Re-evaluating Affiliate Sites

[Simmo!]

I had a long discussion with someone I know getting into affiliate marketing and thought I'd post my thoughts, if nothing else just to prompt people to look at their sites from a different perspective with a view to improving conversions.

One of the assumptions he made was that if he put up text promoting the casino, he would get decent sticky content and over time, some decent conversions. Which to a degree is true, but it made me look at one or two of my sites in a new light. I have a fundamental rule - manage the player's expectations effectively and you will take a step nearer to maximising your business' potential. To this end, I believe that an affiliate has a responsibility to both him/herself and the player to ensure that expectations are kept realistic.

Now I'm sure a lot of people here will go "yes yes of course, I do that". I thought I did. But when I sat down yesterday and actually read through one or two of my sites, I realised that while I thought I did, some of the reviews were well short of telling the whole story. So I intend to go back and revamp them. I guess they call that complacency, and without the conversation yesterday I wouldn't even have thought to go back and re-read.

Anyway, I ran over the benefit of being honest and factual in one's reviews with the guy. The suggestion being that carrying both the good and the bad points about a casino or poker room has benefits to both player and affiliate. You basically have one chance to convert a player, unless your content is so unique they keep coming back. The best way to do this is to ensure that they are prepared for the "hidden" stuff they will encounter. Typically this might be providing documentation at a certain point, not being able to deposit or withdraw using their preferred method, receiving slow payments - especially after the first withdrawal - encountering slow support etc etc. And of course, as a player, if I go to a site that does nothing but sing about the good things, I wonder just how objective the site is...maybe there are better options, opinions and reviews on other sites.

My feeling is, an affiliate site that tells the players this up front will benefit from ensuring that the player makes a better choice as to what suits them before they leave your site. If they leave with lower expectations and get higher than expected results, they will probably stay loyal to that casino longer. Over time this has an added benefit - that if enough affiliate sites do this, those casinos or poker rooms that could, should, improve their service to players will have to in order to improve their market share.

In my eyes, there are way too many sites that just tell the player how good a casino is. This is not only bad for the player when he discovers a term that he didn't know about or expect, but for the affiliate who will lose that player as they decide to find somewhere better.

Therefore, I'd like to put out the thought that if you actually sit down and look at your sites as if you were a player, is the information going to allow you to make the best choice? If not, is it likely you would move on to a new casino or poker room through a "disappointment" factor? I think a lot of affiliates could improve their conversion rates and the players loyalty by offering up a more balanced view of a casino, more of an on-site comparison of the real facts, and not just the promotional aspects.

Anyway there you go - hopefully this will prompt at least one other affiliate here to re-evaluate their approach and benefit as a result. It's only my opinion of course.

Cheers

Simmo!

[ironman2000]

Hi Simmo,<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
This is what I have been preaching all along, but you try to convince the upper management that this kind of approach is the right one. Honesty is the best policy and If you ask the affiliates that I manage, I think this comes thru to them in the way I do things. Too many people want a quick fix, rather than a long-term relationship. Start by building a strong and solid base and then go forward slowly, but surely. Too many relationships start fast then fail. Start slowly, get to know whom you are talking to and then you can find a common ground on which to go forward. Trust, Honesty and commitment are what the affiliates are looking for.<o></o>

Please post in the Affiliate Management discussions<o></o>

[Former Member 14]

Hi all,

I've touted this for many years, online casinos are their own worst enemy.

If I walk into a land based casino I know where I stand. If I receive a bonus or comp then it's mine to do with as I please. Granted even bricks and mortar casinos have rules & T&Cs. But IMHO if they operated by the same yard stick as the majority of online casinos they go broke!

Having worked with many upper echelons of 1 or another online casinos, the thing I find most obvious, is that a lot of these corporations have too many chiefs and not enough Indians.

Please don't take this as covert form of attempted back handed slaps towards the industry, it's not.

What I'm trying to convey, especially regarding online casino management is that common sense does not always prevail.

Now placing the devil's advocates hat on.

I will say in their defence, that in part the labyrinth of doubled ended ambiguous T&C's can be attributed by the number of scams, cons, rogues and dodgy players they have to contend with on a daily basis.

Their land based counterparts at least hold the Ace for being able to view and monitor these type of players via CCTV.

However, I feel the most important factors in any business is communication.

In saying this, I fear that until most of the casinos realise that their in house Departments operate at times like a game of Chinese Whispers. That is, important information is being given to person A...But by the time it's conveyed to person Z it's a totally different story.

These type of scenarios are going to be a contributing factor as to why things are not 100% crystal clear.



Cheers



Dave

PS Great thread Simmo!

[Simmo!]

PS Great thread Simmo!

Thanks Dave - sorry to hear about the news in your other thread btw. My original point in this one I guess is more about how affiliates should re-visit their sites and contemplate how they could present the info better to convert more effectively. Improvements at the operational end will follow on - so the theory goes anyway

I suppose while I'm off on a tangent, I think there is a problem that some operations don't fully understand the players. They think they do, but as a player myself, it's very rare that I find a casino that matches what I want and I've sure tried enough. Not that it's easy - players are demanding and of course there is fraud etc, but in all my time playing, I have never once received a player survey or anything like that. I know some have done it - just I thought it would be commonplace. Without *regular* feedback, how can they improve?

Affiliates could/should be a vital cog in the machine when it comes to that aspect as many are closer to players, are players, and should represent the player's views rather than the casinos IMO...or at least a balance. Those who play should lead by example. The guy I was talking to wants to get into it for money - doesn't gamble and, nothing wrong with that as long as he sticks to facts and researches the opinions of players if he wants to express opinions on his site. Avoid the standard "promo blurb" and in theory it should be a sound proposition.

It's all logical stuff and most will agree it's a sensible, obvious even, approach I'm sure. But how many actually practice what they preach - or just think they do? Who knows! I thought I did until I re-read some of my reviews and realised I fell into the promo trap in many instances. I'm sure I'm not alone.

[Former Member 14]

Hi Simmo!,

lol that's one of my curve ball posts, I have no idea how I got on that tangent.

Reading back over your post, now with two match sticks propping my eyes open, I really made a balls up of that one.

However, I agree that affiliates need to adopt a transparency towards who they are promoting and an openness to relaying both pros and cons.

Especially these days when in most cases players are not mindless morons.



Cheers



Dave

[Focalclick]

Nice post Simmo. That definitely made me sit back and think for a bit. I think a major point of your post is that affiliates should really step back from their sites each time they update them, and look at them from a true player's perspective.

I agree that giving them as much information upfront, good and bad, will help players make the best decision moving forward.

This post made me think about how I shop for electronics online. I go to "affiliate" sites that provide me with the pros and cons, and then I make the decision based on those.

Best Regards,

Mark

[Simmo!]

This post made me think about how I shop for electronics online. I go to "affiliate" sites that provide me with the pros and cons, and then I make the decision based on those.

Hi Mark

Yes, the prinicple is one that I use with Trip Advisor whenever I am going away. You want the real deal, not a site that just tells you the hotel basics/plus points. And obviously Amazon reviews provide a similar deal, although Trip Advisor is an affiliate while Amzon is the store.

Most savvy prospective customers will want to know the pros and cons before they buy in any market IMO.

[bonustreak]

Simmo you da man!! Seriously though I appreciate any and all advise and I have to say this makes perfect sense to me, the players want to know the site they are visiting are honest about online casinos, bingo, poker etc.. I know with our forum players appreciate the fact that we are completely honest with them about the good, the bad and the ugly.. and what we get in return is a loyal member for years That being said I never considered doing the same with all our portals and now I am going to think about changing that asap