GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 41 - July 2018

income due to my past experiences with my previous sites. Do you have plans for additional sites? Why or why not? I have recently launched a North American-facing casino website. This is to act as a kind of buffer should gambling restrictions in the U.K. get too heavy. What makes your site unique? How do you help it stand out from the competition? There is so much com- petition, it’s close to impossible to com- pletely stand out from the crowd. But I try my best through unique branding, interaction with my audience and honest reviews from someone who has invested real money into many of the games. How do you decide what casinos to promote? I useGPWA to weed out the re- ally bad ones, thenmy own experience and online reviews to find the good ones. There are some very strong U.K.-facing brands. Unfortunately, some of the affiliate pro- grams are terrible. It’s very difficult to deal with programs who may pay on time, but never respond to e-mails or Skypemessages. Are you a full-time or part-time af- filiate? I am full-time, as much as I can be with my daughter climbing all over me half the time! Do you have employees, or do you run your sites by yourself? I em- ployed my first full-time employee about six weeks ago, which has helped greatly. I also use freelancers regularly. Do you still gamble online or in brick-and-mortar casinos? I don’t gamble anywhere near as much as I used to. In the past I was a regular around East London’s poker clubs. I would also visit Vegas a few times a year. How often do you get to see and interact with other people in the industry? Never! Every year I say to myself “I’m definitely going this time,” then it gets closer to the date and I think, “I’ll just Skype them if I need anything.” But I’m definitely going to the London Affiliate Conference next year. What traits do you look for in an affiliate manager and affiliate pro- gram? An affiliate manager and program need to be responsive. It’s a two-way busi- ness relationship; there is no reason not to reply to messages that only take a minute to answer, even if it’s just to say “thanks for the message, we’ll get back to you soon.” What prompted you to join the GPWA? How has it helped you? I can’t remember exactly when or how I found the GPWA website, but I used to shadow the forums before signing up and gettingmore involved. It’s helped greatly as it is full of like-minded people who, when you have an issue, know what you are talking about. What’s the best part about working in this industry? By far, being your own boss and the unlimited earnings potential. If you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be and why? I wouldn’t actually change any- thing about this industry. I’m happy to take the rough with the smooth. What do you think the industry will look like in five years? Over 90%of my site traffic and content is focused on theU.K. market. Current politicians on both sides have it in for the gambling industry, so I think in five years’ time there will be very heavy restrictions on all kinds of advertising. I think it will be a difficult road over the next few years and will even out to something more consistent within half a decade. What do your family and friends think of your work as an affiliate? They are OK with it. When I first started, my family were a little concerned as the earnings were very unstable, but now it’s a lot more consistent. What’s your approach to SEO and drawing traffic to your site? My ar- ticles are always written with a focus on SEO, and it seems to work reasonably well. My traffic predominantly comes from organic Google search, although I do boost pages on Facebook from time to time if I feel the content is something more unique than a slot review. What do you do to stay in shape – both physically and mentally? I ride a bike, and this keeps me fit. I also walk a lot, as long hours on a computer and snacking without even noticing isn’t too good for my long-term health, so I try to counter it with the cycling and walking. 59 What do you do with your spare time? I go out for walks to the beach or in the countryside. Having a young child is also a great excuse to visit theme parks and have little holidays. What did you dream of doing, both professionally and personally, when you were a kid? I always wanted to be a scientist and was always trying to invent little things. Life led me along a different path; however, I still read science journals and follow the latest technology. If you won $10 million playing the lottery tomorrow, what would you do? I’d probably carry on doing what I’m doing. Without motivation, I’d get lazy – there’re only so many holidays I could take. There is so much competition , it’s close to impossible to completely stand out from the crowd . But I try my best through unique branding , interaction with my audience and honest reviews . W W W . G P W A T I M E S . O R G