Smarkets joins Oddschecker grid after product overhaul
Exchange operator unveils webpage redesign and new mobile app ahead of Cheltenham Festival
Smarkets joined the Oddschecker grid yesterday after unveiling a new web homepage designed to engage non-bettors.
The site has been revamped to make betting markets accesible and interesting to non-punters, according to CEO Jason Trost, who labelled it a “proud day” for the exchange operator on Twitter.
Today we released a new homepage web experience, rebooted iOS/Android apps and are listed on Oddschecker. Proud day in @smarkets land. The new homepage is designed to make betting markets useful for non bettors.
— Jason Trost (@jasontrost) March 7, 2018
Notable changes include a font switch to make text more legible and improve number readability, while an emphasis has also been placed on percentage chances and probabilities of teams winning for example.
On the redesign, Smarkets’ press officer Pascal Lemesre said: “We are displaying percentages more prominently on the homepage and listings pages, even if you have selected decimals as your preferred odds choice.
“That is the direction we want to go in and it is very easy to see what the probabilities are for a horse to win a race or for AC Milan to beat Arsenal.
“We have gone for a tiles and cards format which is different to the old website that was fairly basic in that it displayed just the top markets in horseracing and football.
“It was minimalistic and easy to navigate but we wanted to make the homepage in particular a bit more engaging,” he added.
Focus on percentages: The new Smarkets homepage
Smarkets also released its new mobile app across iOS and Android yesterday after previous editions failed to reach the operator’s expectations.
The new app has been built up by developers from scratch, rather than as a redesign of the operator’s pre-existing mobile site.
“Our app launches over the last few years haven’t gone as well as we’d hoped, but this one we are really excited about,” said Lemesre.
“It is much more tailored and has been built up from the bottom up as a stand-alone app, rather than just a skin of the mobile site.
“That has only just gone live and we are pleased with how it’s performing but we are going to give it its own big promotional push after Cheltenham Festival,” he added.
The new Smarkets app on iOS
Smarkets yesterday also became the fourth exchange operator to go live on the Oddschecker grid, joining Betfair, Betdaq and Matchbook just in time for Cheltenham Festival.
Lemesre said: “It is something we have considered for a long time as Oddschecker is the number one place to go if you’re after value and value is our biggest proposition with the 2% commission and solid odds.
“We are looking to drive more growth because it is the biggest odds comparison site out there and we are delighted to get it done just in time for Cheltenham,” he added.
Oddschecker’s head of commercial Guy Harding added: “Oddschecker is delighted to welcome a new exchange to its grids. The improved awareness, reach and performance enjoyed by our partners justifies our reputation as an imperative marketing channel for UK betting brands.”
The announcement only adds to the increasingly competitive exchange sector, with Trost saying yesterday that Smarkets now held a 10% market share.
We have about 10% UK exchange market share. There are other options.
— Jason Trost (@jasontrost) March 7, 2018
The operator is also in the process of adding a sportsbook to potentially expand to the US.