If in the last edition of our magazine we analyzed the importance of casino player loyalty referring mainly to the offline (landbased) segment, on this occasion we wanted to discuss how important brand loyalty is in the online environment, for players who access these entertainment services from the convenience offered by mobile or desktop devices.
I think the most important thing that can be said from the outset is that loyalty programs play a much more important role in online gambling because here the market is much more competitive and customers can quickly migrate from one site to another, and the increase in the number of online players due to the pandemic has made it just as important, if not more important to keep players on the site, not just bring them to the operator’s platform.
You have to be technically okay
I know, a lot of people talk about bonuses, free spins and many other attractive promotions, but the most important thing, from my point of view, when you want to build loyalty among your players on online gambling platforms is technical support. Your website needs to work flawlessly, it needs to be impervious to cyber attacks, and it needs to be malleable, i.e. work equally well on mobile, tablet or watch. Optimization on mobile devices needs to be at its best. All modules must work equally well in all conditions. In other words, you can’t, for example, excel at offering games, but not have good customer support, or not have your live or quick withdrawals work, especially if you’ve also promoted them. The greatest strength of this business – mobility, accessibility – can also be your weakest point if you don’t give the necessary importance to the technical area. And it would be a shame to work and pay for marketing campaigns with staggering amounts of money and have the technical side betray you. Players immediately migrate to another site, where they can find the same games right away.
Classic loyalty in online gambling is no longer enough
Still, both in Romania and in other markets where online gambling is active, online gambling operators are promoting classic loyalty, where many choose to take the beaten path of free spins or first deposit bonuses. However, recent statistical reports show that after a period in which the number of new users increases, the percentage of players returning to the platform after withdrawing the bonus is low. So, player loyalty plays a key role. The operator has to retain the user on the site, otherwise he will lose money. The need to continuously offer bonuses to players becomes mandatory, provided that they are used on the platform of the operator in question and with the aim of making the player deepen his loyalty to the platform by obtaining even more benefits.
Request exclusive games from manufacturers
I realize it can be difficult or very expensive to do this, but I assure you that if you don’t do it soon someone else has already implemented it on their site. Why is it important to have exclusive games? Because if these games are successful, obviously players won’t be able to play them elsewhere and your gaming platform will be attractive because others don’t have what you have. It sounds trivial, but, in fact, there are few sites that can afford such an approach. It is clear that the game manufacturer will not want to sell that game only to you, but it is not asking for exclusivity on games that have already been consecrated but on games that you can order yourself after doing an analysis of the player profile on your platform. This will take longer, but cost you less. The manufacturer will not know if this game will be a big success and it is quite possible, because it is an “exclusive order” that they will agree not to sell it elsewhere for at least 5 years, during which time you will recover your investment and build customer loyalty.
Beware of VIP players
Certainly a significant number of online gambling operators have offers dedicated to VIP players, i.e. those who spend a lot on their site. But I would like to stress the importance of this area and the need to hire a personal account manager and employees to support the account manager to offer the best service to his VIP customer. Exceptional benefits, services, games and events should only be available to VIP members. If you have high rollers, you need to offer them access to exclusive VIP bonuses, services and events. Events offered to them should often include the most significant prizes – all to emphasise that they are exclusive to the best of the best. It’s also important to give them access to unique jackpot slots. VIP players can keep your site afloat in terms of spending, and make a profit from smaller customers.
Conclusion
There are certainly other online gambling player retention milestones but right now these seem to us the most important things you could do to build customer loyalty. We plan to return to this topic in future editions.
