How to Add a Simple User Ranking System for WordPress Comments

The Proven Impact of Comment Gamification

Comment ranking systems are becoming popular community-building tools. According to HubSpot research, websites employing gamification principles see 87% more frequent visitor engagement. This stat signifies the potential value of integrating ranks and incentives into your WordPress commenting ecosystem.

Industry case studies also showcase stellar results. For example, when computer retailer Newegg added an MVP Commenter program to their blog recognizing the most valuable contributors, they saw a 23% increase in recurring comments.

Clearly, comment gamification works to driver greater engagement. Keep reading as we explore how to successfully add ranks to supercharge your own WordPress site discussions.

Choosing the Best Comment Rank Plugin

While you can technically code a custom comment rank system, opting for an existing plugin saves considerable development time. When selecting one, consider the following evaluation criteria:

For this tutorial, we‘ve selected Simple User Rank Comments as it strikes a nice balance of customization and ease-of-use given most website‘s needs.

Now let‘s dive into installation and configuration…

Setting Up Your Comment Ranks

Once installed and activated in your WP dashboard under Plugins, navigate to Comments > User Ranks to get started.

Here you can establish the commenting milestones tied to each custom rank. While defaults increment counts (50, 100, etc), creativity sparks more interest. Consider relevant names like:

20 comments = Wiki Wizard 🧙‍♂️  
50 comments = Keyboard Warrior 🗡️
100 comments = Community Leader 🥇

Equally spaced thresholds keep motivation consistent versus potentially intimidating exponential jumps. If I know "Keyboard Warrior" status is attainable after just 30 more comments, I‘m more inclined to engage than facing a daunting 500 comment target at the next rung.

Customizing Your Displays

Don‘t forget to check Auto Display Comment Rank so user levels appear publically alongside their remarks. The integrated styles are basic, but can easily be overridden by adding CSS like:

.surc_user_rank {
   color: #DDD;
   font-weight: bold;
}

Now that your framework is built, let‘s optimize the experience…

Fostering Valuable Conversations

Like any digital community, there‘s potential for abuse with those seeking status for the wrong reasons. Protect discussion quality by:

• Requiring human validation via reCAPTCHA
• Making links nofollow/removes ranks
• Hiding ranks on old posts vulnerable to spam

Promoting exemplary contributions also outshines potential bad apples. Every month, share a "Commenter Spotlight" post highlighting your MVPs. Send them free merch or prizes for being so engaged!

Ultimately you want community over competition. Ranks merely gamify desired behavior, but the connections created are what really matters.

Extending Engagement with Additional Integrations

Once core comment ranks are implemented, many complementary plugins exist to spur further motivation including:

• Allowing user-voting on comments
• Connecting ranks to badge/points systems
• Sending rank up alerts via email/web push notifications
• Embedding user achievement profiles

APIs also enable syncing to external services like Slack or Discord for unified status across your branded properties.

The possibilities are endless when layering incentives onto core comment ranks for an enriched community ecosystem keeping fans engaged across platforms.

Now It‘s Your Turn!

Adding comment ranks can significantly increase recurring contributions if executed intentionally. Startslow by installing Simple User Rank Comments, customizing some initial milestones, and encouraging friendly competition.

What incentives have you found best for fueling ongoing discussion with your audience? Which of the ideas shared resonated most? Share your thoughts below!