This particular question has been plaguing businesses for a while now. And different people have different answers to it. Some say it is good for business, and others find it to be a nuisance. But before you choose any one side, you need to clearly understand the impact of free WiFi can have on your business.
With that being said, let’s take a look at some of the benefits and drawbacks your business might suffer for not offering WiFi and the benefits of Offering Free WiFi.
- If your business is located on a busy street or inside a mall, free WiFi can present your company with open marketing opportunities. You can associate the name of your network with the location of your business and can also have a custom-designed landing page for people using your network. It is an excellent way of getting noticed. Julio Grullon Marketing Director at Betterpay believes offering Free WiFi creates a better user experiance and social presence depending on the business. “Businesses can display a coupon or a marketing campaign on the WiFi landing page. For clothing stores, you can encourage folks to post and share their visit. Another approach is to promote sharing the newest collection when trying on the items.”
- Using a network router that does not have a very long range can also play out to your advantage. People will flock around your business to access free WiFi. This will ultimately gain your business some visibility and help develop awareness.
- Following the legalities and laws prevailing in your specific state, you can ask for the email ID’s of people who wish to use your free WiFi. This data can later be used to market your business towards potential customers.
Drawbacks of Offering Free WiFi
- The first drawback that would concern any business is the cost involved. The internet isn’t free, but offering it without a charge will increase your operating costs, especially if you have to place additional network routers.
- Unreliability of the connection can get your business some bad reviews on social media from freeloaders.
- Julio Grullon also has a different take on not offering WiFi. “Some businesses and family restaurants can promote a WiFi Free Zone. They can take advantage of promoting their company value. This will encourage folks to have more conversation and less interaction with their screens.”
Conclusion
In the end, our suggestion to businesses, especially the ones that directly deal with walk-ins, they should offer free WiFi if they can manage the cost as the benefits most definitely outweigh the drawbacks.
