This is a guest contribution by Joonas Karhu, Chief Business Officer at Bojoko.com. If you would like to submit a contribution please contact Bill Beatty for submission details. Thank you.
The highly competitive nature of the online casino sector means that operators must invest substantially, both in terms of time and money, in marketing activity if they are to acquire and convert players at scale with a favourable ROI.
Affiliates can and do play a key role in this process, and here at Bojoko we have been sending players to U.K.-licensed online casino brands for more than three years now. Over that time, we have gathered reams of data that we believe can help operators drive conversions and FTDs.
We want to share this data with operators so that they can tweak their online casino offering to better meet the preferences and needs of the players that we send or that arrive at their casino through any of the other marketing activity they undertake.
Those that deploy some or all of the factors we suggest below, and sign up to Bojoko, could enjoy up to 85+ additional first time depositors per month in the run up to Christmas and beyond.
Low minimum deposit:
The cost of entry is one of the greatest barriers to a customer making a purchase and is a hurdle marketers are constantly looking to clear. For online casino operators, this relates to the minimum deposit players are required to make at the casino.
While the minimum deposit is usually £10 – sometimes it can be as high as £20 – we find that casinos that offer low minimum deposits of £1 – £5 regularly see a better conversion from click to sign up and first deposit.
So long as the general player experience is of a high standard, operators that offer a £5 minimum deposit can enjoy between 3-10 more FTDs per month. We recommend going as low as £1, but £5 will still deliver solid results.
If you are worried about costs, simply offer the low minimum deposit on the player’s first deposit then revert to the standard £10 minimum thereafter, as a lot of our partners do.
No deposit bonus:
Online casino operators invest huge sums in retention bonuses, however churn comes down to a range of factors many of which are out of control of the marketing team. As such, they should look to redirect CRM budget towards acquisition.
A no deposit bonus is a great way of drawing new customers to your casino brand. They are few and far between allowing you to stand out from your rivals and allow players to try your casino before depositing and playing with their own money.
The no deposit offer does not have to be overly generous – 10 free spins on registration will suffice – and some of the cost of the bonus can be recovered through sensible wagering requirements on winnings. A no deposit bonus could generate between 5-15 additional FTDs per month.
No wagering bonus:
As players become increasingly savvy, especially around bonuses and the terms and conditions that come attached to them, we are seeing a huge uptick in interest around casinos that do not impose any wagering requirements on welcome offers and on-going bonuses.
Based on our unique data, the optimal new acquisition bonus is No deposit free spins on registration + no wagering free spins on first deposit. When it comes to the no wagering free spins, those that offer 30 or more could see 40 additional FTDs per month.
We believe no wagering bonuses will ultimately become the norm as players tire of having to complete near-impossible wagering requirements. While they know their winnings will be smaller with a no wagering bonus, they know they are theirs to keep.
200% + first deposit bonuses:
It might sound simple, but by increasing the percentage of the deposit match but lowering the limit the deposit is matched to, operators could secure an additional 5-12 FTDs per month. So instead of offering 100% up to £150, offer 200% up to £100.
Or simplify it further: Deposit £10 and play with £30. Players just want to feel they are receiving as much value as possible from a welcome bonus and operators can achieve this while actually reducing their bonus costs AND increasing FTDs at the same time.
Offer niche deposit methods:
More and more players are looking to deposit using alternative payment methods such as PayPal, Boku, Paybymobile and Skrill. Whether because they offer a more seamless experience, lower fees or they are just the player’s preferred method, these APMs are on the rise.
By offering them, operators remove another barrier to entry and maximise the potential of converting a player into a first-time depositor. Those that do and are listed on Bojoko can enjoy between 4-10 more FTDs per month.
Player preferences are constantly changing, but the above data was generated over a three-year period and from more than 300 casinos that have or are listed on Bojoko. As such, these are no longer trends but key factors players use to determine where to play.
The operators that are able to roll out some or all of these without delay will be able to enjoy a huge spike in player acquisition not only in time for Christmas but as we move into the New Year and beyond.
