By 2021, there are expected to be around 3.8 billion smartphones in use across the world.
They’re constantly by our side. And, regardless of your thoughts on smartphone addiction, there’s no denying that these diminutive devices offer a compelling marketing opportunity in hospitality and retail.
This has led to the birth of something known as WiFi marketing. It’s changing the way brands offer free internet access to customers and provides them with a direct marketing channel that hasn’t been available until now.
If you run a retail or hospitality operation, WiFi marketing is something you need to invest in. But, why?
Today, we’ve got ten stats that prove how impactful and cost-effective this form of marketing is. But, first…
What is WiFi Marketing?
You’ve probably experienced WiFi marketing yourself. It’s one of the most seamless and unobtrusive marketing methods for consumers and has the unique advantage of immediately delivering a benefit.
Free WiFi!
In exchange, you simply have to hand over your email address or log in via a social media platform. That means the retailer, hotelier or restaurateur obtains some personal data about you which can be used for marketing purposes.
Everyone’s a winner.
Three reasons to implement WiFi Marketing
WiFi marketing is one of the few marketing strategies that really is for every business which interacts with the public. Here’s why.
1. It creates an invaluable customer database
As people log on to your WiFi network, they hand over contact details to you. Obtaining these via other forms of marketing is becoming increasingly tough, but when you throw in the promise of free WiFi… well, the rest is history.
2. You’ll gain better insight into customer behaviour
How often do people visit your premises? When they do, how long do they stay? Which locations are more popular for them? What offers get them interested the most? With WiFi marketing, you finally get access to this insight.
3. It’s genuinely valuable for customers
You’re giving them what they want: free WiFi. But you’re also providing hints on stuff they don’t realise they want until it appears in front of them: great, relevant offers.
10 WiFi Marketing Statistics for 2020
1. 96% of consumers prefer a business that offers free WiFi (source)
WiFi used to be a premium service, but not anymore. People need it. In fact, they demand it to the point where, if your business doesn’t offer free WiFi, they’ll head elsewhere that does and probably tell the world about your decision not to offer it.
Bonus stat: it’s long been suggested that over half of customers spend more money in locations that offer free WiFi.
We’ve all done this. We see a product we like the look of in a store and decide to have a quick look online for reviews before taking it to the counter.
It’s at times like this where free WiFi is a bonus - as is the discovery of a special offer on that product when you reach the WiFi connection landing page.
3. 78% of Facebook users only use their smartphone (source)
If you want to reach your market consistently and quickly, doing so via their mobile phone and marketing focused WiFi service is the way to go.
One of the most popular ways for people to gain access to free WiFi is to do so via their social media logins.
This makes the process easy for them and particularly tempting if they get a personalised brand experience in exchange.
5. 74% of people are happy for retailers to send email or text promotions while using in-store WiFi (source)
An oldie, but still relevant today.
In this world, it’s all about mutual benefits. It’s why people will happily be on the receiving end of a promotional message if they get something in return. In this case, free WiFi.
6. Half of consumers feel comfortable making big purchases if in-store WiFi is available (source)
WiFi marketing systems don’t just provide you with the ability to reach out to your customers more readily than ever before. They also encourage people to spend more.
Raising the average order value of in-store purchases might be made eminently more possible depending on the type of WiFi you offer.
7. 60% of millennials say free WiFi is their number one hotel perk (source)
Could the decision not to offer free WiFi really be brand suicide in 2020? It seems so, if this statistic is to be believed.
However, give millennials what they want, and they’re far more likely to engage with your brand. In return, you’ll get their acceptance to send direct marketing messages to them.
8. By 2021, global mobile data traffic will amount to 49 exabytes per month - that’s 49,000,000,000,000 megabytes (source)
There’s a reason that number is so big; mobile traffic is something everyone indulges in consistently every single day.
With WiFi marketing, your brand can cut through that noise at just the right time - something that’s far harder to do with other forms of digital marketing.
9. 19% of all in-store conversions are influenced by mobile (source)
Think about what that 19% means for you in terms of raw sales figures - it’ll likely be significant.
10. 72%: the success rate for businesses who offer free WiFi (source)
If you decide to implement free WiFi as a method by which to raise your sales numbers, you’ll stand a very good chance of succeeding.
How many other marketing methods can you apply that 72% success rate to? By comparison, email click-through rates are considered acceptable if they’re 1-3%.
Recommended further reading
Ready to use WiFi marketing in your business? Check out these essential resources before you do.
