Why your ROI isn’t just about creatives: Insights from Makeberry Affiliates

You launch 2 identical creatives, but for different products on different platforms. On one, you get ROI +65% with a Cost Per Sale (CPS) of $158; on the other, ROI drops to -13% with a CPS of $340.

The cost of acquiring a player differs by more than twofold (+$182), while the gap in ROI reaches 78%.

The logical question is: why does the same creative perform well on one platform but underperform on another? Let’s break it down together with Valentyn Halchuk, Head of Business Development at Makeberry.

Creatives are just the entry point

Among media buyers, creatives are often seen as the key to a successful traffic launch. In reality, however, they are only responsible for generating initial interest. Everything that happens to the user afterwards falls within the platform’s responsibility.

In our example, the final result is determined by at least 3 factors:

• approval rate (in our case, 20% and 28%)
• payout (different platforms offer different payout models)
• how effectively the platform processes traffic

While the first two metrics are usually transparent, the third is the least obvious and the most difficult to assess. And it is this factor that most often determines whether you achieve an ROI of +65% or end up in the red.

Where the iGaming platform ‘eats up’ your traffic

1. Registration
If the registration form is too complicated, overloaded, or fails to highlight bonuses, some users will drop off before they even enter the platform.

2. Cashier
At this stage, the player must complete the key action – make a deposit. If the platform lacks local payment methods or they are unreliable, conversions won’t happen. A classic example: Canada without Interac is a dead product.

3. Payment Infrastructure
Even if a user reaches the cashier, that doesn’t mean a deposit will follow. Some payments fail due to bank declines, 3D Secure issues, or technical errors. That’s why it’s important to check whether the platform has:

• Payment gateway cascading (routing transactions through the most suitable gateway based on user, GEO, and timing).
• Declined Payment Recovery (triggering chat, call centre, or push notifications after a failed payment).
• A dynamic cashier (prioritising payment methods with the highest success rates in a specific GEO at a given time).

Without these core solutions, you’re simply losing already warmed-up traffic.

4. Retention
Retaining an existing player is 5 times cheaper than acquiring a new one. Yet this is exactly where many platforms fall short. Here are some of the key tools for effective player retention:

• CRM Marketing

If a platform treats different traffic sources (FB, PPC, SEO) the same way, fails to segment users by spend and preferences, and relies solely on email communication, you can forget about repeat deposits.

The platform should be able to actively engage players. For example, through trigger-based automation: if a user loses their balance or abandons the cashier, the system should send a push notification or bonus within 15 minutes. Any delay equals a lost user.

• Gamification

If the platform looks like a standard catalogue of games, your traffic will drop off within a couple of days or immediately after the Welcome Package is completed. That’s why it’s essential for the platform to include quests, missions, reward shops, tournaments, leaderboards, level systems, and other gamification elements.

• VIP Service

Most cohorts are profitable primarily because of VIP players. In Tier 1 markets, around 2% of users generate up to 40% of total revenue. That’s why, if a platform doesn’t offer a dedicated VIP manager, exclusive terms and limits, priority payouts, proactive support, and localised support, it won’t be able to maximise your LTV.

How to choose a platform that can effectively handle your traffic

On the Makeberry Affiliates Telegram channel, we’ve put together a practical selection of materials from Valentyn, based on 8+ years of experience in affiliate marketing:

• a checklist of what to look for before launching traffic;
• a list of questions to ask a product before launch;
• must-have payment methods for all key GEOs. 

So if you don’t want to spend your time constantly searching for new creatives instead of scaling your ROI, subscribe to the channel.

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