There is not enough discussion in the gaming industry around user experience and how it can help grow the operator’s customer base. We’re aware of the importance of customer retention and the amount of money spent on promotions to maintain that. However, optimising the UX of an online casino website or app can really facilitate retention and reduce customer churn when done correctly.
In the past, many operators would place as much content on the homepage as possible, from promotions to available games and more. However, the more tech-savvy users got, the more important it became to declutter the casino lobby from excess content to make it easier to guide punters to their desired functions.
Our latest Casino Lobby Review has shown that operators have taken big strides in improving the UX of their casino lobbies, offering a much clearer overview of key features and making sure customers are able to navigate through their casinos as easily as possible. There’s a more responsive web approach with a consistent look and feel across different devices. Operators use adaptive technology for each platform to present games and other services accordingly. More progressive businesses also have intelligent search and personalisation tools in place that reduce the time between loading up a site and playing a game. But there is still room for improvement, and this should always be an ever-evolving task as technology changes over time.
Customer-first strategy
UX is about putting users first and making the experience easier and smoother, particularly for online casinos where there’s a lot of content that can confuse or distract users from their main objective - to play a game. It’s about finding the most effective way of directing users, whether it’s registration, a certain game, placing a bet or making a deposit. UX should tie in with what customers want or how they want to engage with the operator while still addressing the brand’s business objectives to maintain profit and customer retention. UX can help the brand stand out from the competition, particularly when most casino websites tend to look so similar. However, it goes beyond the visuals and games, and can determine and enhance the entire user journey.
One of the challenges is displaying content and different features in a casino lobby in a way that would provide enough information to users of any level and entice them to start playing a game. Busy layouts with too many options can confuse or distract users, and some may even drop out completely. Operators also need to keep in mind that the UX needs to be relevant for desktop, mobile and tablet devices. This can be dealt with by categorising games by type and name, whilst offering personalised suggestions for repeat customers. To accommodate smaller screens, games can be grouped under a specific category.
It’s all in the detailsAs offers and games take up the most real estate in a casino lobby, other key functionalities, such as help, search, game rules, contact details and, in some cases, even access to the account are secondary. This can often create obstacles for users to quickly and easily find the right information or get in touch with the operator. If customers struggle to locate them, it may prompt them to seek alternatives from the competition. These functions need to be displayed in the menu as clearly as possible, following the most conventional and convenient UX design principles to help the user. For example, offering Live Chat at the bottom of the window or accessing the account from the top menu.
Listening to customer feedback
One of the most effective methods of finding out what design or layout works is carrying out user testing. Getting actual customers to share their feedback with the online casino can be very valuable. It allows operators to find out what their main objectives are for engaging with them, whether they experience any obstacles and what improvements they would like to see in the future. We recommend that gaming companies spend some time on user testing before any major change to ensure that it will appeal to their customers and will work according to the business objectives.
Focusing on the customer experience
Many established operators that have been offering online gambling services for many years have legacy systems that are hard to change or modernise without affecting other parts of the system. We’ve noticed that where they can make a change is in the front-end - the UX and UI design, which can often enhance the experience. As an agency that offers these services to gaming operators, we feel that both practices need to go hand-in-hand with the solution or technology a company provides to ensure the entire product works well technically, visually and offers the best user experience. The gambling industry should be aiming to remove any UX obstacles and allowing users to get to the desired destination faster. Our Casino Lobby Review acts as a guide to provide some insight into what elements operators need to be focusing on for best results.
The customer journey within an online casino needs to be as effortless as possible, from registration to playing a game or accessing the Help section. If the UX is confusing or involves too many steps, users are more likely to abandon the casino and find an alternative from a competitor. Moreover, there’s already very little brand loyalty among gamblers who opt for offers with a better value. Therefore, one way of retaining customers could be with improved UX, making sure the journey is simple, enjoyable and offers a great gaming experience. This will significantly increase customer retention, as well as the bottom line.
"Create a winning UX to increase customer retention" Infograhic
