As anyone in retail will tell you, its getting harder to get customers in the door. Online shopping provides a level of convenience that is hard to match, but don't lose heart. Here are 5 ways WiFi can transform your space.
The discerning consumer is more interested now than ever in experiences, and providing a solid, safe, reliable guest WiFi service is one major way to create the experience your customers are looking for.
So, here are 5 ways WiFi can transform your space:
Improve Customer Satisfaction
One of the primary reasons you’d want to offer WiFi in your retail business is because it will make your customers happy. We all have our phones on us these days, and we like to be able to check them throughout the day. Providing WiFi to your customers allows them to have a fast internet connection, without burning through their data plan.
According to PRNews,21 percent of businesses said providing customers with WiFi increased the amount of time they spent in the store, while 28 percent said it increased brand loyalty.
When someone enters your store, you want them to have the best experience possible. Even if they don’t end up purchasing anything, if you leave a strong impression in their mind, they may return at another time. It’s hard to make a good impression with one large action, so you need to do it with a bunch of smaller ones. Providing WiFi service is one such action you can take, which will complement all the other good things your store is doing.
If you are gong to offer WiFi, you want to ensure it's up-to-par. Whether your guests are camping out on your network to churn through business or study, or simply want to scroll through their social media feeds while waiting in line for a cup of Joe and a croissant, they expect fast, reliable WiFi. Don't let your slow internet speeds be the reputation of your retail space. Get the right design for you coverage and capacity needs to ensure your customers are always connected and avoid those dreaded Yelp reviews.
Optimize Efficiency
Who spends more time at your retail location than your employees? While your employees are at work, you want to make sure they have everything they need to do their job well. In that same study,retailers of all kinds reported an increase of 3.4 percent in sales by simply providing their employees with WiFi.
By implementing Role Based Access Control (RBAC), you can segment your network traffic and grant user-based permissions based on who or what is connecting to the WiFi. Prioritize your point of sales systems and company computers to make sure business runs smoothly, and limit employee personal device permissions so they spend less time watching YouTube cat videos and more time engaging with guests. This will optimize your wireless network performance and ensure safe surfing for everyone on your network.
Failure to incorporate RBAC can result in potential security threats and at the very least result in an underperforming network for your devices and users. If you're using iPads or tablets as your point-of-sale machines, this could cost you valuable time and money and result in unsatisfactory wait times for your guests.
Gather Retail Analytics
While providing Guest WiFi may be an obvious choice for enhancing guest satisfaction, you can take advantage of your wireless network in more ways to ultimately achieve your goals of attracting business, delighting guests and creating repeat customers.
When you purchase Managed WiFi from SecurEdge, you'll get access to valuable network monitoring and management tools, like SecurEdge cloud. Customize your dashboard with important reports about your network performance, device usage, and retail analytics. Using captive portal to register devices on your network, you can gather important data about your customers to help cater better to their needs. High-density heat mapping technology will show you when and where devices are connecting to your network to help you better accommodate your guests.
Set the Standard
Whatever your business, your end goal is probably some variation of the message: provide a customer-first experience that edges out the competition and creates repeat customers. One way to do this is by offering free, fast WiFi to your customers, giving them another reason to visit your location, rather than someone else’s. Simply offering WiFi is not enough however, because just about every store offers guest networks nowadays, so by having an available network you aren't really pulling ahead, but at least you're joining the fray.
How can you stand out from the competition then? By offering the best damn WiFi in the LAN. (see what we did there). With WiFi as a Service enterprise-grade wireless has never been more accessible. Deploy industry-leading hardware designed specifically for your space by expert engineers who will configure, deploy and manage your network for optimal performance. You can guarantee the fastest speeds in town and word will spread.
If you don't get the right WiFi design, you run the risk of being overshadowed by your competitors.
Let's Continue to Improve the Guest Experience
Finally, having a reliable, secure wireless network can end up saving you cash in the long run. WiFi service tools like presence analytics can give you valuable insight into the peak hours of your business by measuring the devices connected to your network at a give time. This canhelp you determine the number of staff you should have on the floor at any given time and maximize operation costs and time.
Additionally, utilizing features of cloud dashboard like custom Captive Portal allows you to delight your customers with branded landing pages and offers and even creates opportunities for paid advertising which you can use to fund your internet service. Your guests will be impressed by the professional touch and be more likely to become repeat customers if the WiFi service is fast, secure and reliable.
If you choose not to offer WiFi you could be losing valuable customers to your competitors, but offering sub-par service could be potentially even more costly. Yelpers aren't afraid to put a company on blast if the WiFi is not up to snuff, and word-of-mouth marketing is arguable the most powerful marketing strategy to own. If you're going to offer the service, getting it right the first time is paramount, and SecurEdge is here to help.
In a world where you must fight to get every customer you can into your stores, offering WiFi is one of the best decisions you can make. With it, you can make your customers happy and make smarter business decisions. Without it, you’ll miss out on key customer information, and possibly fall behind your competition.
If you’d like to learn more about the benefits of offering public WiFi, or about our service, please feel free to contact us at any time.
