In Ireland alone, the online entertainment industry is expected to reach €7.6bn by 2028, up from €6.6 billion in 2023, showing just how competitive it has become. In fact, some experts suggest that acquiring new customers may cost you at least five times more than retaining existing ones, a cost that could increase in the coming days.
Of course, for operators targeting regions like Wexford with great potential, knowing the right strategies to apply to reach as many players as possible becomes very important. And if you’re stranded about where to get started, reading this article will really help.
The power of responsive designs
According to a recent Deloitte study, 96% of Irelanders own smartphones. It follows that most of them use these devices to access various things, including online entertainment. As such, you don’t want to imagine the pain of losing these users just because your website is not optimised for mobile use.
No wonder brands like Dolfwin Casino and Sportsbook adopt responsive designs to improve their relevance in this era of increased mobile usage. Good enough, such websites can actually increase conversions by 11% more than non-responsive ones. And since this industry is already super competitive, companies may want to take advantage of such statistics to stay ahead.
Plus, 57% of users may never recommend a poorly designed mobile website. On the flip side, BusinessDasher suggests that 74% are more likely to return to a website if it works well on a mobile device. This also allows you to reap the benefits of word-of-mouth recommendations since customers rarely keep quiet about positive experiences.
Surprisingly, studies show that up to 72% will always talk to at least six of their friends about great customer experiences. On top of that, responsive designs can also help these entertainment companies increase the likelihood of being discovered. Remember that many residents within Wexford already have smartphones; optimising your website for them can be a great way to position your brand before them.
Take advantage of payment methods
Surprisingly, even payment methods can help reach and retain as many customers as possible. According to Testlio, improving their efficiency can increase retention rates by 15-20%. Besides, about four in ten customers often leave purchases when payments fail, with 33% promising never to return.
If you’re intentional about standing out in the crowded Irish online entertainment industry, these are not statistics to ignore. You must ensure the methods are seamless to encourage retention and avoid lost sales. So, one way you can use them to your advantage is by implementing instant withdrawals.
Did you know that, according to Federal Reserve Bank Services, about 74% of consumers claim to have recently used instant or faster payments? As if that’s not enough, PYMNTS.com suggests that 78% rank these payment methods as important aspects of their customer experience, showing just how popular they have become. Implementing them sends a message that you are conscious of shifting customer preferences, which may give you an upper hand over competitors.
You may also want to localise payments, especially if you’re new to this region. Given that consumer preferences vary across different divides, you want to adopt familiar payments for Wexford residents to improve your appeal.
It can give the impression that you care about the regional preferences of your target market, which could encourage exploration of your site. This is actually why, according to Zoe Marketing & Communications, more than eight in ten businesses experience revenue growth by localising.
For instance, you may want to integrate debit cards into your systems because they are the most popular method in Ireland. But besides that, consider incorporating multiple options because not every consumer will use debit cards. This can be a great marketing tool, as about 70% of customers are more likely to transact when their preferred payments are available.
Don’t ignore online security
Online security can actually help companies increase their competitiveness. Just as online attacks have become common in other regions, Wexford is no different. In fact, looking at things from a broader perspective, some reports claim that Irish companies have recently reported at least 58 security incidents.
With the likelihood of these numbers increasing, there has been a growing emphasis on online safety. Actually, around 85% of customers want to do more to improve their digital safety. A brand that ignores such a preference only hurts its reputation and may never appeal to this increasingly security-conscious audience.
But if you adopt features like 2FA, SSL encryption and many others, you may appeal to most of these individuals and even encourage them to convert. Although simple, 2FA alone can work wonders – it can protect you from up to 99.9% of targeted attacks while minimising the effects of up to 96% of phishing attacks. On the other hand, SSL encryption secures internet communications, ensuring unauthorised individuals do not access sensitive customer data.
Our final word
Well, no one denies the fact that standing out in the online entertainment industry is not a joke. But that does not leave this sector’s companies without hope. Implementing contemporary trends like responsive designs shows you care about customer experience and can encourage your site’s exploration amongst new audiences.
Other methods, such as multiple payment methods, are important because they help cater to the varying preferences of Wexford residents. And, of course, paying attention to online safety helps because many consumers will survey a platform’s security before transacting.
Wexford Weekly
This article was published by a member of the Wexford Weekly team.