Customers have spoken, and they want free WiFi.
According to a study by the Yankee Group, 96% of customers prefer businesses that offer free WiFi, and 64% of customers say they choose restaurants based on their WiFi options. The study also found that businesses like and want WiFi marketing. In the survey, 79% of business respondents said free WiFi keeps customers happy while they wait.
But even if you offer free customer WiFi, it can’t benefit you or your customers if your customers don’t know it exists. So start highlighting it in your store using these six ways to promote your in-store WiFi network.
1. Put WiFi login details where customers can easily find it.
Education is the first part of any advertising campaign. While you aren’t charging for your WiFi or selling it as a product, you are selling the idea of logging on to your customers. Add digital signage around your store with your WiFi information and let customers know why they should log-on. This signage should be useful (people often want to know how to access the WiFi) but also promotional. Tout the benefits of logging on to your WiFi when your customers use their phones. You might encourage other customers to log on who otherwise wouldn’t.
While you’re creating WiFi signage, look for other ways to promote your in-store WiFi. For example, a restaurant might include WiFi information at each table so diners can log in. A retail business may include WiFi pop-ups on shelves or next to certain displays.
As you brainstorm ways to include your WiFi information in various locations, identify ways your staff can help. For example, if you operate a quick service restaurant, consider printing your WiFi information on receipts and training staff to point it out when customers pay. This is also a great way to limit the number of times your staff gets asked about the WiFi log-in details, as your cashiers will address the customer need right when they come in.
The goal is to expose as many of your customers to your in-store WiFi network as possible so they know that logging in is a valuable activity.
2. Push customized offers to people who have logged in before.
When someone logs into your WiFi for the first time, you can collect a variety of customer data including demographics like age and gender. You can then use this information to segment your audience and create personalized offers for various customers to draw them back to using your network (and engaging with your brand).
For example, a retailer might show different ads for men or women to help promote their products, or a spa could create a targeted ad for mother’s day. You don’t have to push your customers into a one-size-fits-all ad experience. Your WiFi landing pages can be just as diverse as your consumers are.
3. Reward customers for signing on.
Businesses often reward customers for checking in on Facebook or Yelp. This is a marketing tactic that is meant to boost social media engagement and increase exposure to the brand. Consider running similar offers or promotions with your in-store WiFi network. You can offer a sample item or discount benefit for new customers who log in to the WiFi.
Remember, there is value to the data you are collecting from your in-store WiFi network. It is worth it to your business to offer a small gift or free item in exchange for the customer data and analytics that will come from them logging-on.
4. Develop a loyalty program around your WiFi.
Along with rewarding new check-ins, consider developing a loyalty program around your in-store WiFi network. For example, you can track customer loyalty by the number of times customers log-on and reward them for a set number of visits. You might give customers a free item for every 20 visits, which would be triggered through a landing page when they log on.
This is a great way to develop and launch a customer loyalty program without investing in extra infrastructure or services. You can use what is available to you.
5. Promote comparison shopping.
If you know that you have the best offer in the area, promote your WiFi as a way to encourage comparison shopping. You often see this with brands like Best Buy, where customers spend several days researching products before making a purchase. If you visit the store, you can scan items and compare them to other products, read reviews, and confirm that Best Buy offers the best deal. You can do something similar with your in-store WiFi network.
Encourage shoppers to log on to read customers’ reviews about your products and services. You can also direct people to your website to learn more about your business. This makes WiFi part of the shopping experience, rather than just an entertaining perk.
6. Create a positive WiFi experience.
The best way to encourage customers to use your in-store WiFi network is to create a positive experience.
If your customers have a hard time logging-on, have to ask for help, and ultimately get frustrated by a slow network, then they aren’t going to waste their time signing on when they return. In some cases, they may not even return at all if they find a better location that offers a high-quality WiFi experience.
If a restaurant serves bad food, you aren’t going to return – no matter how much the place spends on advertising. The same concept applies to WiFi. Your marketing is only as valuable as the WiFi you are promoting.
Build an In-Store WiFi Network That Benefits You and Your Customers
When you start promoting your in-store WiFi network, more customers will log on which gives your brand more opportunities to leverage this powerful marketing channel.
(Not sure what WiFi marketing can do for your brand? Check out our post 7 Reasons Why Free Customer WiFi Is a Secret, Ninja Marketing Tool.)
To find out how to set up a user-friendly, free WiFi network in your store and promote it so customers starting using it, contact Spectrio today. We’ll give you a free demo of our WiFi and in-store marketing tools to show you how it can serve your customers and help your business.