As our world becomes increasingly dominated by mobile, everyone expects constant connectivity. We are in the age of the connected customer and whether people are commuting, on vacation or running errands, they want Wi-Fi wherever they go.
The right Wi-Fi solution can not only give customers the connectivity they desire and expect, but it can also be a highly effective method tool for reaching new customers and growing your business, and here’s why.
Competitive Advantage
Simply put, offering free Wi-Fi gives small businesses a competitive advantage, as it can increase the number of people who enter your store. It’s not uncommon today for consumers to search online for businesses as they’re making a decision, and one of the criteria they could be looking at is free Wi-Fi. If your business lists this offering online, consumers are more likely to pick your store over another that does not.
Once customers are in your store, it’s not surprising that those who take advantage of this service tend to stay longer and spend more money overall. Free connectivity can also keep customers happy as they’re waiting for service. And once they log into your network, Wi-Fi becomes a prime research and marketing opportunity for your business.
Deepen Digital Marketing
Small businesses can turn to tools like Wi-Fi to gain insight into the online behaviors of their customers without breaking the budget. Utilizing Wi-Fi to its fullest potential will allow your business to capture data about customer preferences and browsing habits, which you can analyze to find methods of attracting new customers.
When a customer connects to your Wi-Fi, they can be redirected to your website or to input their email to gain connectivity. Controlling where they go first on Wi-Fi allows an immediate engagement opportunity with customers, such as a landing page that offers coupons if they sign up for your loyalty program.
Going a step further, with the right Wi-Fi solution, businesses can see aggregate data about how customers are using their network. This can inform future digital marketing endeavors and ensure tactics like paid social media promotions are running on your customers’ favorite platforms.
Consider this example of a small coffee shop owner in Denver. Competitors were beginning to open in his neighborhood and as his sales began to slow, he decided it was time to deploy a comprehensive digital marketing campaign.
He was able to use the dashboard of his Wi-Fi solution to learn more about his customers and find the data needed to reach similar individuals. He saw a bulk of his customers were visiting Facebook while in his shop and set up a targeted advertising campaign on the platform to friends of users who had previously liked his shop’s page.
Further, since his network required visitors to input their email addresses before connecting, he was able to execute an email marketing campaign to his current customers. The emails allowed him to share information about his store’s new drinks and offer coupons to customers in an effort to engaged with them and get them to visit again.
Six months after implementing these campaigns, his sales increased by 15 percent. These results were all accomplished by a tool that most small business owners already have in place, Wi-Fi. For businesses with tight budgets and resources, Wi-Fi solutions offer the data and insights your company needs to take your digital marketing efforts to the next level. Wi-Fi is more than just connectivity; it’s a digital marketing resource.x
The Bottom Line
Today Wi-Fi is essential for businesses of all sizes. Offering connectivity will have a real impact on your bottom line, as more customers visit your store and spend more money. And with the right intelligent Wi-Fi solution, you can access valuable customer analytics to further advance your business and improve your brand, as well as attract new customers and better connect with both current and future customers.
