If you’re a small business not currently offering customers Wi-Fi then there might be some reasons standing in your way – Reasons that may actually be myths stopping you from connecting with your customers.
Do you think that it will be too costly, or too technical to run? These are just 2 of the reasons research found that stopped small business owners offering Wi-Fi, even though 3 out of 5 said they were planning to or considering it.
Of course, you’re warranted to feel hesitant, but here are 5 myths that could be standing in your way unneccessarily.
MYTH #1: We’re only a small business – There will be too much technical support required
This may have been true when Wi-Fi first came on the market – many technologies are pricey when they first begin, especially purchasing the equipment required. It also all seemed a lot more tricky to use. But it’s been around a while now, most people know the basics and it’s a lot simpler to get online than ever before. You don’t need to be particularly technologically savvy to get connected!
Most equipment is set up with wizards that guide you through the entire installation process. Quite literally – It’s plug and play!
If you’re still not confident in getting it set up yourself, then there are companies that can do this for you. Here at Geekabit we can take you from the planning stages through to installation, and then be that port of call if you were to need some fault-finding and fix any issues.
MYTH #2: Employees will be too easily distracted
Perhaps you think that as soon as there is Wi-Fi available, your employees will sit scrolling rather than working. But the opposite may actually be true, and they become more productive!
Wi-Fi is a convenience and a very useful tool – Employees can find information easier should they need to and thus perform their jobs better. There is often a business network available anyway, or they’ll have 3G or 4G on their smartphones so Wi-Fi wouldn’t be adding any additional distractions.
If you are still worried about productivity then you could prevent potential distractions by introducing rules such as no mobile phones during work hours.
MYTH #3: It’s too expensive to offer Wi-Fi
As with most things, price has tended to fluctuate. As we said earlier, the technical Wi-Fi equipment started off very expensive but has come down in price. Devices have pretty much halved in price!
It’s also possible to rent the devices required to offer private and public Wi-Fi hotspots.
Believing that offering Wi-Fi will be too expensive does seem to be the biggest perceived obstacle for small businesses, despite them wanting to offer the service.
Give us a call and one of our Wi-Fi experts can advise on what Wi-Fi options we can offer for you and your business – We operate out of London, Winchester and Cardiff. It’s much more affordable than you probably think. And the returns from enticing new customers could make it more than worth it!
Wi-Fi has been found to draw in customers and increase sales and repeat business. In particular, food and beverage businesses find higher sales per customer rates when they offer Wi-Fi.
On the bad side, it might actually go so far as to put customers off by not offering Wi-Fi.
MYTH 4: Customer misuse
Small business owners have previously been warned that offering internet access comes with a security risk.
What if customers engage in unlawful activities online using your internet?
There are however security measures that you can put in place. If you use an encryption service and place a password on your Wi-Fi network, then you can make sure that it is only shared with paying customers.
You could also limit the type of websites that customers can visit by blocking them for example, maybe you don’t want customers or employees to access gambling websites in your establishment, so you could block these.
MYTH #5: If I offer Wi-Fi, customers will loiter and block new business
Customers may well loiter if there is Wi-Fi available, but generally they are polite about it and tend to order something for the duration that they are there. They came in for a quick coffee, but got caught up in work emails, so they end up ordering another drink and a sandwich to tide them through lunch.
On the flip side, it may also depend on peak times. If it’s not a busy period, then customers may be more likely to linger but then when it starts to fill up with people, they’ll give up their table and be on there way,
Research has shown that there is a belief that by offering Wi-Fi, you will be encouraging customers to loiter and block areas of the business.
However, it would seem that actually the opposite is true, and that you could see increased sales.
And what about a doctor’s waiting room? No disrespect meant to the NHS as they do an amazing job, but how often do you go to the doctors and actually see the doctor at the right time? How often do you overhear a patient complaining at reception that they’ve been waiting 20 minutes and when will it be their turn? Offering Wi-Fi in this scenario could provide a perfect distraction to those kept waiting and even have an advantage over a GP surgery without that service. It could even encourage people to turn up in plenty of time for their appointment, as they know they’ll be able to stay in contact with the office or have a scroll through Instagram while they are waiting.
So there you go. 5 myths that could be standing in the way of your small business providing Wi-Fi!
Most importantly, offering this service seems to be a statement of professionalism – that you are up to date with technology and you want your customers to be happy.
To discuss how Geekabit could get your business online and keep your customers connected, give us a call on the numbers below and one of our Wi-Fi experts will be in touch with you.
