iGaming operators have just seconds to get the attention of customers before they move on to a competitor.
This, according to Dan Shannon, Head of Affiliate Marketing & SEO at CBS Global, is why site speed should be a top priority.
Appearing on episode two of Digital Footprints‘ video series, Footprints in the Market, Shannon said: “Site speed is up there as one of the most important things. Your site needs to load quickly, especially in the igaming industry. If someone is waiting more than three or four seconds to get onto your site, they’re clicking back and clicking on your competitor instead.
“We look at things like Cloudflare and other things which can improve the speed of our sites such as the theme and the servers. We use very good digital agencies to build our sites and we make sure the site speeds are quick before we launch them.”
It’s a marathon not a sprint
Despite Shannon’s emphasis on speed, he also spoke about the importance of preparation ahead of launch to ensure that all aspects of a product are in place and working, limiting the potential for problems after release.
“I recommend to anyone who’s starting a business that before you hit the live button, take a few steps back and make sure that it’s ready to go live,” said Shannon.
“Do the tests, make sure the speeds are there and make sure your content’s right. If you launch and then Google crawls it, the site’s a bit rubbish and it’s not doing well, it’s not a great start for anyone who comes across your site.
“Find the gap in the market, take your time to get your marketing in order and get your site right. Have everything ready and then push it live when everything is in order. Rushing is just going to cause more problems and you’re just going to be fixing things when it’s live.”
Hosted by Digital Footprints’ Managing Director, Sharon McFarlane, the Footprints in the Market video series is aimed at senior marketing executives in the igaming space and each episode will offer practical insights and expert knowledge from some of the industry’s top minds.
Also on the agenda in the second instalment of the series was the use of AI in marketing, why SEOs for igaming should learn from different industries and what strategies marketers can use to stay ahead of Google’s updates.
To check out the full video, click here. You can also click here to catch up on the first episode of the series featuring Sportradar’s EVP, Global Marketing, Adam Azor, who talked about the “astronomical amount” of marketing budgets squandered by igaming operators.
