There’s no doubt that online casino gaming is on the rise. While several factors have contributed to this online gaming genre becoming so popular, the industry has clearly mastered the art of player retention.
Player retention techniques are the manner of getting players to return and play your game on over one occasion. Stating the obvious, player retention is important because of the significant revenue that can be made. The more times a player returns to your game, the greater the possibilities for monetization either in advertising or in-game selling.
Let’s look at how they do that because the tactics they employ can also be used in several different industries.
Don’t hate the game
Naturally, it’s the games that will attract players. Some casino games, like bingo, are simple, and it’s this simplicity that attracts players. There are many reasons for this, for example, playing online bingo doesn’t require downloading software, which is a big plus for mobile players. Plus, there are a lot of game choices, from Paddy Power Showtime to Luck o’ The Irish Free Spins, and players go at it without interruption.
The game developers do a great job of knowing when to let players use their intuition and just go at it while also displaying all the critical information players need to understand what exactly is going on. Players rarely sit through all of the monotonous tutorials, yet they always know what’s happening, even when complex equations are happening.
A lasting impression
The first thing online casino players do is find the game they want to play. This is when online casinos make a great first impression. People will look at the casino bonus system, as it is an effective way of making a positive impression. The bonuses come in a few different forms, but all have the desired effect. The sign-up bonus can appear to be something for nothing, but often there are strings attached. This type of bonus has the dual purpose of erasing people’s reluctance to share their personal information online and looking great at first sight.
The often larger deposit bonus has the same purpose of convincing people to commit some cash and making a great first impression. Just imagine you meet someone for the first time and they just hand you $100. That’s someone you’re going to want to meet up with again.
Aiming for success
Any game can suffer from gamer fatigue. To ward this off, games often present mini-goals or achievements that can give players the boost they need to keep on gaming. The nature of casino games makes this a natural occurrence, as there’s no guarantee that you will always win. Still, just winning a small pot in a poker game or getting a line in Slingo can provide the confidence to carry on feeling optimistic that a win is on the horizon.
Another way to avoid player fatigue is through daily or weekly rewards, and these appear all the time for regular online gamblers. We mentioned how bonuses are used to make a great initial impression, but these are also used as part of a reward system for consistent players, often as free spins. By earning these rewards, players get a feeling of satisfaction in attaining something useful and that feeling will keep them coming back for more.
We know a super first impression is important when meeting people and we’re probably all aware of this when attending an interview or making a sales pitch, but not so much when thinking about people playing games. Equally, we know rewards and achieving goals makes us feel good. These simple ideas make for a player retention methodology employed by online casinos that is a win-win situation for players and the house.
