Not so very long ago, a business would install internet access for employee use only. It would use Ethernet cables to connect a PC or two and the credit card reader to the internet. That sounds primitive now, but at least it was far superior to dial-up internet hardwired from the landline.
With the rise of portable devices, such as laptops, smartphones, and tablets, came a corresponding rise in demand for Wi-Fi. Customers with sketchy cell phone signals, expensive data plans, or no plan at all for devices, started seeking Wi-Fi access. In fact, they started patronizing businesses where access is free.
It’s easy to take Wi-Fi for granted in brick-and-mortar locations. But not maximizing the opportunities afforded by this technology would be a mistake. Improving your Wi-Fi will help you better connect with customers. Here’s how.
Use Faster Wi-Fi to Make Fast Friends
Let’s say you have the choice of sipping a $4 latte in two places in the neighborhood. All things being equal, which one you choose might be a toss-up. But if one has faster free Wi-Fi than the other, the choice will be obvious.
Free Wi-Fi at businesses has become fairly ubiquitous. What will set yours apart is answering your customers’ need for speed. And that speed needs to be rapid no matter how many customers are using it at the same time.
This is where the intuitive nature of a platform that focuses on this stuff comes into play. It maximizes your Wi-Fi signal at the physical spots in your business where customers are at any given moment. That guarantees faster uploads and fewer disruptions when they log on to use it.
Paying for the fastest Wi-Fi coming into your building does nothing to ensure it keeps pace with demand. The way you distribute it in the building is how the magic happens. Delight your customers with the fastest signal possible, and they’ll keep coming back for more.
Draw Your Customers Into Your Network
Customers always have the option of using their data plan when they’re at your business. With the rollout of 5G networks, your Wi-Fi is facing stiff competition. That’s not a good thing.
In an analysis of download speeds for 5G versus public Wi-Fi, 5G was significantly faster. Part of that is due to congestion on a Wi-Fi network. This makes that intuitive network that boosts the signal precisely where and when you need it so important.
Faster speed, easy logon, and rewards for Wi-Fi use are what will entice customers to get off their data plan. If they don’t, you miss the opportunity to capture valuable data you can use to develop on-target marketing efforts and enhance the customer experience.
You aren’t just competing with the business down the street. You’re competing with 5G and 6G mobile speeds virtually everywhere. Bring your Wi-Fi up to speed, and you’ll give your customers reason to climb aboard.
Talk to Them While They’re There
Having a Wi-Fi network worth logging on to affords you the opportunity to engage with your customers while they’re there. Of course, that doesn’t happen with just a Wi-Fi signal. It happens if you connect it with a cloud-based platform that provides the conduit for the conversation.
The right system lets you greet customers as soon as they log on. You can just acknowledge that they’re in the house. Or you can say hello with a tailored offer based on each customer’s buying history.
Drive them to your website while they’re plugged in to increase traffic and promote specials. Encourage them to check in on social media or post a photo from your location. Ask them what they need or want and whether they’re satisfied with their experience.
You should also take the opportunity to remind customers that the network you’re providing is secure. Make sure you keep it that way by using a system that monitors potential problems and responds immediately to them. You have a captured audience, so engage with them and give them something to talk about.
Delight Your Employees
Never underestimate the impact happy employees have on creating happy customers. If employees are satisfied on the job, customers are going to see it. If employees aren’t happy, that will be obvious as well.
Included in a list of employee engagement statistics by Rise is an interesting one about technology. More than 90% of employees relate their job satisfaction to having the right technology to do it. Although that tech can be a lot of different things, your Wi-Fi network is a critical component.
Data captured and analyzed by your network helps front-facing employees deal effectively with happy and unhappy customers alike. It helps your marketing and sales teams develop successful outreach plans. It helps employees be more productive if they’re spending less time waiting on slow internet and dropped signals.
Delighted and productive employees create delighted and loyal customers. There’s no reason they should have to compete for the best spot to catch the Wi-Fi signal. Improve your signal and keep everyone — employees and customers — showing up.
Improve Your Connections
Faster Wi-Fi when and where it’s needed and incentives for customers to log on to it can yield a treasure trove of data. Use that data to improve the experience every single customer has with your business. When you do that, you’ll not only retain loyal customers, but attract new ones as well.
Never underestimate the potential power of a high-performance Wi-Fi signal and everything that goes with it. It may not be exactly a love connection, but it will be a connection your customers and employees will love.
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