11 Feb 2014 Five Reasons Why Retailers Need WiFi

Over half of the UK’s consumers now own a smartphone. (The Cloud Survey)
One in ten consumers own a tablet. (The Cloud Survey)

Wi-Fi Helps You Sell More

67% of people use the internet when they are shopping. (BT Survey)

The internet is constantly offering us new ways of attracting and engaging with customers, and this can be connected with your store. Whilst the digital marketing side of business is quickly becoming the focus of many campaigns, it is important to remember the physical retail store as well as the benefits of e-commerce.

Some companies have been incredibly successful at joining the two, for example Ted Baker stores use Wi-Fi to allow customers in store to browse the website and order any items that aren’t currently in stock at the store they’re visiting. This way of combining digital marketing with in-store retail is only possible because of Ted Baker’s strong and reliable Wi-Fi network which offers their customers a quality shopping experience and ultimate customer satisfaction.

Wi-Fi Makes Consumers Stay In Your Store For Longer

When asked about the possibility of Wi-Fi being offered in a retail outlet, 69% of people said they would visit that outlet again, spend longer in the outlet or visit the outlet more frequently if they provided Wi-Fi. (BT Survey)

It’s proven that Wi-Fi can extend dwell time because customers are more likely to stay longer than planned if they have a good Wi-Fi connection. This, in turn, can lead to a higher inclination to buy as they are more likely to see something that they are interested in purchasing.

This is especially true for coffee shops and restaurants; if a free Wi-Fi connection is available, consumers are more likely to engage with an up-sell from a coffee to a sandwich as they’ll be staying in the shop for longer.

Wi-Fi Adds a Competitive Advantage

62% of people are more likely to go into a bigger brand coffee shop because they offer Wi-Fi. (The Cloud Survey)
Over a third of people surveyed felt that smaller coffee shops were missing out by failing to offer a Wi-Fi connection. (The Cloud Survey)

Retail is all about the sale and if your store is offering Wi-Fi then that can easily lend an advantage over a competing store that isn’t. Just as ‘sale’ is a word that attracts attention, so is ‘free’ and customers will be more likely to enter a store that proudly states it has ‘Free Wi-Fi’ over one that does not. This is a huge part of the decision making process when deciding where to shop, eat or drink. If you have chosen to provide Wi-Fi, be sure ti advertise the fact clearly to your consumers.

Wi-Fi Can Provide Information On Your Customers

37% of adults admitted to being ‘addicted’ to their smartphones. (Ofcom Survey)

Wi-Fi is a brilliant tool for providing information on what your customers shopping habits are. By studying usage statistics you can find out: what time is the busiest in your store, how long customers stay in your store, whether they’re using smartphones/laptops/tablets to connect to the Wi-Fi connection and much, much more.

You can use this data to help ensure that you are reaching your target audience as well as tailor your marketing strategy to this information. For example, you could provide extra deals and offers at specific times that correlate to when your customers are most likely to be shopping.

Wi-Fi Can Facilitate Your Digital Marketing Strategy

34% of people use Wi-Fi to download discount vouchers for their favourite stores. (BT Survey)

As mentioned above, many businesses are creating stronger and larger digital media marketing campaigns and as proven by Ted Baker, it is possible to connect your digital and offline campaigns in your store. For example, many businesses have created apps that consumers can download with codes available on the app or in offline media such as newspapers or magazines. However, these apps demand internet access and whilst many consumers are connected to 3G, it’s been shown that the network is under strain from the large amount of traffic.

By providing Wi-Fi within your store you enable customers to access your own, branded apps. For example, the Pizza Express app enables customers to pay for their bill via their smartphone or tablet – an option that has been made available by the stores strong Wi-Fi connection.

Purdicom is an award winning distributor specialising in Wireless, Cloud & Security technologies, including Purple Wifi, social wireless that is perfect for retail environments. For more information, please get in touch.