You are probably reading this article from a smart mobile device. A few years ago, you would have had to pay a significant sum of money to do the same thing for a few minutes or an hour. Accessing the internet from anywhere using almost any device that has a screen is now commonplace.
In our present world, brick n’ mortar businesses that don’t offer free guest WiFi to their customers soon, start to lose them to businesses that do. Losing customers is bad enough and can impact the bottom line negatively, but what’s worse is that they cannot take advantage of the immense potential that guest WiFi holds.
Online businesses benefit from the already established platforms that allow them to be able to relate with customers and analyze their behavior based on the data gathered. In the same vein, guest WiFi offers offline businesses a platform to do the same thing. It gives them the power to relate with customers on a more intimate level using personal data garnered from them. Some businesses such as e-commerce stores, brand names like Ralph Lauren, Target, Saks off fifth, all have both offline and online locations. They use WiFi marketing in their offline locations to compensate for and meet up with targeted customer engagements enjoyed by online platforms.
What’s WiFi marketing?
It isn’t compulsory for guest WiFi platforms to require personal details before it can be accessed. And so some companies skip the log in details aspect and grant visitors unrestricted access. Some others may only require a password for access. This is okay but these companies are losing out on the full marketing potential of guest WiFi. Smart companies with savvy marketers know the potential of WiFi marketing. And they require that visitors provide certain important details such as email addresses, date of birth and phone numbers. These details will be used to create WiFi accounts that are specific to the visitor’s device. Even getting social media profiles was possible before Facebook’s privacy issues.
Data captured from guest WiFi login, including those from customer behavioral patterns acquired while the visitors use the internet through the WiFi access are invaluable. They can be used to communicate with potential customers on a more specific level. Visitors can be reached through emails or SMS with special offers and deals, new product announcements etc. even when they are not connected to the guest WiFi.
How does WiFi marketing work?
Personal data makes it possible for marketers to target and interact with actual and potential customers. But data from on-site behavior, sites visited on the internet, including demographics such as age, gender, social class etc. help marketers communicate on a deeper, more specific level with customers. This data is organized, analyzed and transformed into visual representations such as charts, graphs and tables that are easy to read and interpret by marketers.
With this, marketers have the ability to trigger certain actions from customers such as a buy action or to fill in a survey or write a review. Seasonal messages on special days or occasions could also be sent to customers.
Here are some things that could be done to effectively utilize the potentials of WiFi marketing:
- Businesses could initiate reward programs for visitors on site to help incentivize visitors to provide their personal details for WiFi access. A promo offer, a free gift, a special treatment and more can be triggering factor for visitors to get the product or try the service.
- Businesses can inform visitors about the availability of free guest WiFi through pre-acquired emails or phone numbers, ads, postal mails, banner signs in the business premises, flyers, through company staff, brand evangelists etc.
- Appearance of the WiFi landing page (captive portal) is very important for the brand image of the business. it should also hold valuable, location specific content for visitors.
- Guest WiFi access should have several log in options so that visitors have a sense of freedom. Some visitors may prefer one option over the other.
- Radio buttons or check boxes with preferred communication options should be made available to visitors. This gives them the power to choose how often they’d like to receive messages from the company. Spamming customers with too many emails may turn them off and may cause them to mark/report your emails as spam or take their business elsewhere.
- When a visitor makes a purchase or uses a service, a “thank you” should be sent to them as soon as they leave the business premises. They could also be given an incentive to make them return.
- All marketing campaigns should be closely monitored using WiFi analytics tools. This is important to help businesses know what’s effective and what’s not.
The benefits of WiFi marketing for businesses
The dream of many businesses is to be able to understand and deliberately influence their customers. WiFi marketing can make this dream come true using data garnered from customer WiFi. With WiFi marketing businesses can now have a better, more intimate relationship with their customers.
Using customer behavioral patterns and history (among other data) marketers can create messages specifically for a customer or set of customers. On-site tracking, using customer mobile device, can be used to generate messages in line with what the customer showed interest in during their last visit.
The benefits of WiFi marketing for customers
It can be annoying and intrusive to receive messages for something you are not interested in. Your customers feel the same way. And so, WiFi marketing helps customers to receive messages that are in line with their interests and needs. Personalized communications helps to improve the customers’ perception about the company and can endear them to the brand. Messages such as birthday or anniversary wishes can make customers feel valued by the company, and this will strengthen their loyalty for the brand. Also, WiFi marketing provides an efficient communication channel for customers to easily lodge any complaints or concerns that they might have. And to get a quick response in such situations.
Using WiFi marketing solutions: getting started
Acquiring and setting up WiFi marketing solution is a cinch. The most important aspects of it that is needed to get started can be set up in a matter of days. Most WiFi marketing platforms can be integrated with major analytics and management tools that used by businesses. They use WiFi networks and hardware that are already in the market or that you may already be using. Some WiFi marketing solutions use cloud technology which makes them easy to set up, accessible from anywhere in the world, and manageable from a single location.
SpotOn provides an all-in-one platform. This platform houses plug&play hardware, social WiFi, manual and automated e-mail and coupon marketing, automated online review boosts, analytics and more. Curious? Schedule a free online demo!
POSTED ON November 12, 2018Share:
