Next time you’re out and about, take a minute to look around. The chances are, you’ll see plenty of people on their smartphones and tablets. We’re increasingly reliant on these handy pieces of technology, using them for everything from sending work emails to getting directions, keeping in touch with the latest developments on social media, checking the news, shopping, listening to music and more. This means that, as consumers, we expect to be able to get online virtually anywhere and at any time.
It’s no surprise then that a rising number of hotels, restaurants, cafes, bars and other similar companies are providing hospitality WiFi. There is a strong business case for offering such web access to consumers. If you’re wondering whether your firm could benefit from providing free WiFi to your customers, consider the following plus points.
Meeting customer expectations
The fact is, consumers no longer hope to be able to get online when they enter an eatery, bar or hotel. Rather, they expect to. This means that if your business does not offer WiFi, you could lose a considerable number of customers. Highlighting this fact, research conducted last year by data and analysis firm Technomic Inc found that many people want to be able to use the web even when they are grabbing a quick bite to eat in fast food establishments. Of the people it polled, 65% said they expect restaurants in the quick-service sector to offer WiFi.
If you neglect this issue, you risk putting yourself at a competitive disadvantage. After all, at least some of your rivals are bound to offer free customer WiFi.
Boosting your brand
Another issues to consider is your business’ brand. Image matters in today’s competitive marketplace. Those firms that succeed in cultivating an appealing brand stand a better chance of wooing consumers. Public WiFi can play an important role in enhancing your enterprise’s image. By offering guests access to the web via your own branded portal complete with your company’s logo, promotions and localised content, you can create a slick user experience and give your business a professional edge.
Gaining valuable marketing insights
Marketers are relying less and less on guesswork. Now, rather than targeting consumers based on rough demographic profiles, they are tapping into the expanding range of available data to create tailored advertising messages.
Public WiFi can help with this. By offering such web access to your customers, you can collect a wealth of information on them, including names, email addresses, social interactions and more. Your marketing team can then use this to hone their promotions.
These are just a few of the reasons why it may make sense for your company to offer hospitality WiFi.