User interface (UI) is a topic which deserves more attention than it gets, and is often a source of frustration for people who don’t actually realize what’s at fault when using a particular piece of software.
The quality of the UI is especially significant in an online casino context, so to understand why it matters, let’s look at just how it can impact the experience.
Engaging new players
Bounce rate is a big deal for all online businesses, and if the interface is not up to scratch, then prospective customers will be put off almost instantly.
Conversely if the UI is intuitive and easy to navigate, people who have never visited a casino site before will not be baffled, and could convert into loyal users who generate consistent income for the operator year after year.
Embracing mobile users
Another point about UI that cannot be overlooked in the modern age is how it has to adapt to encompass users across a raft of different devices.
Casino sites need to work just as well and look just as good on smartphones and tablets as they do on desktop machines.
It is no surprise that the best sites around have adopted responsive design and adaptive UIs as a result. For example, if you go to play your favourite games at newcasinos.com, you’ll see that the interface is proportioned correctly for your display size and input method of choice.
If, on the other hand, you find a site that has a subpar UI, this will become apparent as soon as it loads on your mobile. Desktop players can check this by resizing their browser window; responsive sites will adjust to fit the space, badly designed ones will not.
Providing clarity
Casino games, especially slots, can be packed with dazzling visual effects, eye-catching symbols and other embellishments that are intended to grab the attention of players and keep them hooked.
However, these bells and whistles cannot come at the expense of an unclear UI, so you’ll note that even the most visually arresting games will also have interfaces that don’t obscure their main functions.
Everything from spinning the reels to adjusting the volume has to be achievable without the player needing to spend five minutes scouring the screen to find the right button.
Games that are guilty of getting this wrong will be found out quickly, since they won’t retain players, and this will be reflected in their revenue generating capabilities. Even the juiciest jackpot or the most generous RTP rate won’t save them.
Ensuring accessibility
The UI of a casino game, as well as the site that hosts it, needs to be mapped out in such a way that it does not alienate players who may have some kind of impairment to take into account.
This could mean making sure that there is a colour blind mode so that players can distinguish between symbols even if they cannot see the different colours. It could also mean allowing the interface elements to be made larger to ensure that people who are not as dextrous as the average player can still interact with onscreen icons without miss-pressing.
Online casinos have a responsibility to cater to everyone who wants to use their services, and the UI is at the core of this concept.
Standing out from the crowd
Lastly, the UI’s role in casino gaming must be to win over players and keep them coming back for more. This is something we have touched on earlier, but since the primary purpose of land-based and online machines is to make money, it bears repeating!
