How to Choose an iOS App for iGaming Traffic in 2024?

The right choice of app for iOS users in iGaming is one that helps you achieve a 200% ROI right from the start without unnecessary tests.

The user’s first encounter with the app in App Store is a crucial stage in launching advertising campaigns. Top slots in design, vibrant colors, attractive elements that ‘warm up’ users before downloading and making the first deposit (FTD) help increase traffic quality. Will the user download the app? Will they make a deposit? Will they delete the app after making an FTD?

The aggressiveness of the cover design, icon, and title — all of these influence the conversion rate of your combination, but let’s take it step by step!

In this article, we’ll discuss:

• How to choose converting iOS apps correctly;
• Which design color elements are crucial in forming the desire to download the app and take the desired action;
• How the “aggressiveness” of design can be used to create an emotional response matching the expectations of the target audience and how these elements help turn simple browsing into an active action — downloading the app.

Key Design Elements Necessary for Traffic Attraction

Elements Within the Color Styling of the Setting/Offer

The first impression of the visual component of the app plays a crucial role in capturing and retaining user attention, and ultimately, the main goal — app downloads. This impression should not only be visually appealing but also emotionally charged. The goal is for the user to feel the excitement, anticipation, and wealth right from the first glance, which are key elements of gambling.

Bright, vibrant colors such as gold, red, or bright green can capture attention and evoke strong emotions. These colors are associated with wealth, energy, passion, and luck, making them perfect for creating an atmosphere of excitement and opportunity. But all of this serves as a complement to the main colors of the setting/offer. We should note that these design techniques are most effective for users already interested in gambling, and may not be a good fit for a general audience.

Even from a psychological standpoint, bright, lively colors prompt users to take action. For example, gold, often used in slot design, symbolizes wealth and success, instantly evoking associations with big winnings and luxury. On the other hand, red triggers feelings of excitement and thrill, while green may remind users of money and luck. You can read the article about casino colors psychology made by Global Brands magazine.

*The color palette should match the setting, and the colors and their contrast should evoke positive emotions.

A vivid example: How from a fairly limited color palette of a product like Plinko, you can create an app rich in diverse colors, which will only intensify the user’s desire to download the app.

Associative Elements of the Setting

When users encounter familiar elements such as game mascots (e.g., in ‘Gates of Olympus,’ ‘Big Bass Bonanza,’ ‘Fortale Tiger’) or key symbols (like the candy bomb in ‘Sweet Bonanza’ or the book in ‘Book of Dead’), it instantly triggers associations with the original slots. These elements act as visual hooks, reminding players of previous positive experiences and enhancing interest in the new application. Such elements can serve not only as visual landmarks but also as symbols of quality and reliability, especially when they are associated with popular and successful games.

*It is important to note the emphasis on the associative elements of a specific slot/offer.

Enhanced Elements for Increasing Conversion

Elements to Amplify Emotional Undertones

Items such as coins, treasures, sparks, and glows carry symbolism of wealth and success. They are associated with big wins and achievements, attracting players seeking excitement and opportunities to win.

*The app and its cover should evoke positive emotions

Premium Elements: For Maximum Engagement

Personalized Approach

Customization of design elements of the ‘placeholder’ for a specific slot: visualization of the game field taking into account its peculiarities, big wins, screenshots of ‘bonus games’ directly evoking feelings of excitement and anticipation of success in the user.

According to the App Store guidelines, developers are required to showcase screenshots from the actual application on the banner. Statistics show that ‘Apple earns more on the App Store than Google on Google Play because users trust the former more, knowing that Apple rigorously controls quality.’

This tells us that for a user who sees real application screenshots resembling a slot machine on the first screens of the banner, the desire to download will intensify, and they are more likely to download the application and proceed to the offer. Therefore, vibrant screens symbolizing the game field resembling a slot, wins, bonuses, will serve as a trigger for a significant portion of users to download.

*Note the presence of aggressive placeholder screens – does the placeholder itself contain content resembling slots and gambling in particular? This could be a field scattered with tiles, a screen with a big win, a wheel of fortune, or a welcome bonus. An abstract composition of elements is good, but in combination with real aggressive placeholder screens resembling gambling games, the conversion rate will be higher.

Direct References to Slots

Among all placeholders in the store, it’s quite challenging to find applications with aggressive direct subtext. For example, a strong impact on the user can be made by simulating the original slot game field in the design or a wheel of fortune, if we are talking about Crazy Time.

*Direct references to gambling games in the design will bring you maximum engagement.

Analysis of Designs Using the Example of the Most Popular Setting — Sweet Bonanza

Let’s analyze two applications using the example of the most popular setting, Sweet Bonanza. First, it will be helpful to understand why it is so popular. The slot is themed around candies and fruits, which are visually appealing due to their bright, saturated colors and playful design.

Such sweet themes often evoke feelings of nostalgia and fun in users, reminiscent of childhood sweets and games. So, let’s examine two designs, simultaneously similar and different from each other:

• Bright and memorable design within the color scheme of the setting/offer

Contrasting colors, a bright, juicy, and saturated color palette that evokes positive emotions and is associated with winning.

• Associative setting elements

Emphasis on key design elements, such as bonus symbols (multicolored bombs, candies), elicits an emotional response. They are bonus elements in the slot, the most desirable and explosive. This gives the design a higher conversion rate when launching traffic.

Abundant use of fruits and berries, similar to the elements of the original slot.

• Attractive name

The name is directly related to the original theme of the slot. This creates a strong association and recognizability.

• App icon

The app icon serves as the user’s first contact with the product. It sparks interest and trust, as well as being associative with the original slot.

• Refined logo

A logo embodying the slot’s style, with multicolored letters and emphasis on the golden hue of the word ‘Bonanza.’

• Additional visual elements enhancing emotional undertones

Sparkling and glittering elements intensifying the sense of joy and celebration.

• Display of the placeholder itself

Aggressive screens symbolizing wins, and screens with the game field reminiscent of the slot itself, increase user trust in the downloaded application.

• Reinforcement of associative links and direct reference to slots

The background features a classic slot game field, reinforcing the connection to the original game.

This design approach for two applications over 2-3 months in practice has shown a high conversion rate – ‘click/install = 1/7.’ This means that every seventh user visiting the App Store decides to download the application. This is a good indicator of the success of the design and marketing strategy. However, Sweet Bonanza Scape performed slightly better, as its logo is more strongly associated with the original game.

We should note that for additional analysis A/B testing could be done. It can better demonstrate which app’s design is more effective.

A/B testing is a very useful tool, which can help you to enhance the efficiency of your advertising campaign. Read more about it in our article!

Conclusion

Analyzing the design of a gambling application and utilizing key visual elements correctly can significantly impact the success of your advertising campaign. The points discussed in this article will not only help you attract the attention of potential users but also retain their interest to increase conversion and overall user engagement.

Understanding and applying these elements correctly in design is crucial for achieving high results when driving traffic.

However, remember that design goes far beyond the application itself. It encompasses all aspects of advertising campaigns, including creatives, pre-landing pages, and other marketing tools. Effective design evokes emotions, stimulates excitement, and anticipates big wins. Using motion creatives with images of real people experiencing joy from playing in a casino helps create a strong emotional connection with the audience and emphasizes the thrilling experience offered by the application.