INSIGHT
“A moderately complex app with a database, API and
social media integration can cost £3,500 to £7,000.
Development costs for more complex apps with 3D
graphics and animation can reach £35,000.”
affiliate’s app can then be served in-app
adverts. While Parvis says that though
PokerNews’ main promotional focus is
native advertising, the affiliate does leverage
in-app banners and interstitials, and has
fixed-fee deals with partners looking to
increase their mobile exposure.
Easyodds.com’s apps also feature
in-app banners. However, the affiliate’s
development of its betting basket allows
players to place bets on a range of brands’
sporting events without ever leaving
the app. Other affiliates have adopted a
more exclusive partnership approach:
bettingexpert.com is only partnered with
Bet365, offering betslips on the brand’s live
sporting events in-app.
While affiliates can adopt a range of
advertising approaches, challenges remain.
“Mobile tracking issues for many operators
makes direct ads in-app even harder,” says
PokerNews’ Matthew Parvis.
Meanwhile, Anna Woodward of
Easyodds.com emphasizes the issue of
data. “Two of the largest challenges
for affiliates and operators alike are the
management of users’ data securely and the
processing of data, ensuring it is visible to
users within real time,” she says.
Data and tracking remain important
issues for affiliates and operators. However,
new software solutions are increasingly
making it possible for both parties to
overcome these challenges.
Affiliates’ app marketing
Aside from technical challenges, affiliates
will only maximize their apps’ revenue
if they also maximize installs through an
effective marketing strategy. Their primary
focus can be on targeting existing users, as
these consumers generally account for most
installs. “We can still see a large number of
users choosing to sign-up and join the site
as well as partner sites via desktop and then
utilizing the Easyodds app once sign-ups
are complete,” says Anna Woodward.
Poker News’ Matthew Parvis agrees.
“We focus on organic growth as our
primary marketing channel – most of our
app users come through our own sites,”
he says. “When users come to our sites
and are detected as mobile or tablet users,
we will display download options for the
corresponding app.”
Ideally, on-site advertising for the
mobile app will feature prominently on the
affiliate’s homepage, so that users don’t
have to search for the relevant tab. The
site’s app section will succinctly detail the
app’s features and end with a compelling
call-to-action that drives traffic through to
the relevant app store to install.
Existing consumers can also be targeted
using off-site marketing channels. In the
countdown to an app’s launch, affiliates
can develop email marketing campaigns
that emphasize the benefits of installing
the app. These mailers can be supported
by their social media channels. Subtly
promotional Tweets and Facebook posts
can be used to drive the affiliates social
following to either their site’s app page or
directly to app stores.
As a secondary focus, affiliates will also
target new users. According to Nielsen, the
main way apps are discovered – 47% of
iOS and 53% of Android apps – is through
organic search within app store. This
makes app store optimization (ASO) a key
secondary marketing focus for affiliates like
PokerNews.
Keyword research is the foundation of
effective ASO. Once affiliates have defined
both generic keywords (“casino reviews”)
and long-tail phrases (“breaking US poker
news, tips & views”), they can develop
their title, which ideally will include a
tagline, as well as the app’s description.
User reviews also factor into app stores’
search algorithms, so negative feedback
will need to be addressed by the affiliates’
app team as a matter of urgency.
Of course, app discovery is irrelevant
if a user doesn’t convert by installing. It
is important that the app page content is
enticing as possible. The description will
ideally express the app’s USP in its first
200 characters, so consumers don’t have to
expand it to discover more. Screenshots and
even 15 to 30-second video previews for iOS
apps will allow players to visualize the app
before making the decision to install.
Whether affiliates develop apps or
place more emphasis on their mobile sites,
one thing is for sure: affiliate marketing
will become more mobile-focused going
forward. Some affiliates, including
bettingexpert.com’s Marc Pederson,
argue that tablets and smart phones are
iGaming’s future. “Internet usage is going
towards mobile-only,” he says. “There is no
compelling reason to assume it should be
different in our industry.” If this forecast
is correct, 2016 may be the year to develop
an app.
Manager of Affiliate
Services, ALLAN PETRILLI
oversees the Income
Access Group’s in-house
team of affiliate managers
for iGaming brands operating
in Europe, the US and other global
markets. He holds a bachelor’s degree
in commerce with a specialization in
marketing from Montreal’s Concordia
University, in Canada.
iGB Affiliate Issue 55 FEB/MAR 2016
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