A Welcome Courtesy: How Free Wi-Fi Can Help You Expand Your Marketing Reach

Every demographic loves getting something for free, and offering free WiFi service is a great way to get people in your door. Consumers are comfortable frequenting restaurants with wifi and spending money while they are there.

Thanks to new innovations, you can seamlessly leverage your free Wi-Fi to expand your marketing reach. Wi-Fi marketing is one of the fastest-growing trends in digital restaurant promotion, and with a little planning and some additional web apps, you can make your free Wi-Fi pay for itself and continue to grow your business. Here are some strategies for making that happen:

in digital restaurant promotion, and with a little planning and some additional web apps, you can make your free Wi-Fi pay for itself and continue to grow your business. Here are some strategies for making that happen:

How Wi-Fi Marketing Works

If restaurants with wifi want secure connections, it involves having a landing page and agreeing to the terms and conditions of an end-user agreement that protects your business and your internet service provider from any legal liability should a guest at your establishment use your Wi-Fi connection for unlawful purposes. The landing page is the key to expanding your marketing reach.

It is crucial to secure your Wi-Fi with a password. As an added measure of security, ask for an email address or require guests to watch a short video or advertisement to access the web. As long as there is no fee, most guests will simply comply with your reasonable request, and you get to increase your video views and collect contact information simultaneously.

Create a database of returning customers to see how often they visit. If you link purchases to their email in your POS or online ordering system, you can also determine how much they spend per visit and how long they stay. More importantly, you can also get a data-based picture of the demographics and preferences of your customers who spend the most and stay the longest. To make your Wi-Fi generate leads and improve your marketing though, your Wi-Fi must be on point first.

Tips For Establishing Great Wi-Fi

Establishing great Wi-Fi is not difficult, but it does require some effort. Here are some tips to get you going in the right direction:

• To ensure the best equipment installation in the best locations and minimize dead zones, have your premises evaluated for Wi-Fi design. Taking this proactive step will make it easier to restrict your signal range to the inside of your restaurant as much as possible.

• Choose a data plan that fits your budget and can accommodate many simultaneous connections for multiple devices when you are at maximum occupancy.  Free Wi-Fi is only a benefit when everyone who wants to can get and stay connected.
• Set up your simple login landing page to collect customer contact info and allow them to log in. It is crucial for the landing pages to load and function as quickly as possible to offer the best possible user experience.

• Protect guests’ privacy and data by using a secure connection. Secure Wi-Fi also makes it easier for you to collect data and tailor your marketing materials toward the tastes and preferences of your best customers.
  
  

Once your Wi-Fi is running like a well-oiled machine, you are ready to start building your marketing list and promoting your business to every customer who visits. Be prepared to see a big jump in daytime traffic, especially if you are the only free Wi-Fi restaurant or business on the block. People will go out of their way to get free Wi-Fi, and if they can combine it with a lunch or dinner run, it will become a favored destination.

Benefits Of Free Wi-Fi

Of course, you want to offer your customers a great service beyond the food and drink they order, but ultimately, you only want to add services that are advantageous to your business. This is how restaurants with wifi benefit from providing this free service:

• Added Foot Traffic

Guests appreciate having access to fast mobile internet while dining. They will happily flock to an establishment that offers this coveted amenity. So, by offering this service, more people will walk in the door, which translates to an uptick in sales per day and ultimately more money for the restaurant.

• More Time Spent On the Premises

Offering free internet is an excellent way to get people to stay at your restaurant for an extended period of time. If people can work and enjoy a coffee, meal or dessert while being productive, they will stay longer. Per a recent study by Devicescape, around 62 percent of restaurants surveyed reported customers who used free Wi-Fi during their visit stayed longer than customers who did not use Wi-Fi. Moreover, the longer they stayed, the more they spent during their visit, and that means more revenue for the business. It’s a win-win all around.

• Increased Average Spending Per Visit

Guests who stay longer and use free Wi-Fi spend 50 percent more than customers who do not, per Devicescape. That is a major revenue boost per ticket. In general, people who spend several hours using a restaurant’s free Wi-Fi for multiple hours on end, pay the establishment back in kind by spending a commensurate amount of money during their visit.

if you do not already offer free Wi-Fi, consider adding this service to your restaurant today. Not only is it an excellent revenue generator over time, but it also provides a superior guest experience. Collecting marketing data and expanding your reach is the icing on the cake. Do your business and your customers a favor and add free WiFi service to your restaurant now. If you want more information about the benefits that restaurants with WiFi service have or if you need help updating your website or online ordering service, contact Orders2me today.