The recent NBA season threw up some amazing upsets and twists, making the outcome of many games unpredictable. Now that the dust has settled, it’s time to dust off those smart phones and log on to your favourite sports websites to place your wagers. What will your go-to source of information be? Google? Social media? The NBA’s website?
Sports betting is a multi-billion-dollar industry and is set to grow as fans follow the game more closely than ever before. Unfortunately, creating a sports betting website that is both entertaining and functional can be a tricky business. If you want to enter the exciting world of online gambling, you need to approach it as a serious business and take your time to create a website that will stand out amongst the thousands of similar websites.
Set A Goal
The first step is to set a goal for yourself. Do you want to create a fun and interactive betting website, or a more traditional sportsbook that focuses on statistics and form? If you’re passionate about betting and want to create the best possible website, then you should go the extra mile and develop a sophisticated strategy that will help you choose the best bets for your sportsbook. A clear goal will also help you determine the areas you need to work on, whether it’s designing a clean, organised interface or setting up live betting where punters can place bets whilst watching the action. If you want to launch a successful sports betting website, you need to have both a short- and long-term plan. If you don’t know where to start, ask for help.
Choose Your Platform
Once you have your goal in mind, you can start to map out your strategy. If you decide to use WordPress as your CMS (Content Management System) or Joomla! for your platform of choice, you’ll have the opportunity to integrate third-party apps that can streamline the operation of your website. Apps like Wagerr, SportsBetting and Betway offer all kinds of helpful tools, like live betting and analytics, that can assist you in establishing a successful sports betting website. Before you make your decision, make sure you do your research online and read reviews from previous customers so that you know exactly what you’re getting into. The last thing you want to do is launch a website on a substandard platform only to have it crash and burn after a few weeks/months of operation.
Consider Legal & Financial Aspects
One of the most important things to consider before you begin building your website is legal and financial aspects. Just because you’ve decided to enter the exciting world of online gambling doesn’t mean that you should do it without thinking about the implications. Will you be operating from a physical location? Will you be serving real money? What kinds of licenses and permissions do you need to secure? Where will you get the funds to operate? These are all very valid questions, and you must ask yourself before you launch. Most importantly, you should ensure that these questions are being answered by a reputable, legal counsel that is familiar with the online gambling industry. If you want to learn more, here is a great list of reputable, legal counsels you can contact: http://sportsegg.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/How-to-Find-a-Top-Legal-Advice-For-Your-New-Website.pdf
Create A Winning Team
Another important point to make is that, although this may seem obvious, you can’t just will yourself to good luck and expect to make money from online gambling. You need to put in the legwork to establish a good reputation and create a following amongst sports fans who want to place wagers on their beloved teams. In a nutshell, you need to build a winning team.
To do this, you’ll want to create high-quality content that is both entertaining and informative. You’ll also want to establish yourself as an authority on your chosen sport by creating resources that are both authoritative and of high quality. To name but a few:
- WageringExpertise.com
- NBA.com
- MLB.com
- NHL.com
- CollegeSports.com
- UFC.com
- FormulaOne.com
- Aragon.com
- Grand-Prix.com
- Premier-League.com
- La-Ligue1.com
- Bundesliga.com
- SloveniaNations.com
As you can see, this is a massive list of sports websites that cover almost every sport imaginable. You could build a website that is focused on a single sport, but the odds are that you’ll get bored of it quickly. Having so many games available on such a wide range of platforms means that you’ll have the opportunity to choose the content that you want and develop an audience that wants to hear your take on their favourite teams and sports figures. Even if you’re just starting out, try and create an account on at least half of these websites to get the ball rolling. Remember, content is king, and your customers will thank you for bringing them high-quality content that is both entertaining and informative.
Choose A Hosting Provider
Another important step is to choose a hosting provider. Just like you picked a platform to build your website on, you’ll need to pick a hosting provider so that you can install WordPress and start creating. When choosing a hosting provider, make sure that you’re not being tempted by flashy marketing or overly-compelling deals that will pop up and disappear at the click of a mouse. A good hosting provider will have a 24/7 phone support team, multiple data centers, and deliver what they promise. While it would be tempting to choose a free hosting provider, these sorts of sites are often the source of huge amounts of malware and spam, so keep your eyes open for those offering quality service at a price that you can afford.
Make Sure You’re Ready For The Big Leagues
Last but not least, make sure that you’re ready for the big leagues. Launching a successful sports betting website is no mean feat, and to do it justice you’ll need to approach it seriously. As previously mentioned, building a successful sports betting website requires a solid strategy that will see you choosing the right games, lines and betting types to maximise your chances of winning. You’ll also need to integrate live betting, so that punters can bet whilst watching the action. There are dozens of platforms where you can set up live betting, but to do it justice you’ll need an experienced developer who knows their stuff, and is prepared to spend the time to get it done right. Setting up live betting is a complex process, and unless you have someone on-hand who can assist you, it’s something you should leave in the hands of experts.
As we’ve established, building a successful sports betting website is no easy task, and it takes time to master. There are, however, a number of templates and resources you can leverage to get yourself up and running quickly and efficiently. Doing it justice also requires that you’re prepared to put the time in to create a resource that will become your flagship and attract countless customers to your website.