How To: Leverage On-premise WiFi

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WiFi presents an unmissable business opportunity for pubs and bars; the service is considered a must-have by customers in today’s digital age, as fundamental as a good drink selection, clean glasses and a great atmosphere. More and more, forward-thinking landlords are offering free WiFi in their establishments and the customers are duly logging on; recent statistics show there are on average over 21 million visits in pubs alone via The Cloud WiFi (www.thecloud.net) every month. So just why is WiFi a must in the bar and pub trade, and what benefits can it bring to your business?

We’re a connected population, thanks to our smartphones, tablets and laptops. Ownership of these devices is on the increase. In fact, according to globalwebindex, 80 percent of Internet users now own a smartphone (www.globalwebindex.net/blog/80-of-internet-users-own-a-smartphone).

This, combined with mobile Internet usage overtaking desktop dramatically this year, means that WiFi connection is no longer optional (www.smartinsights.com/mobile-marketing/mobile-marketing-analytics/mobile-marketing-statistics). It’s even led to changes in people’s shopping habits. Online shopping is no longer restricted to the home or office,
but can take place anytime, anywhere. Today, even holidays are booked on-the-go, with more than one in ten travelers planning their next trip over a pint in the pub (www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-2875840/Booking-holidays-One-10-Britons-plan-trips-pub-1-book-flights-theTOILET.html).

With this thirst for connectivity, landlords are missing a trick if they aren’t offering WiFi as a value-add to their clientele, in one swoop improving customer satisfaction and encouraging loyalty.

Pleasing sports fans and families alike
For sports fans, being able to keep up with the latest scores, stats and opinions goes hand-in-hand with watching the big game over a pint. Enabling this by providing free WiFi makes for an all-round great experience, and keeps sports fans in your bar for longer.

For family-friendly venues, keeping the kids entertained (specifically if outdoor space is limited) can be tricky — especially nowadays as jungle gyms and coloring books are no longer so popular. A staggering one in three kids aged five to 15 has their own tablet, and these handy devices can be excellent for keeping little ones occupied — providing there’s an Internet connection.

With content filtering an easy option for most Internet providers, parents can rely on you as a venue to help keep their children safe online. If the kids are happy and kept busy, then families will be able to stay longer during the daytime, whether it’s enjoying a classic Sunday pub lunch or celebrating a loved one’s birthday. This all translates to more money changing hands at the till.

WiFi as a business tool
We know that WiFi is great for customers, but what benefits are there for the business, aside from those noted above? After all, as the business owner will be footing the bill, it must bring with it some financial benefits.

First of all, free WiFi will encourage trade; many customers, particularly tourists and those visiting the area, actively seek out places they can get online whilst rejuvenating themselves with a cheeky cocktail or refreshing beer. If WiFi can be enjoyed over a drink (with only the latter being paid for), it’s an expense that many users will be happy with. You’ll discover a whole new breed of customer too, with the free WiFi draw pulling in a sometimes a younger generation of LDA customer, who will become a vital part of the business for years to come.

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If you have free WiFi then let people know; shout about it with stickers on the doors and windows, posters inside, and mention it on your website too. Consider listing it on Google as a selling point, and in online business listings. Treat your free WiFi as a USP to help set your business apart.

Not only will WiFi pull in customers, it encourages them to stay longer. We all know that the longer the people stay, the more they spend. In fact, the stats back it up, with 62 percent of small businesses agreeing that customers spent longer inside after they had installed WiFi — 50 percent of which also found these customers spent more money. (smallbiztrends.com/2014/06/benefits-of-offering-free-wifi.html)

WiFi is even more of a resource in areas of poor reception; the option of WiFi means customers will feel secure by knowing they won’t miss an important email
or message, and can instead relax with their beverage.

How to use WiFi as a marketing tool
In addition to being a USP, WiFi provides innovative and easy marketing benefits, with myriad promotional tools emerging at your fingertips. On top of the obvious benefits already mentioned, the promotional opportunities offered by WiFi in your venue are limitless. Utilizing this technology effectively means you can truly harness the business potential.

The first place on which you can capitalize is the landing page that customers will need to login to your WiFi service. This web page offers wonderful marketing opportunities. You can use it to let customers know about promotions, discounts or upcoming events, and of course, for data capture.

Requiring customer details such as social media profiles or email addresses for logins — of course with an opt-in option — means you can easily grow your mailing list. You can then use this to enhance future email marketing campaigns. The added detail will allow you to target your customers with valuable, tailored promotional messages such as happy hours or quiz nights.

Social sharing
We all know how much people love to share pictures of their food or interesting cocktails; enable this by encouraging customer interaction on your social media profiles. By checking-in or tagging your bar in their posts, customers will help promote your business for you. Promote this interaction around the venue with calls to action or even competitions to encourage it; ‘Like us on Facebook’, ‘Tell us what you thought’ — WiFi is the perfect enabler here. Active social networks linked to your brand have the added benefit of being great for your website’s SEO.

Data insight
Learning more about your customer is always a good thing. Social media allows you to build a closer relationship with your customers, but through social media you can also take advantage of data insight.

Geotracking is gaining in popularity. This involves tracking customers (or more specifically, their phones) through the Media Access Control (MAC) address around
a locality such as a mall — or bar — allowing an insight into how long customers spend, and much more.

Through your Internet provider you can also access countless more insightful statistics and helpful information, enabling you to build up an accurate and detailed profile of your customers. With this information you can create targeted marketing initiatives, helping build your business even further.

Keeping your network secure
Your WiFi provider will be able to help you make sure your network remains secure, with family-friendly filters blocking anything illicit. As a landlord you can easily find the right balance between customer freedom and network security.

Bar owners may be concerned about other nearby businesses jumping onto their connections, but need not fear. Password protection, offered by secure encrypted networks, will assist with this. Some businesses like to change the passwords regularly to dissuade other businesses from jumping onboard. Other companies offer free WiFi for a set period — for example 30 free minutes — with a charge for any time used after that. This has the added benefit of putting off those few customers who stay purely for the free WiFi without purchasing extra beverages.

Whether you have Wi-Fi in your bar, or are exploring the possibility of installing it, making sure to get the most out of it (by maximizing its effectiveness for marketing, promotion and more) will benefit you and your customers long after last call.