1 Simple Trick for More Business: Offer Free Wifi

You’ve tried every trick in the book to get more customers through your door. But you may be overlooking one simple solution: offer free wifi.

Wifi is the new jukebox. Back in the day, if you wanted to hear that song you really liked, you booked it down to a restaurant and popped a penny into the jukebox. Nowadays, millennials and baby boomers alike are looking for ways to go out while staying connected. Wifi offers them a way to do that.

And if that doesn’t convince you, this will: 72% of businesses report increased sales after implementing free wifi.

Encourage Customers to Stay

Places like Starbucks are high on the wifi food chain. Everyone knows they offer fast, free internet, so teenagers, college students, and businesspeople alike flock there to get work done or swipe through social media.

A whopping 64% of consumers make restaurant decisions based on WiFi availability, so if you’re in the food game, you better make sure your wifi game is on point.

You don’t have to be a restaurateur, however, to offer free wifi…

Make the Wait More Pleasant

If your customers often spend time in your lobby or waiting area, it’s a good idea to have wifi. For example, auto mechanic shops require customers to wait while their cars receive maintenance and there’s typically only a communal TV. If you’ve had your car fixed recently, you know people aren’t sitting in these waiting areas watching TV together, they’re on their phones.

Offering free wifi in your waiting area makes the wait more comfortable because your customers can still work, surf the internet, or tweet.

Quality Is Everything

If you’re going to install wifi, you have to do it right. Your chief priority should be offering both speed and reliability. Slow, buggy wifi connections will kill business as fast as they bring it in. You also have to make sure your business is safe from security intrusions. Establishing a wifi network that’s connected to your main network leaves you open to hacking.

Here’s how you can address some of these concerns:

1. Set up a Secondary Wifi Channel

This means that the free wifi network is completely distinct and disconnected from your business’s internal network. It’s the easiest and safest way to keep your business safe from security breaches.

2. Chose a Wifi Provider that Offers Fast, Reliable Wifi

Your internet will need to be able to handle your customer load and their internet habits. Talk to your provider about the amount of people who will be using your connections at any given time and make sure the router is strategically placed so the wifi signal will be strong enough to reach customers in any area of your establishment.

3. Ask Your Customers About Their Wifi Experience

Your customers will be able to give you the best feedback, so don’t hesitate to ask them how the wifi is working for them. If they complain about slow and buggy wifi, turn it off and get it fixed. If they say the wifi was great, however, it’s time to celebrate.

Setting up a successful wifi connection, though tricky at first, can be a significant financial benefit. In a world where wifi is a currency more precious than water, you can bet the thirsty masses will find solace in your establishment. And they might just spend a couple extra dollars while they’re at it.