Are your clients and guests asking for hospitality WiFi?
These days, consumers are increasingly taking their mobile devices with them everywhere, and expect to be able to use them most of the time. They've become the central communication hubs of everyone's life, and few like to go more than an hour or two without checking their messages.
In recent studies, 8 out of 10 mobile users say that WiFi availability affects their decisions in where to shop. With mobile usage growing at astounding rates, this means a business without guest wireless access is in grave danger of losing out on vital foot traffic to their online competitors.
Plus, beyond the increased traffic, the other big benefit to offering free WiFi is that it can open up entirely new avenues for promoting your products.
Rather than simply having users logging in directly at your access point, set up a custom portal on your server that captures users logging in. Besides being a more secure way of handling log-ins, it means you can custom-brand the log-in page with promotions and offers, or even Calls-to-Action.
The other upshot to using a portal is that it discourages people on the street from leeching WiFi without coming inside, so that's another side benefit.
A good rule of thumb when working with Internet-focused people is “give back when you take away.” Since some are aware that the portal exists to force them inside – yes, the younger ones really are that media-savvy – print your daily passwords on low-value coupons that can be redeemed on the next purchase.
The coupon doesn't have to be much, but it's a great way to encourage people to keep coming back, especially for shops, restaurants or other businesses with a lot of impulse buying involved.
This one works best for hotels, hospitals, and other organizations expecting longer-term visitors. Cafes popular with gamers or artistic sorts could also try this: Set up a second, higher-speed WiFi network with usage fees for access.
This would also be a good inclusion in “Premium” club membership packages.
Bandwidth is cheap, so in the right situations, this is practically printing money. Plus, visitors who don't want to pay can still use the slow service.
Be cautious with this strategy; it shouldn't be so intrusive that it becomes annoying. However, for obvious reasons, running a small ad bar overlaid on the top of the user's browser creates plenty of promotional opportunities for you.
Rather than only promoting your own services, consider also making partnerships with nearby businesses to run their ads for paired services. Hotels, for example, could run calls-to-action for the local restaurants that deliver, so guests can order directly online. Or, perhaps a cafe where absent-minded lovers can discretely set up a flower delivery, even from under the table.
It's convenient for the customer, and helps build relations (and revenue streams) with nearby groups.
If someone's enjoying themselves at your business, making it easier to tell others can drive more leads to your door. Incorporating social media features will boost the buzz surrounding your business.
There are several different places they could be located:
The main landing/log-in page
The following “Thank You” page
A pop-up ad on the floating bar
The occasional one-time pop-up message
If you get people talking, that's even more people coming to see for themselves.
Besides the near-necessity of WiFi, from a consumer standpoint, WiFi is also good for business. It's easy to leverage into more leads and more income, quickly justifying the investment.
Guest wireless access is a great addition to virtually any business. Contact us to learn how easy it can be!