment rate of the survey takers.

• Higher Completion Rate

There are two ways – redesigning the questions and rewards. Research tells that once a question changes to game-like in nature, it obtains two or even three times as much feedback as it used to receive previously. The wording of the questions can be redesigned to become human, engaging, and linked to real-life experiences. For example, instead of asking someone what kind of food they like, we could simply ask what food they would keep in the menu for a house-warming party.

• Thoughtful Responses

When you apply rules on a survey, it transforms a boring question/answer task into a crossplay games. Game playing can also turn questions into mental puzzles. For example, if you ask them to describe their experience, it will yield about 12% less response than it will procure if asked to describe in a certain number of words. When rewards are added, the average time spent on each question by the respondents also increases to a reasonable extent.

• Enjoyment Score

Game playing brings out the competitive spirit of respondents. By merging the structure of video and online game structures, you can provide the players a series of challenges that will leverage on their natural desire for status, achievement, and competition. Rewards also play a major role in mentally preparing them to deliberate a bit longer. For example, if u give them a simple task such as recognizing certain visuals, they might think it’s fun. But when you tell them that each correct answer will earn them a point, it will shoot up the average response time as well as enjoyment rate of the respondents.

Have you ever tried survey Gamification before? Do you think it would be a good experience for your survey audience? Leave us your thoughts in the comments below.