How can you use rewards to enhance the user journey?

1 What are rewards?

Rewards are positive outcomes or incentives that users receive for completing certain actions or reaching certain milestones. Rewards can be intrinsic or extrinsic, tangible or intangible, expected or unexpected, and immediate or delayed. For example, a user might receive a badge, a discount, a feedback, a compliment, a surprise, or a sense of achievement as a reward for using a product or service.

2 Why are rewards important?

Rewards are an effective tool for influencing user behavior, satisfaction, and loyalty. They can encourage users to take desired actions, such as signing up, sharing, purchasing, or referring. They can also reinforce progress and learning, as well as enhance emotional engagement and enjoyment. Rewards can create a sense of reciprocity between users and the product or service provider, making them more likely to stay with the product or service and recommend it to others. In short, rewards are an important way to increase user retention, advocacy, and word-of-mouth.

3 How to design rewards?

Designing rewards is not a one-size-fits-all approach - you need to consider your business goals, user needs, user journey stages, and reward types. To help you design rewards that are relevant, meaningful, and valuable to your users, you should focus on aligning rewards with your business goals and user needs. Additionally, vary rewards according to the user journey stages and balance rewards between intrinsic and extrinsic, tangible and intangible, expected and unexpected, and immediate and delayed. Finally, test and optimize rewards based on user feedback and behavior to ensure they are effective, impactful, and appealing.

4 How to deliver rewards?

Delivering rewards isn't just about giving users something in exchange for their actions or achievements; it's also about creating a memorable and positive user experience that reinforces your brand identity and value. To help with this, use clear and compelling calls to action that communicate the benefits and value of the rewards. This should motivate users to take the next step in their user journey. Additionally, provide timely and consistent feedback that acknowledges and celebrates the users' actions or achievements, making them feel appreciated, recognized, and supported. Visual and verbal cues should also be used to highlight and emphasize the rewards, attracting users' attention while conveying the meaning and importance of the rewards. Furthermore, personalize and customize rewards to suit the users' preferences, interests, and needs in order to make them feel special, valued, and understood. Finally, create social and communal rewards that foster a sense of connection, belonging, and influence among users and between users and the product or service provider. This should encourage users to share, interact, and collaborate with others.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?