iGB Affiliate 55 Feb/Mar | Page 50

FEATURE 2016 THE PREDICTIONS Hot on the heels of an eventful year for the iGaming search landscape, which saw the rise of ad-blocking to Google ratcheting up the content quality dial and revealing the use of AI in its algorithms, we asked our expert panel for their predictions on the developments and trends set to shape the sector over the next 12 months. ORY WEIHS, CEO, XLMEDIA FINTAN COSTELLO, MANAGING PARTNER, REVENUE ENGINEERS The first major theme we predict for 2016 is that the differences between websites and apps will become blurred. We see two key developments driving this trend. In-app indexing and deep-linking are probably the biggest opportunity we see in digital marketing in 2016. The ability to make your app accessible to the search engines is a game changer, and will provide a step change in growth to those who react the fastest. The second major trend, and closely linked to the first, is Google “hosting” content on your behalf. Be it through Google App Streaming where a user can try your app for 60 seconds before downloading it, to Google Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) where Google will host your content and deliver it at blazing fast speed to mobile users. Both of these speed up the mobile web experience and will drive even further mobile growth. Our wildcard long-shot prediction for 2016 is that operators will start to offer cross-device conversion attribution to affiliates. We feel there is now a huge disconnect between players reading desktop reviews on an affiliate website and then downloading an app directly from the App Store, and feel it could be easily addressed by operators. 46 iGB Affiliate Issue 55 FEB/MAR 2016 I believe 2016 will continue to see the gambling affiliate market focus on technological innovation, improving the quality of publications, further M&A as well as regulatory and platform changes. 1. Technology is shifting from something performance marketers can benefit from to something they must have. These systems include demand side and optimization tools for media, yield management and supply side tools, tracking systems, segmentation tools and much more. We have invested and continue to invest heavily in technology and are seeing tangible results in the form of improved scale and higher margins. 2. Quality. This seems obvious, but the publishers of websites, apps and even media buyers really cannot get away with low quality work. Users and publishers, including search engines, have become more savvy and specific with their needs. We must offer real value and have a great user interface /user experience. Media campaigns have to be tested and constantly updated to optimize engagement. 3. M&A. Given the fast changing landscape I believe we will see further consolidation and acquisitions of affiliates by both by their peers as well as by operators. I also expect more strategic partnerships and joint ventures across the sector. 4. Regulatory. We are likely to see more countries in Europe introducing gaming regulation allowing for increased advertising across more channels. The winners will be those that already have the technology available and are able to work at high margins across many platforms. Once regulation is introduced, more platforms like Google AdWords in the UK, Facebook and so on, will become available, each one with its own technical demands.