Maximising Acquisition Through Landing Pages

In an increasingly competitive space such as iGaming, the importance of customised PPC landing pages cannot be emphasised strongly enough. Having compelling ads and keywords in dominant positions in the SERPs will only go so far if you are driving traffic to an inadequate landing page. In order to implement a successful landing-page strategy, it is important to think about what the customer is really looking for, using the search query as the primary signal of intent. This becomes more complex with the varying categories and markets; for example, do you decide to drive traffic for a generic football query to a Champions League-specific offer page or a Premier League one, or include both offers on one page? More often than not, the promoted offer will be a key factor in new player acquisition, and as such should be clearly communicated. Furthermore, it is also important to explain the terms and conditions of the offer in order to avoid resentment at a later stage. We have highlighted various aspects around landing pages one should consider in order to get the most out of the traffic you are driving to your site.

Design

Once the customer has clicked on your ad and shown initial interest, the design of the landing page you are driving traffic will more often than not be the deciding factor whether the user signs up or drops off. It is important to stress that the customer will likely make a decision about your landing page in a split second. As such, ensuring all the elements come together in an organic way will improve your chances of making a great first impression to your audience. The desktop landing page in Figure 1 employs a strong contrast between the corporate colours and the most important aspects, namely the acquisition offer and the CTA button. Moreover, all the key information is above the fold. There is very little to detract the user and there is no convoluted sign-up process, which would negatively impact conversion rates. With 888 being a recognised brand in the UK, the brand colours and consistency with the TV adverts creates a sense of authenticity and trust, which can also contribute to the success of the user journey.

Mobile landing pages

With mobile usage increasing rapidly yearon-year and desktop growth decelerating, making sure your iGaming landing pages are optimised for mobile is essential. There are several mobile specific aspects that must now be considered.

• 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 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.