TRAFFIC
●●Ergonomics
Human ergonomics are an oftoverlooked aspect of designing a strong
mobile landing page. More specifically,
little thought is given to how users hold
their phones. According to uxmatters.
com, this is broadly split into one handed
(49%), supported (26%) and two handed
(15%), as depicted in Figure 2.
This has implications for landing-page
design, because it means that there
are certain areas of the screen which
are harder or less intuitive for users to
reach than others. As the overwhelming
majority of people are right handed and
hold their phone with one hand, content
placed in the top left portion of the
screen will be less likely to get clicked
on. As such, the “sweet spot” for a call
to action for a mobile optimised landing
page is likely to be in the centre, or
slightly to the right of the screen.
●●Speed
Speed should be a key priority when
creating mobile landing pages.
According to Google’s Webmaster
Central Blog (April 2015), the biggest
annoyance for mobile users is waiting
for slow pages to load (46%), followed
by being shown interstitials (16%). To
compound this, a one-second delay
can be equated to an approximate 4%
decrease in conversation rate (Mobile
Commerce Daily, KISSMetrics).
Trends
Although each of the top iGaming
operators approach landing-page strategy
their own way, there are several trends that
stand out.
Nearly all sportsbook and gaming sites
will lead with their respective new customer
offer. This is their opportunity to incentivise
the customer and increase conversion.
Usually a sign-up bonus, for example “Bet
£10 and Get £30 Free”, this is displayed
prominently on the landing page, often in
the centre and above the fold, and always in
close proximity to the sign up button.
Affiliates and aggregators usually have a
longer funnel, so the make-up of the page
is different to the operators’. These landing
pages will depend on the information given
to them by the operators, and they will
have little control over this. These pages are
often built quickly and not much attention
is paid to the search query as compared to
the positioning of the operators’ query.
Certain operators educate potential users
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iGB Affiliate Issue 55 FEB/MAR 2016
on how to use the site through carousels on
the landing page, which explain where to
find the odds and how to fill in the bet slip.
This can help entice new customers and
first timers who are new to gambling and
familiarise them with the site.
One of the top bookmakers in the UK
has been trialling static versus dynamic
landing pages. Dynamic landing pages
are hit or miss, and while they can drive
conversions, in other instances this might
be detrimental, as from a PPC perspective
this can decrease quality score. Advertising
platforms do not always respond well to
flash and dynamic imagery, and if these
are slow and lag this could deter potential
customers, especially those on mobile
devices (which count for over 55% of
traffic).
Despite these trends, some of the most
prominent bookmakers currently still drive
sport specific searches to their homepage or
their market pages, and as such have a huge
opportunity to increase their acquisition
efficiency in the future.
Testing
In the highly saturated iGaming space,
gaining as much information as possible
on landing page determinants can really
give you the edge over your competitors.
Testing landing pages and their various
elements becomes extremely important in
determining what works best in the pursuit
of driving acquisition. It is especially
important for smaller operators who wish
to gain position in the market quickly.
Various tests can be conducted, including
the following:
●●A/B split testing landing pages vs
market pages
In most instances, landing pages that
are customised to the search term drive
a higher percentage of conversion, but
for broader short tail generic searches,
directing the search to the market page
can be equally effective if not more so.
●●Multi-offer landing pages
Providing multiple offers on the landing
page, or perhaps a range of additional
sub offers, can further entice customers
and elicit conversion. Allowing the
customer the opportunity to choose, as
opposed to presenting them with just one
sign-up offer, can make a great deal of
difference when that customer comes to
make their decision.
●●UX and design
Changes to the structure of the page,
whether subtle or obvious, can impact
conversion rates significantly. Potential
examples include the positioning of
the “sign-up” or “bet now” button, the
colour of the button or even the font
used. Operators often make use of multivariant, A/B split and usability testing
tools to assist in this process.
●●Cross-selling
While some operators focus exclusively
on one product, others have an
array of offerings. Most of the large
sports bookmakers also have gaming
propositions, and the landing page
provides an opportunity to cross sell
different products.
Conclusion
In summary, designing an effective PPC
landing page for iGaming goes way beyond
a visually appealing aesthetic (although
it helps!) and requires continuous A/B
testing. One must consider the call to
action, overall design, visuals, branding,
relevancy to the search query and latest
trends, and also monitor closely what one’s
competitors are using. Besides observing
metrics such as bounce rate and conversion
rates, it may be well worth surveying your
target audience on their experience to get
more context for why a particular page is
working well or not, perhaps by rewarding
their constructive feedback with an
incentive offer (e.g. 10 free spins).
Additionally, with mobile increasingly
taking centre stage in how users navigate
online, making sure landing pages are
mobile-optimised is essential, and involves
actively thinking about how users engage
with their devices.
ROWAN KLEIJ is a
iGaming performance
specialist at The Media
Image, who has managed
some of the largest UK
casino brands, as well as
several affiliate clients.
ROY COUGHLAN is an
iGaming PPC specialist
at The Media Image. He
has worked on some of the
UK’s biggest sportsbooks.