Is Free WiFi Good For Business

Wi-Fi is certainly the wave of the future. No matter where you are, people are using smartphones and other devices to connect to the Internet on the go. If you want to promote customer satisfaction, offering potential customers the opportunity to connect for free to the Internet via Wi-Fi is a no-brainer. It will allow people to gain some knowledge about your business, as well as offer them a convenient service. So is free WiFi good for business?

Low Costs

A high demand convenience such as Wi-Fi seems like it would be pricey to get at a business. However, most businesses, if not all, already have the Internet set up at their store location. To extend this to a Wi-Fi hotspot costs little more than what you’re already paying. If you have a connection that’s always on and infrequently goes down, such as satellite internet services, there’s no reason not to share, as it will increase customer awareness at a fraction of traditional advertising costs.

Collecting Customer Data

Perhaps the biggest perk of allowing potential customers to use Wi-Fi is the ability to collect data quickly and easily. When customers connect to your Wi-Fi, they could be prompted to put in basic information about themselves such as gender, age, and e-mail address. This type of information is not easily stumbled across in real-world situations; in the past, you had to get the customer in the store and have them fill out a survey card, which was time-consuming and difficult. However, with your free Wi-Fi offer, you can get this pertinent and crucial information, and use it as a means of email marketing, or see what type of people might frequent your business.

Getting Customers Inside

The most tangible advantage to free Wi-Fi is the ability to see the people who use it come into your store. Make sure that you use a sign or some high visibility medium to show customers and other foot traffic that you have free Wi-Fi that they can connect to. Even if they don’t buy anything from your store that day, they are aware that your store exists and can recommend it to others. Also, even if only one percent of the people who come into your store to us Wi-Fi buy something, you’ve still increased your sales. It may not only offset the cost of offering Wi-Fi, but could also give you a little profit to boost.

Differentiation

If you start offering Wi-Fi before your competitors, you can differentiate yourself from the competition, effectively making you a step ahead of the rest for customer satisfaction. This is important, because you’ll stick out in customer’s minds when they are in need of products you offer. It also allows you to passively promote your business at a minimum cost.

Despite initial startup costs and monthly bills, offering free Wi-Fi to customers is advantageous. Since you already use the Internet in your business, extending this convenient service to others is simple and inexpensive. By setting up Wi-Fi as soon as possible, you can make sure that you are a step ahead of the game, and, hopefully, a little more successful because of it.

Source: smallbusinesscan.com