SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
In November 2016, Global Reviews tracked and surveyed 200 consumers to better understand their processes when it comes to finding an online casino site to play on.
Before gamers conduct any research into the best site for them, as many as 75% have a preferred brand in mind. This is typically driven by having used them before in some capacity as reported by 68% of those with an initial preference. This is followed by 54% who said that they are a current customer and 49% who have trust in the brand. Brand loyalty and the comfort of using what you know are key influences in who a gamer is considering.
However, there are factors along the research journey that can impact this initial decision.
The first step for 91% of gamers when finding a site to play on is a search engine. For many consumers, search engines such as Google are a natural starting point for most, if not all, online activities. It is within the search results, gamers are then exposed to a range of brands and any specials/deals on offer. Whether they are driven by the brand name, the games available or available deals, gamers then move on to a brand’s website where the online experience begins to influence the decision-making process.
They say that first impressions last. This rule applies to websites as much as anything else. In fact, 38% of gamers stated that the visual appeal of a brand’s website played a part in the final decision making process. If a website is not aesthetically pleasing and does not provide a layout and navigational path that is easy to follow, then gamers are going to find it too difficult to use and go elsewhere.
Throughout the research and decision making journey, the online casino industry has many ups and downs as the balance of product, price and experience plays its part on the decision-making process. Each brand has its own strengths and weaknesses throughout the journey whether that be in revealing and detailing games on offer, explaining game play options or registering for an account online.
So, how can casino game providers improve the customer journey and ultimately increase conversions? Here are our top tips:
- Encourage sign-up: Brand loyalty has a lot of influence in choosing a site to play on. By getting gamers to sign-up, brands can promote any upcoming offers and encourage return visits to their site.
- Show users WHY they should choose to game with you: For the most part, online casino sites offer very similar gaming options so it is important for brands to be able to distinguish themselves from the pack to give gamers a reason to choose them over someone else.
- Show users how EASY it is to play: If site navigation is complicated, chances are game play is too. The easier it is to use a site, the easier it is to keep consumers with you.
- Enable some FREE play on your site: Gamers can become reluctant to input personal details if they’re not 100% sure of what they’re getting in return. Free play enables brands to show how easy it is to play while at the same time gets gamers comfortable with the site and interested in the game.
- Use multiple navigation routes to get players to game quickly and easily – navigate by ‘types of game’, ‘level of jackpot’, ‘name’ and ‘ease of play’: Each gamer has their own set of criteria when it comes to selecting which games to play. By catering to the most common categories such as type of game or level of difficulty, it doesn’t matter what a gamer’s criteria is, they will be able to easily find what they’re after.
- Support channel selection by incorporating contextual help and support, including throughout the registration process: Supporting a gamer once they’re ready to sign-up is vital. It would be a shame to get them so far only to drive them away because the sign-up process lacks in the required online support.
Each of these tips not only applies to online casino sites, but across all product and service websites. These are universal requirements to ensure a strong online customer experience and aid in online conversions. By implementing these elements, a brand can go from sitting in the middle of the pack, to creating an online experience that sets an example for the rest of the industry.
Content provided by Global Reviews
At Global Reviews, we help many leading brands in online Sports Betting and Casino, such as Coral, Betsson Group and William Hill solve the critical online customer acquisition questions that they face. More specifically, Global Reviews help them to understand why they are losing potential online customers, who are in-market to place a bet or to play a casino game on their site, to one of their competitors.
