- Cost “Why add additional overhead when we already have operational expenditures from providing free Wi-Fi to our visitors/Guests?”
- Impact “Do people really care if we offer them deals, advertising, or promotional content during their Wi-Fi session?”
- Security “What about the security of the public WiFi itself? Will it get compromised in the process?”
ROI is the language of every organization’s marketing department. Because customers want to be linked to the Internet, the marketing team may have seen a need for deploying Guest Wi-Fi hotspots around common spaces a few years ago. Since this expenditure was made from the marketing budget or at the request of the marketing team, marketers may expect to see a return on their investment. Other marketers use public Wi-Fi to remain in touch with their consumers and provide a tailored experience for them.
Moving from a WiFi-only infrastructure model to Wi-Fi marketing model is allowing marketers to bring in incremental revenue from existing customers and that’s the logical way to deal with the recurring costs of running public Wi-Fi.
Customers are inclined to overlook advertising that appears repeatedly when surfing on public Wi-Fi. In fact, it may worsen their online experience.
The issue is not so much with the promos that are introduced into the online experience as it is with the message in those ads, their timing, and relevancy to each recipient. When the message, timing, and relevance are all tailored to the recipient’s interests, they are more inclined to participate. Customers are more inclined to wait for the best offer that comes their way. Personalization of promos sent out utilizing data and analytics is the key to generating a ROI from Guest Wi-Fi marketing.
Before gaining Internet access, a good Guest Wi-Fi solution always needs the user to check in to the network. There are creative ways to protect identity, data privacy, and confidentiality with Guest Wi-Fi solutions. Security begins with authenticating the identity of the visitor Wi-Fi user via social login. Depending on the nature of the business and the data involved, organizations can easily set up 2-factor authentication through SMS OTP.
There are other ways to control bandwidth, whitelisting/blacklisting content, the sort of media that may be streamed, and so on. Parents who leave their children to view movies on gadgets don’t have to worry about overseeing them with a Guest Wi-Fi solution that allows blacklisting of websites and categories of content considered improper by the marketing and IT staff.
Another security measure is to suggest that consumers download an app that can only utilize the Guest Wi-Fi network connection to stream encrypted data about special offers/promotions, etc. This can also assist buyers learn about the company’s app.
Summary: Guest Wi-Fi monetization is a journey that is open to new business models. These objections are critical enablers for the company to properly embark on the Guest Wi-Fi monetization path. As the ads go live via Guest Wi-Fi, you’ll discover that you’re only one message away from gaining additional business from your consumers.
We hope these insights will help you make a difference to your business. We would love to hear from you. If you have any comments, suggestions or queries you can get in touch with us at info@ragapa.com
