For years online bingo operators focused on player attraction. Most marketing budgets were spent on attracting new players, and little was spent on player retention. Today there are hundreds of bingo sites on the internet and bingo operators are realizing just how important player retention is in a highly competitive market. Those same hundreds of bingo sites are competing for the same pool of players.

Luring New Players

Typically new online bingo players are showered with a huge selection of bonuses and perks. Deposit bonuses have been the chief marketing tool used by most online bingo operators. Generally deposit bonuses are either a fixed amount or are based on a percentage of a player’s initial deposit. Deposit bonuses reaching 500% are now possible throughout the industry. Handing out a bingo free bonus is another tactic used to lure new players. Just about every bingo site offers a fixed amount of free bingo. At some bingo sites a deposit is required to access the free bingo games while at others only registration is required.

What New Bingo Players Want

Today online bingo players have become more sophisticated and are less likely to fall for flashy offers and are looking for long term quality. A bingo site can offer the biggest bonuses possible but if the games are boring chances are they will go elsewhere. Instead of the same old bonus programs bingo operators are implementing new programs designed to keep players coming back for more. Most bingo operators have upped the size of their re deposit bonuses significantly. Cash back offers and daily, weekly and monthly bonuses have been implemented at several sites with great success. VIP programs and email alerts have been particularly effective.

The Importance of Loyalty Programs

At most sites player loyalty programs have been expanded. At many bingo sites player loyalty programs seemed like an afterthought and were hardly worth the effort. Most online bingo sites now award loyalty points that can be traded for cash or games. Past Gaming industry reports have indicated that online bingo has the highest player retention rate of any online gaming sector. Today bingo players expect more for their hard earned money and bingo operators are going to great lengths to give players more value for their money. The new player retention strategies have been well received by bingo players everywhere. While player acquisition remains an important facet of the online bingo industry bingo operators have found that player retention is the real key to success.

BingoInternet also has a great article about reload bonuses and player retention.

The world of online bingo has grown exceptionally over the past few years, so it’s not surprising that dozens of new websites are popping up every single week.  If you’re new to the online bingo game, you may be feeling overwhelmed with all your choices.  One method of selecting a site is by understanding the bingo bonus offer.

Sites like Bingo House offer very generous bonuses as a way to attract new visitors.  This is a promotional type offer that all bingo sites give out in order to stay ahead of the competition.  There are many different bingo bonus offers, including free deposits, deposit matches, referral rewards, and loyalty points.

No deposit bingo bonuses are the most popular because they’re basically like free trial offers.  Many sites don’t offer these bonuses, but the few that do are some of the most popular for obvious reasons.  You can begin playing for free without having to make a deposit.  Sometimes there are limitations to the number of games you can play, but just playing a few for free will give you some idea as to whether the site is any good or not.  The average amount of this type of bingo bonus is around $20 or so.

Deposit bonuses are probably the most offered incentive at online bingo sites.  With this, you will have to sign up for an account and make a small deposit, but you’ll be rewarded for doing so.  Whatever the amount of your deposit, the website will match, double, or even triple!  If you deposit $20 and the site offers a 200% match, you’ll end up with $60 to play with.  There may also be a reload bonus, which means your 2nd and 3rd deposits will be matched also.

In addition to these bingo bonus types, some websites give out freebies for every friend you refer to them.  You may also be eligible for an additional bonus if you make a deposit using a site’s preferred payment method.  Make sure that you’re comfortable with the payment method yourself, though—never do anything that you’re not comfortable with.  Keep in mind that a huge bonus isn’t the only reason for which you should sign up.  There are other important features that make a good bingo site, including game selection, software, customer support, and prizes.