Over half the world is on the Internet. And folks aren’t just “on” the internet, they’re using it to search everything you can imagine. There are more than 40,000 search queries every second on average, yielding an average of 3.5 billion searches daily. Yes, you read that correctly — there are more than 3.5 billion searches every single day on Google alone. All that searching means people have become conditioned to having the Internet available to them wherever and whenever they want it. That includes your venue.
The benefit of offering guest WiFi? Business.
Your customers expect your company to offer guest WiFi while they are on your premises. There’s a return on the technology investment. Businesses that offer guest WiFI are more likely to be favored over competitors that don’t. In fact, according to Small Biz Trends, “There are people who select venues based upon availability of free WiFi. Thus, your business is bound to have an advantage over your competitors if they do not offer free WiFi.”
Hotel guests will try to connect to a property’s WiFi within seven minutes of their arrival.
The LA Times cited a similar study and reported that 96 percent of customers prefer visiting a business that offers free WiFi. They went onto say that “79 percent of businesses say it helps keep customers happy while they wait for service,” and “64 percent of respondents have chosen a restaurant based on free Wi-Fi availability.”
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According to research by Devicescape, providing free WiFi for customers increases:
- Foot traffic
- Time spent on premises
- The amount customers spend
Guest WiFi can boost your SEO.
Google now indexes content from iOS apps as well as searches made through your phone’s browser. This includes customer-favorite apps like Yelp, Trip Advisor, and Groupon. The more apps your business appears on, the more your search result ranking is likely to improve.
How does WiFi impact this? Because foot-traffic customers are more likely to open the app when they’re in close proximity of your business. Think about every time you’ve checked Yelp before walking into a new restaurant. Now imagine if the restaurant offered your guest the WiFi needed to check those five-star reviews.
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Guest WiFi increases social visibility.
Your customers want to check in on social media and share where they are. As a result, your business will also enjoy enhanced marketing opportunities. Make it easy (and possibly fun!) for them to check in and share selfies and other social content while they are at your establishment. It’s the most persuasive kind of marketing available, and all it costs is your monthly WiFi bill.
Are you looking to start taking advantage of the benefits of offering guest WiFi? We’re here to help. Our Marketing4WiFi platform will take your basic guest WiFi and turn into a powerful revenue-generating utility. Create a branded login page for your guests, promote social media engagement, and create email marketing campaigns all through Marketing4WiFi.
