As part of its recent study conducted in August 2016 of over 200 in-market customers, across both mobile and desktop devices. Customer and commercial insights provider Global Reviews details the importance of user experience and the ability to self-service as key factors that can determine whether a prospective customer chooses an operator’s services or not.
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The prevalence of using online lifestyle services coupled with the fact that customers have more than one sports betting provider, mean that expectations are higher and tolerance levels are lower. Hygiene factors common for both desktop and mobile that remain important when looking for a sports betting / casino provider are:
- A website that is easy to navigate
- Ability to manage their account online
- Information that is easy to understand
- Easy to find contact details
What’s important to sports bettors?
When it comes to placing a bet online for a sporting event, our 200 in-market customers rated the following as important features (after navigation and standard website functions):
- Ability to find the bets by event name
- Easily view features / details of current and future sporting events
- Ability to compare betting options
Over out last two studies we have seen that certain elements remain consistently important.
What are the things that are going to differentiate you from your competitors and ensure you are front of mind? Two key drivers are:
- Transparency
Too often for example, terms and conditions around claiming a bonus, withdrawing funds and rollovers are overly complex and convoluted. ‘Information that is easy to understand’ and ‘Information about costs and payment options’ are two of the top five customer needs when considering a sports betting provider.
- Help & Support
In our study, one in four stated that they would immediately abandon if they encountered a problem. Essentially they just want to be able to do what they need to do with minimal disruption whether that be to manage their account or placing a bet.
It is vital therefore that the appropriate help and support is provided in the right context at the right time. For example, Coral leads the UK sports betting industry when it comes to ‘help and guidance during registration’.
How do the customer needs of Online Casino players compare?
So far we have looked at the customer needs that are most important to online sports bettors on their desktop. In our recent study we also looked at the key drivers for mobile casino players.
The two key drivers for mobile casino players are
- The ability to view and manage their account online
- Having a site that is easy to use
Also a key requirement for casino players is having information on how to extract winnings from online games at their fingertips. Once again it is critical that online help and support is available as casino players require easy to find ‘contact’ details should they encounter any problems.
Similar to sports betting providers help and support is key to retention and reuse. In terms of best practice, Paddy Power scores best at registration. Registration is clearly laid out on a single page and the customer can easily see what information is required and how long the process will take. Trust is clearly indicated through the use of the security logo and there is a clear pathway to help and support. Paddy Power also provide an alternative payment method via PayPal that is quicker to use.
Staying relevant in a competitive marketplace
Hygiene factors such as navigation and the ability to manage the account online are not enough anymore to differentiate you from your competitors. Whether it is on desktop or mobile, sports betting or casino, websites need to be above all else easy to navigate, still so many seem to be struggling to get the basics right. Being transparent by making information easy to understand detailed with contextual help and support will help increase retention. The need to improve and evolve is more important than ever. Continually looking at your customer effort scores and identifying the pain points mean that you won’t be left behind.
Content provided by Global Reviews
At Global Reviews, we help many leading brands in online Sports Betting and Casino, such as Coral, Betsson Group and William Hill solve the critical online customer acquisition questions that they face. More specifically, we help them to understand why they are losing potential online customers, who are in-market to place a bet or to play a casino game on their site, to one of their competitors.
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Content provided by Global Reviews
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