It shouldn’t be surprising that Amazon Web Services thinks the online poker industry has already exceeded the $85.4 billion mark. At the same time, it expects it to grow to $170 billion by 2030, increasing at a CAGR of about 12%.
And as you may know, the gambling industry is usually open to tech advancements like websites, which explains its enduring appeal. In the poker sector, it hasn’t been different.
And if you want to learn just how these providers have been drawing upon technology to reach as many people as possible, stay around.
The increasing availability of data
With the possibilities that customer data offers, it seems like the new gold. Especially now that 73% of customers expect companies to understand them better, more brands are using it to stay ahead.
It’s like visiting your preferred streaming platform just to find a music playlist that looks exactly like you. Almost everyone would love such an experience. In fact, according to Forbes, the percentage is as high as 81%.
Realizing such preferences, online poker sites are incorporating advanced technologies like AI to help them provide more personalized experiences. All they need to do is gather customer data, analyze it to determine unique tastes, and offer customized recommendations.
For instance, they can assess how players interact with their platforms, their preferences, playstyles, etc. With this information, poker sites can then tailor experiences to cater to unique tastes.
Surprisingly, this approach can increase revenues by up to 40%. And as if that’s not enough, WiserNotify suggests that personalization can increase conversions by up to 20% and retention by 44%.
At a time when acquiring new customers is becoming expensive, poker sites are turning to personalization as their hope. These sites also have to do much more to retain new customers because many modern consumers have become more discerning.
And what better way to cater to their unique tastes than by personalizing?
Aligning with increased mobile usage
According to Exploding Topics, there are close to 7.2 billion mobile devices in the world. This means that almost everyone has a mobile phone.
And they don’t just own them – they use them to do almost everything, including entertainment. In fact, according to Statista, more than 60% of the web traffic comes from these devices.
For any business seeking long-term success, this is not a statistic you want to ignore. Perhaps that’s why most websites (over 90%) are responsive to cater to the increasing number of people using phones.
Imagine a player visiting your platform and having to pinch or zoom just because they use smaller devices. Of course, you’d expect such experiences to hurt the gameplay and even discourage them from returning.
And the statistics do not differ. BusinessDasher notes that over 73% of web designers agree that non-responsiveness is the primary reason users leave.
We have already hinted at how competitive this industry has become, and such losses aren’t something you want to envision. With responsive sites, you can encourage return visits of up to 75% of customers.
And if you’re targeting new markets, you can increase conversions by up to 40%. This design approach can also be a plus to your brand perception. Since a considerable number of players would want to engage using their phones, ensuring they have seamless experiences can present your brand as customer-focused.
And the ripple effects of that can be mind-blowing. According to SuperOffice CRM, companies that take that direction are likely to improve their profits by as much as 60% than those that don’t.
Prioritizing customer experience
Customer experience is like the lifeline of every business – consumers will only return if they find worthwhile experiences.
A study by Contentful that goes along these lines suggests that about 87% of consumers will likely buy more if they find great experiences. In another place, eduMe claims that experience alone will greatly affect the purchase decisions of 74%.
To take advantage of such statistics, poker sites have become more intentional about providing unmatched experiences to keep customers hooked on their platforms. For instance, most are incorporating features like live chat to improve the effectiveness of their customer support.
Interestingly, providing instant responses within five to ten seconds using live chat ensures higher customer satisfaction rates of as much as 84.7%. On top of that, these sites are now providing more engaging experiences by incorporating features like live poker.
This improves the realistic feel of poker gaming as players can interact with real people, dealers, and the physical environment.
Our final word
From this discussion, it’s quite clear that the rise of online platforms has only been a blessing to the poker industry. With them, operators can extract meaningful information about players and tailor experiences that are unique to them.
This can strengthen customer relationships and even encourage return visits. Other strategies include using responsive designs to align with the increased mobile usage and prioritizing customer experience.
