If you’re looking for some fun but functional plugins to add to your WordPress site, you’ll love myCred as an option. Gamifying your website adds a whole other level of engagement to your site you might not currently have. The more engaged your users are, the more likely they’ll do your marketing for you via word-of-mouth marketing.
myCred plugin has a 4.5-star rating out of 5 stars. Reviewers point to increased customer engagement and easy installation as their favorite elements. If you’re looking for a community-based plugin, start with this one.
myCred’s Best Features
If the myCred plugin sounds like fun, you aren’t wrong. You are making your website like a game, where users collect coins and virtual prizes. Depending on your target audience, you may have just hit on a unique marketing feature that appeals to big chunks of the population.
A Livewire study uncovered that gaming is the number one entertainment choice for millennials and Gen Zers. If your target audience falls within either of those age ranges, myCred can help you tap into an interest users already have. The core features of the software are:
- The adaptive points system follows the rules you set to create leaderboards and ranks.
- Reward your customers for their engagement and loyalty with points, ranks and badges.
- Compatible with WooCommerce. Option to convert myCred points into real money or store credits.
If you need a points-based reward system, myCred free version works fine. Expand and offer more with these available addons:
- Coupons Notifications (Pop Ups)
- Email Notifications
- Sell Content
- Transfer Points
If you’re a digital creator, you may want to enable one or more of these plugins.
Source: https://mycred.me/pricing
Cost of myCred
The basic plugin is free and may be all you need to suit your business needs. However, if you need add-on functionality, your best bet is to buy one of the packages. They offer an annual cost or a lifetime license for 75% off. You will pay a chunk of money upfront but can then gain the advantage of ongoing updates for as long as you use the plugin.
Core Files: Basic functionality of awarding points. FREE
Basic: Adds 23 premium addons for one WordPress site. $99.99 per year
Professional: Use gamification on several sites and gain 33 addons. $149.99 per year
Business: Comes with 49 premium addons. $299.99 per year.
The software can only be used with WordPress sites installed on private servers. It does not function with WordPress.com at this time. You will have to check carefully which addons come with each package as some require a pricier plan to gain access.
How to Install and Use myCred
Installing myCred is simple but learning to tweak it to your needs can take some time. Thankfully, the developers have extensive documentation to help you tweak the settings to meet your business’ needs. They also have video tutorials on a YouTube channel.
You’ll find settings hooks listed on their YouTube channel to guide you toward getting the most from the software. The installation steps are pretty straightforward.
Step 1: Install and Activate myCred
Download the software from myCred.me, WordPress.org or search for the plugin under your WordPress dashboard. Once the plugin shows up in the list of installed programs, click on “Activate.”
Step 2: Create Hooks
One of the most complex parts of setup is creating hooks. The tip pictured above is helpful. Think of your hooks like WP widgets. You drag them in when you want to use them and tweak them as needed.
Some of the hooks available include points for:
- Publishing
- Comments
- Daily Visits
- Viewing Videos
- Clicking on Links
- Referrals
- Sharing
You could have users edit old posts or publish user generated content for a fresh website that will rank well in search engine results.
Step 3: Tweak Core Settings
Under “Core Settings,” you can twink the name of points, who is in charge and the image that represents points on your site. If you plan to name your coins something cute to match the personality of your brand, you’ll want to change the name under Settings/General.
As you begin interacting with your subscribers and seeing what activities they enjoy, you’ll find new addons and ways to engage them through this program. One thing we really appreciated about this one is that it can grow with your site.
Start with the free version and add plugin packages as your subscriber list grows. For example, you might not need the email notifications in the early days but will want them as you add regular customers.
You can also extend the things you offer points for, adding on things like birthday points and anniversary rewards.
A Few Other Details About myCred
After careful testing, we couldn’t find where the program slowed down the website. The concept is a fun, interactive site where people can get to know one another better and develop an online persona. As with most unique things, people will love or hate the points system.
If you try the free version, you can always disable it should your customers begin having negative feelings toward your brand. myCred offers an interesting way to add gamification to your site and develop a loyal following.
