Wi-Fi is extending its reach at a significant pace. And across the globe. It is being embraced by all. A large number of businesses are going for Wi-Fi – not only for performing the operations efficiently, but also in another form. There are several organizations that use free Wi-Fi as a mode of attracting increasing number of customers. While many of them are really big organizations, several small and medium businesses are also engaging in such practices. But is it really worth for such small businesses? Does this practice of offering free Wi-Fi to the customers provide enough returns on investments for them to ensure that they will be able to survive properly? This blog offers a sneak peek at the details of free Wi-Fi offered by the small businesses.
Opinions Vary on Wi-Fi for Small Businesses
Different surveys have been conducted among the small businesses regarding Wi-Fi. There are different types of opinions about the concept of offering free Wi-Fi by the businesses. This is one of the most common practices these days. However, there are different sides to it as well. While the large businesses might not have any difficulty in offering free Wi-Fi to customers, small and medium businesses may find it quite difficult to make ends meet if they provide the customers with free Wi-Fi services. Hence, many of these small and medium businesses prefer not to provide these free services to their customers.
What Do the Small Businesses Say?
Providing free Wi-Fi is difficult for small businesses – this is absolutely true. But a few surveys conducted among such small businesses ensure that they are also quite happy with the returns offered by the free Wi-Fi services. Here’s a quick look at their results of such surveys:
- Free Wi-Fi forms the best welcome gifts for new customers
- Customers prefer free Wi-Fi more than candy, magazines, or even water
- According to 55% small businesses, free Wi-Fi helps to increase sales significantly
- 80% of small businesses feel that free Wi-Fi keep customers happy while they wait
- Two-third of the small businesses report that free Wi-Fi helps to acquire repeat customers
Relevant for a Few Business Types
No doubt, a wide range of businesses are reaping the benefits on providing the customers with free Wi-Fi services. But is it relevant for all businesses? It has been found that the free Wi-Fi services encourage the users to spend more time in the business establishment. Hence, it is really helpful for businesses that want the customers to stay back for a long time in their stores. For example, restaurants and coffee shops are among the businesses that are benefitted the most by offering free Wi-Fi. As the customers spend more time enjoying the free Wi-Fi, they order more items, which reflects positively in the balance sheet.
Free Wi-Fi across a Secure Network
Businesses are planning to offer free Wi-Fi with the primary aim of attracting more and more customers on a regular basis. Even the small businesses are likely to be able to keep their customers happy with such services. However, for this, they need make the security settings tight as well to ensure that the users do not face any kind of untoward incident. They should make the customers aware of the chances of hacking that they might face. Moreover, they also have to inform the customers about different devices, such as a VPN, that they can use to make the network safe enough to use. This is going to help the customers a great deal and will also have a positive impact on them about the business.
Small Businesses Can Set Up the Network Themselves
Offering free Wi-Fi is not a difficult task. Moreover, it is quite affordable, even for the small businesses. Setting it up for the customers is also not rocket science. Large businesses might hire people for performing this and controlling the free Wi-Fi services offered by them. However, smaller businesses can perform this task themselves. They can follow a few easy steps to set the router in such a way that it offers free Wi-Fi to the customers.
Offering free Wi-Fi helps a business build trust and win more customers. This is an additional amenity, which provides the customers with an additional reason to return to a busy. Thus, it helps to attract increasing number of customers, which results in enhanced profit even for the small businesses.
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