The Art of Listening for Online Casino Brands

Posted by Harry Kane on Wednesday, October 4, 2017

Nowhere is this more relevant than in the online casino sector, where a number of established and independent brands continue to compete for a viable market share. Make no mistake; it is an ability to listen to customers that will determine the success or failure of online casino brands in the modern age, particularly those who are new to the market and looking to tackle more established rivals.

With a strong focus on independent review and comparison services within the marketplace, the question that remains is how brands can process the information and feedback at their disposal and leverage this to their advantage,

Using Player Feedback to Grow: The Resources Available to Today’s Online Casino Brands

Over the course of the last two decades, we have seen a seismic shift in the way in which businesses across numerous markets operate. More specifically, concepts such as crowdsourcing have brought consumers into the heart of contemporary ventures, making them increasingly influential and key contributors to the growth of even leading brands. As a result, we have seen businesses place a growing emphasis on customer service in recent times, both in terms of responding to complaints and proactively soliciting feedback from individuals.

The increased focus on customer satisfaction has also created an entire marketplace for independent review and online comparison sites, with the market leaders (such as Trustpilot) playing a pivotal role in influencing customer’s buying decisions. The online casino sector is one that has been quick to capitalise on this trend, with a high volume of casino comparison sites offering independent reviews of the best resources in the marketplace. These sites are commonly used to compare branded operators and their core offerings, while they enable customers to access real-time data such as live promotion values and gaming libraries.

Many of these sites also tend to host independent customer reviews, using these to rate brands and provide a reference point for consumers who are new to the marketplace. These type of first-person, independent reviews are extremely impactful in the minds of customers, who are more inclined to listen to this information than any kind of branded marketing exercise. Remember, customers are increasingly cynical of big brands in the modern age, with just 36% of shoppers claiming that they trust big brands and large corporations to do what is right in any given scenario.

As these resources have become increasingly commonplace and popular, branded casino operators have begun to take heed of the data generated by independent review and comparison sites. This has played a pivotal role in enabling them to continually review and modify their core value proposition, as they look to optimise their available gaming library and the type of promotions that they use to target customers.

An Evolving Market: Why Brands Must Begin to Hone in on Specific Customer Feedback and Data

We are beginning to see a gradual shift in this marketplace, however, with the type of generic reviews and data gathered by sites making way for more targeted information. This is a shift that brands would be wise to follow, as they begin to eschew traditional reviews and comparison data and instead hone on specific information that relates to individual games, landing pages and bonus options.

In terms of delivery, this is manifesting itself in the form of new and innovative gambling services, which have sought to focus primarily in the concept of online casino reviews and refining the data delivered on behalf of operators. More specifically, new services are expanding the existing suggestions and complaints system, offering scope for more detailed and focused feedback that can be delivered quickly and conveniently.

The latter point is particularly important, especially as customers can be compelled to give their time and feedback more easily if they can access channels that are convenient to them.

This type of service offers a dual benefit to brands, and least for those who are in touch with the most modern trends and keen to react to their feedback of their customers. Firstly, it provides an accurate and actionable data source that allows operators to hone in on core issues or areas that require improvement, which in turn translates into superior strategy decisions and a more effective marketing spend. This is a huge benefit, and one that can boost profit margins considerably over time.

Beyond this, and by working closely with review platforms to garner the most effective data, brands can also leverage a highly-tailored review system that empowers customers as important components within a growing industry. In simple terms, this creates a scenario where customers are reassured that they have the ear of your brand, as they continue to make detailed suggestions that can be acted on by operators. By identifying trends and responding to the most pressing concerns, you can also establish a higher level of trust with consumers and access the type of brand loyalty that money and the most aggressive promotional campaigns simply cannot buy.

The Bottom Line: The Future for Casino Review Sites and the Importance of Listening

Ultimately, existing review and comparison sites already play a key role in the online casino market, as they continue to have a growing influence on the decisions and behaviour of customers.

The future will see the sustained proliferation of this service, as new sites and increasingly refined data sets continue to take the market by storm. Interestingly, we are already seeing sites that focus on specific types of online casino games and experiences, as this level of focus allows for the delivery and assimilation of more detailed and actionable information.

This, along with the speed and convenience of new review systems, is the single biggest trend to look for in this space in the coming months. As review sites continue to improve their own proposition and build on existing technology, they will be able to deliver larger and more detailed information that empowers both brands and the consumer experience.

They key is for brands to adopt an increasingly proactive approach to listening and processing feedback, of course, as they continue a relentless pursuit to improve and claim an ever-expanding market share!