Make Trials Stick: Gamified Flows That Drive Activation

As a marketer, you’ve optimised your ad campaigns to drive maximum app listing views and installations. You’re creating content that shows how your app helps stores add new revenue, save time, or cut costs which is enough to pique curiosity and drive installs.

But what happens after installation?

We’ve seen a common pattern across Shopify apps: users install the app, start a 30-day free trial, and never finish setting it up. Thirty days pass, they’re billed, and then they reach out to the support team for a refund - confused, frustrated, and claiming they “never got a chance to try it.” You refund them to avoid a 1-star review. And just like that, your hard-earned install becomes churn.

This story plays out time and again. And while it’s costing real revenue, few teams are doing anything to fix it.

The result? Your MRR looks inflated for a month, but your activation and retention metrics are telling a different story. This isn’t just a customer success problem, it’s a marketing one too.

Now imagine this instead: what if users didn’t get all 30 trial days upfront, but unlocked them by completing setup tasks? What if the trial encouraged progress, nudged success, and made activation feel like a game?

That’s the power of gamified trials: they turn installs into engaged users by driving setup and accelerating time-to-value. It’s how you make sure the marketing budget you fought for doesn’t just buy installs but real, retained revenue.

Let’s explore how to do it.

Onboarding Checklist

Everyone loves crossing things off a checklist. It reduces overwhelm and improves clarity by breaking complex problems into achievable goals.

How to Execute:

1. Create an Onboarding Checklist to highlight the top 5–10 actions that matter most for success in your app. These should be clearly defined milestones.
2. Label each step clearly. For example if you are a product bundling app:
   • “Create your first bundle group”
   • “Add bundle to product page”
   • “Add this bundle to checkout as upsell”
3. Tie rewards to completion. For example:
   • Complete 5 of 10 steps to unlock 14 bonus trial days.
4. Set a deadline. Add urgency by saying users must complete these steps within 7 days of installing.
5. Track progress visually. Consider using progress bars or completion badges to keep motivation high.

Tiered Trials

Think like a game designer. Create levels that users can progress through to unlock more value and incentives.

How to Execute:

1. Define the Levels:
   • Level 1: Explorer – Basic setup
   • Level 2: Builder – First go-live
   • Level 3: Optimiser – Performance improvements
2. Assign specific tasks to each level.
   • Explorer: Create first post-purchase upsell offer
   • Builder: Customize offer rules (e.g. high AOV customers)
   • Optimiser: A/B test two offers
3. Tie each level to a reward.
   • More trial days
   • Access to advanced features
   • Send them swag!

Create a surprise challenge

People love a little mystery. Unlocking something unknown adds excitement and stickiness.

How to Execute:

1. Add a mystery challenge inside the app. Use a lock icon or hidden reward message.
2. Give subtle hints. Example:
   • “Complete 3 advanced features to unlock this.”
3. Trigger the surprise unlock. Reward users with:
   • Free access to premium features for a year
   • A custom strategy doc tailored to their brand
   • Bonus trial days

Bag the Swag

Swag is social currency. People love bragging about it which encourages social shares. This is every marketer’s key to unlock organic gold content.

How to Execute:

1. Set a time-based reward goal.
   • Example: “Go live within 7 days of installing and win exclusive swag.”
2. Pick the swag. It could be:
   • A branded hoodie or mug
   • Stickers or desk goodies
   • A gift card

Flex em Wins

Customers are winning with your app. You have to leverage this to create a customer champion who advocates through “word of mouth”. That’s highkey the best way to grow in this ecosystem.

How to Execute:

1. Detect milestones automatically. For example:
   • $10K recovered revenue
   • Achieved first upsell
2. Prompt them to share their win card.
   • Provide ready-to-go copy / template.
   • Incentivise them to share on socials and unlock more trial days / get a month free.
   • Add a referral link to their post. If someone signs up through it, reward both parties. You get a new customer and they get a commission!
   • Example:

Leaderboards

People love topping charts. A little healthy competition makes the journey more fun—and drives faster activation.

How to Execute:

1. Set clear rules.

   For example: Complete onboarding faster than 75% of users this week and earn 14 trial days.

2. Celebrate performance.

   Ran a campaign that brought in the most revenue this month? You win exclusive swag.

3. Keep it visible.

   Send weekly updates via email. When users see their name climbing the charts, they’re more likely to stay engaged and push further.