In the recent times, everywhere we go we find free WiFi. Even in Public Transport like Trains, Trams, Buses and Taxis have WiFi.

Since the demand of public WiFi is increasing retailers across the world especially in the South East Asia are investing in technologies to capitalise on this opportunity. According to data from Cisco, 96% of consumers prefer to shop at stores that have free WiFi, and they’re also more likely to return. And Oracle found that almost 60% of shoppers actually demand in-store WiFi. Starting in 2012, stores such as Target, Kohl’s, Walmart, Sak’s, and Macy’s began offering Free Wi-Fi in the majority of their stores and since then many retailers have followed suit.

Let’s dive into what Social WiFi Marketing is and how retailers can leverage it to improve their businesses.

What Is WiFi Marketing?

WiFi marketing is when retailers provide Free Internet Access to shoppers and then use that as a Platform to Analyse Customer’s Behaviour and Engage with them by sending  targeted promotions and offers. It’s just one of the many ways that physical retailers are embracing the digital world – and creating a multichannel experience for their shoppers. When users login with Social Media like Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn the Venue can gather meaningful data and market them to their visitors. This is called Social WiFi Marketing.

To get started you just need to Make a WiFi Zone within the borders of your store. Anyone on a WiFi-enabled device will be able to see and connect to your WiFi Network.

Some retailers provide full Internet access which means the visitors can access any websites or applications when they connect to the WiFi. There would be no restrictions in the data transfer limit as well. It would be like Home Experience. On the other hand, others only grant access to certain websites or apps, such as news sites, their own website or mobile app. This is more limiting for the browsers, but it also enables you to control the environment and drive them to your promotions.

With WiFi marketing, you can request users users to view, engage with or share content before being granted access to the network. This might be a splash page / Login Page that displays latest Offers or Play a video teaser about an upcoming event. Please note that although we can force a visitor to view a promotional content but it is not advisable as it might have an unpleasant experience for the user. We can keep the promotional content as optional.

WiFi Marketing Journey

Let us go through the complete Journey from the Moment a Visitor Walks into your store till you Engage with them. We can divide the Journey into 4 Parts. Access, Analyse, Engage and Manage

1. Access – A visitors walks into your store and join the Free WiFi Network provided by your outlet. Upon joining, the phone will show a pop up and redirect to the Login / Splash Page. The Splash Page generally contains Store Logo, Login Methods like Social Media Authentication, Email Authentication or Fill Up a Short Form with Basic user information like Name, Email and Mobile Number.  There can be promotional message from the store and more information about the network and its terms of use. Once the visitors successfully authenticates he will be granted WiFi Access for a limited time which the retailer can decide.
2. Analyse – The retailer will get basic information about the user like Name, Gender, Age Range, Time of Login and Device Type. This information is usually stored in a secured cloud portal where the Analytics Engine understand these data and create meaningful reports and Custonmers Profile.The Marketing team can use these information to understand customers behaviour, their demographics, dwell time and several other meaningful reports. Based on these data the Owner can take important business decisions.
3. Engage – Based on the above data collected, the outlet can send targeted messages. There are several medium to engage with the customers. Using Real-Time Ads on Post Login Page, the retail outlet can show targeted message based on Users Demographics. For example if the Gender is Female then it can show Ad of a Makeup Brand. If Gender is Male then it can show Ad about Shaving Kit. Another method to engage would be through Social WiFi Marketing – email or a targeted social ad, and can use your social media profiles and in-store browsing behaviors to further personalize the content.
4. Manage – The Marketing Team can manage the WiFi marketing Tool to Create Marketing Campaign, Banner Ads and Manage the Complete WiFi Marketing Platform.

The Benefits of WiFi Marketing

For the customer:

• Convenience: Shoppers can experience High Speed Internet Access which is faster than their cell phone service provider’s network. For countries where data is expensive the shoppers can save on data usage.
• Improved shopping experience: Almost 62% of businesses that provide free WiFi report that their customers stay longer. This could indicate that shoppers are enjoying their in-store experiences more, and therefore willing to spend more time with your brand.

For the retailer:

• Increased sales: The main goal for most retailers – driving sales – receives a boost when you engage in WiFi Marketing. A survey found that half of businesses report that customers spend more money now that they have WiFi.
• Understand your customers: WiFi marketing grants you access to a wealth of data and knowledge about shoppers. You can use these insights to understand your business, the in-store experience, and what makes your customers tick. If you have multiple location, you can also do a comparative analyse.
• Build an audience: Whether you’re collecting email address or social profiles (or both), these customers are becoming a list of interested individuals to whom you can market in the future. Not only that, you’ll have information about their in-store and/or online behavior, which creates a richer customer profile that you can leverage for more targeted ads and promotions.
• Promote a product or campaign: The retailers can display targeted message on the splash page. They can contact the customers through to retargeted ads. Retailers with Location Based Services can get location specific data like how the shoppers have navigated your store, where they’re converting, where they’re spending the most time, etc.)

How to Implement WiFi Marketing in Your Store

Getting Your WiFi Network Up and Running

Traditionally retailers used to setup guest network by plugging in one Access Point and provide shoppers with the password, that’s not exactly WiFi Marketing is. With WiFi marketing, you’ll have that opt-in where you collect some sort of data and consent from users. Therefore, implementing WiFi marketing requires the use of some tools or partnering with companies that can tailor these WiFi services to your specific needs. Visit https://www.surfsonix.com/  to know more about WiFi marketing services and propably you can get a Free Quote for your Business.

You can get ready with WiFi Marketing in less than 2 Hours. All you need is purchase a compatilbe Router from your Local Market. Then Flash the Router with Surfsonix SiFi Custom Firmware and you are good to go.

Getting Customers to Use Your WiFi Network

If you’re going through all this trouble to provide a network for your customers, you’ll want to make sure they know about it and actually use it. Leverage in-store signage and the universal WiFi network icon to raise awareness among shoppers. You could also incentivize using the network — maybe they get a discount or free gift for trying out your new fancy new WiFi network.

If you’re looking to take it up a notch, why not make an event of it and throw a launch party to celebrate your WiFi network? You can generate some buzz about your store, drive foot traffic, and prove to the community that you’re a forward-thinking, innovative brand.

In what ways do you use WiFi marketing in your store? How has it helped you grow your business? Do let us know @ sales@interlabz.com