5 ways iGaming operators can retain players with UX/UI

From apps to websites, user experience (UX) is essential for successful digital iGaming products. Strategic and intentional UX has the potential to raise conversion rates by as much as 400%. Effective UX and intuitive user interface (UI) leads to enhanced player experience that will lead to improved retention. 

When building and designing an iGaming app or website, you need to ask yourself: what do my players want? 

Here are 5 ways to transform your UX/UI that will improve retention and engagement by making your websites and applications work better for your customers: 
 

1. Prioritise player journeys 

Well-designed UI is essential when it comes to player retention. Whether it’s on your website or your app, make sure you offer an intuitive interface that optimises the common journeys your players take.  

You want to make your website or apps easily navigable allowing players to get the most out of your offering, meet their goals and enhance the overall user experience. With an intuitive, streamlined UI you can create hierarchical order to your apps and websites, directing players to the features and games they’re most likely to engage with – ultimately improving player retention. 

Taking this one step further, you can personalise UI based on how players interact with your app. Natively built apps and website heatmaps, provide information through detailed insights around how players are interacting with your products, meaning you can make enhancements to better meet your players’ needs. In turn, this will provide them with a much more personalised experience, improving brand loyalty and player retention. 

In a conversation with SBC Americas, Commerical Director at mkodo, Will Whitehead, stressed the importance of differentiating the user experience and prioritising player journeys among different user groups to stand out from the crowd, particularly in the US market. Will stated “We should invest more in understanding the consumer and then alter the experience per user based on that feedback. Other products and industries invest heavily in UX rather than just the content. For example, Spotify doesn’t just rely on music, it makes sure its app is easy to use and interact with and tailors the experience based on user interactions.” 

2. Guide players and keep them informed 

When making improvements to your digital offering it’s important to inform your players of the updates you’re making and how they will enhance their experience. Integrating a certain amount of guiding and teaching within your UX design will help to retain players assuring them that the updates you’re making will improve the overall user experience. 

When releasing your updated app, ensure to show an engaging onboarding flow and call out the new features and improvements to the app. Furthermore, if the new feature is complex or a change to a previous version use web modals, app sheets and banners within the context of the updated feature to help the user navigate the changes.  

If you want to alert the user to the new feature before they open the updated app, push notifications are a fantastic way to notify your players of the enhancements you have made. By pre-emptively answering your players questions, you will improve user experience, avoid any frustrations and increase satisfaction. These are effective mechanisms to relay information to your players, but there is a balance to find as you do not what these strategies interfering with the key journeys you need players to complete, for example, registration or deposit. 

It’s also important to make support and guidance as accessible as possible. An effective way to do this is to invest in automated customer service. This provides immediate solutions and will improve player experience. 

3. Safer play 

Safer play is a hot topic in iGaming and will continue to be for the foreseeable future. For players, it’s important that operators are implementing initiatives and providing them with the tools to be able to play safely, and within their means.  

In-app and website features such as spend limits are a great way to provide your players with control on the amount of money, they feel comfortable spending. These limits can be set daily, weekly or monthly allowing players to personalise their experience and giving them peace of mind that they’re playing within their means. Furthermore, rather than just making these a simple form for players to fill out, why not make an engaging dashboard to encourage players to use and review their preferences and encourage positive play. 

4. Testing, testing, testing  

When building a new iGaming app or website, or when making updates to your current digital iGaming offering, you must conduct quality assurance (QA) and testing. However, it’s important to realise the full potential of continued testing, the process should be ongoing. It’s the only real way to know what’s working and what’s not on your apps and websites. Mobile applications that crash will lose users and lead to a lack of customer retention. 

Partnering with front-end company like mkodo, provides ongoing access to a QA team who continually test product enhancements and improvements. QA teams replicate real users, the journeys they take and the overall user experience to uncover any bugs within your apps and websites.  

Continued testing keeps you connected with your users. In the long run, you will save time and money by making sure your interface is both effective and pleasurable for the user. 

This type of testing considers players needs by addressing bugs and performance enhancements and utilising suggestions for improved user experience. The continued attention to player experiences will exponentially improve your customer retention. 

5. Don’t forget about accessibility 

If your goal is to reach and retain players, accessibility should be a priority. As an iGaming operator, you need to consider the ability, context, and situation of your players. You want your digital offering to be inclusive. 

For example, accessibility was prioritised throughout the design of the OLG app that mkodo built. This ensures inclusivity for all OLG players, including those using assistive technologies such as such as voice assistance / talkback / screen readers. It also improves retention as every player can utilise and enjoy all the app's features.  

Making your apps or website accessible, will positively impact player retention, as your users will recognise the effort, you’re making to reach them and to meet their needs, thus becoming loyal to your brand. 

Need support with your iGaming app, website or advice around digital user experiences? Contact us today for more information around how mkodo can support you.