Casino Gambling Website Business Model
Whether you're a novice webmaster just getting started in this industry or a seasoned super affiliate, there is a fundamental key to success that is often times overlooked: The Business Model.
Affiliates should not make the mistake of thinking they're too small to create one… or too successful to need one. In this industry, organization is paramount to profit. Here, Dominique from Games and Casino elaborates on some fundamental elements for an effective business model.
Having a clear business model helps a lot when you are making important business decisions. It will be your guide when choosing optimal keywords, picking the ways to advertise, deciding which affiliate programs to partner with, and just about everything else that relates to your success. Here are some key things to consider when you're structuring your business model.
Specialize or Generalize?
Do you want to promote a niche item, such as Roulette or Seven Card Stud? Or do you want to promote it all? It may be better to start out with a niche… even if your objective is to build one site that grows into an empire. You can start with one tiny topic and just keep building your site around it. If you happen to be a multi-site person, you'll never run out of ideas with this approach… and Search Engine Optimization becomes an easier task.
How many sites?
Do you want to run one site or many? You think ten sites can make ten times the money that one can make? Wrong! A single site such as Casinomeister can make as much profit as a webmaster running 200 sites. It's a matter personal preference, and it's about quality, not just quantity!
Sticky Site or Quickie Site?
Some people will tell you that the only thing you want to do is to get the visitor to your site and get them to click through as soon as possible... the faster, the better. Others will tell you that you need a sticky site that entertains people and makes them come back again and again. Both opinions can be effective, they are just different models.
If you design your business model for a sticky site then be certain you stick to that concept when making marketing decisions about the site. Repeat visitors need constantly updated, fresh content and creatives to click on or they will get bored.
The quickie site doesn't need as much updating - just keep the offers current.
Who's your targeted player?
Sites that cater to free gambling need lots and lots of visitors to get conversions and start making a profit. But, contrary to general opinion, some "free" sites are actually great money makers.
If you decide to target novice players, you will also need a goodly number of visitors. This approach can be very lucrative, though, as you send fresh players to casinos. Unlike the other types of players, novice players are of course never already registered under another affiliate.
The targeting of seasoned players doesn't require as many visitors, but you do need to provide a content rich site, giving them new offers, advanced information, or enticing them with a better deal.
SEO, PPC or Offline Marketing?
In years gone by, people have worried a lot more about the differences between Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Pay per Click advertising (PPC), and offline marketing.
SEO constantly changes. It is free to practice, all you need is an investment of time. Read the SEO forums, avoid SEO fads, and stick with what the engines really want to see: Content rich, well structured sites that load quickly and are friendly to visitors and spiders.
PPC advertising is all together different: In the United States, PPC has become quite difficult to use due to government pressures on Google, Yahoo, FindWhat and many others. Fortunately, there are still PPC options available for the UK and European markets.
Offline marketing can be dangerous in many regards… from cost-effectiveness to legal issues. It is most successfully practiced by poker affiliates, who attend local private games and hand out cards with bonus codes.
So what sort of marketing does best? While most webmasters will freely share what does NOT work, they are far less likely to share their recipe for good traffic. This is where individual marketers must develop their own "secret sauce". We all experiment and stick with what works best for our sites.
Should you worry about branding your site?
If you have a lot of sites, you probably don't have to worry about branding them unless you want to experiment with one of them and see if it is worth your while and your money. If your plan is to focus on just one site, you should definitely consider branding. Not too long ago, many people in this industry laughed at the concept of branding an affiliate site. These days, they've stopped laughing… and branded affiliate sites are doing very well.
When you consider all of this collectively, you get a real sense for the importance of a well-defined business model. It will affect which type of promotions do best for you, and thus which affiliate programs are your best performers. It will determine what players you target when you advertise, and how you spend your advertising dollars. It will help you decide what type of content you want and which keywords you select.
Remember that there is no single correct way of marketing online gambling. There's plenty of room for a variety of business models, and I'll bet there are many I've never even thought of! There's just one piece of advice that applies to them all: Be unique.
