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How to build loyalty with social Wi-Fi

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IS YOUR RETAIL NETWORK READY FOR THE CONNECTED CUSTOMER?HOW TO BUILD LOYALTY WITH SOCIAL WI-FI

POPULARITY OF FREE WI-FI IN THE HOSPITALITY SECTOR

In hotels

In cafés

In restaurants

In pubs

Facilitating easy online access for people who walk through the door is a fantastic way to add value, and enhance the hospitality experience. Increasingly, hospitality businesses are discovering exciting new ways to build social connections and loyalty through this channel.

The demand for Wi-Fi certainly exists. Vodat International’s consumer survey of 1,000 UK adults, carried out earlier this year, found that free Wi-Fi is incredibly popular in the hospitality sector. A massive 85% of respondents are happy to use free Wi-Fi in hotels, and 75% in pubs. For 30% of hotel visitors, mobile connectivity is ‘essential to their experience’.

Why offer Wi-Fi?

Bar, restaurant and hotel groups are finding that offering free Wi-Fi connectivity to customers in their venues can drive significant commercial gain.

85%

79%

77%

75%

Are you ready to capitalise on new engagement opportunities with digitally-minded customers?



What are customers using smartphones for?

Today, customers are using their smartphones in leisure and hospitality locations for personal use, but they are also engaging with the host company, and this is more likely if free Wi-Fi is provided.

A massive 40% of our survey said they have shared images and information about the food and drink while at a hotel/restaurant/pub, on social media, using their smartphones. These interactions on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and WhatsApp are potentially extending the brand reach to vast new audiences. A significant 35% use their phone while out to look for discounts before settling the bill, and 26% to pay for items. Almost a quarter (23%) have looked up order information such as calorie intake, and 20% have sought dietary information.

Savvy hospitality companies have implemented a branded home page which customers find when they log onto the Wi-Fi. This can display loyalty schemes, current offers and promotions, and encourage direct interaction. Once customer information such as name and email address is supplied, it’s possible to start offering more personalised services and offers. Companies can also ask for feedback, and leverage wider marketing messages.

Loyalty rewards and personalised offers – for instance great deals on food, drinks and weekend breaks – are likely to achieve high take-up rates from these signed up and engaged customers.

35% use their phone while out to look for discounts before settling the bill



Wi-Fi is not just for millennials

The age group currently most keen to make use of mobile connectivity in hotels is the 35 to 54-year-old group.

Our findings confirm that today’s hospitality vendors must ensure their data network and Wi-Fi provision is strong enough to support both their own technology, and that of the mobile-using customer. Fulfilling this growing desire for constant connectivity, and an openness to engage with the host vendor, requires an infrastructure that can handle mounting pressure on performance.

Across the age spectrum, Wi-Fi is already widely considered to be an advantageous part of the hospitality experience.

Wi-Fi enables consistency between channels

A quarter (25%) of hotel visitors want their on-location experience to mirror a vendor’s online offer; 18% say that technology forges greater consistency between the two channels.

Many customers’ journeys begin before they have even set foot in the venue, lending greater weight to the need for a joined-up approach. The ability to use data already entered online affects 50% of people’s decision to buy on site – and very much so, in the case of 15% of them.

This is positive news for hospitality companies that will be aware of the spending power of this demographic. What is also very encouraging is the fact that almost a quarter of the 54 and above age group wants mobile connectivity. It’s no surprise that the younger set is also showing an interest. These figures confirm that across the age spectrum, Wi-Fi is already widely considered to be an advantageous part of the hospitality experience.

WHICH AGE GROUPS THINK MOBILE CONNECTIVITY IS ‘ESSENTIAL TO HOTEL THEIR EXPERIENCE’?

of hotel visitors aged 16-34

27%

of those aged 35-54

32%

of those aged 54 and over

22%



According to Forrester’s 2018 retail predictions report, the goal now is to create emotional – not just transactional – loyalty. Customers want personalised service that makes their lives easier by giving them time-saving or money-saving perks. Forrester predicts that the customer-obsessed, data-driven businesses will be the ones that thrive in the coming years.

Now is the time to shape your social connections with these customers and start engaging with them in a meaningful way. What kind of digital engagement should hospitality companies consider?

Encourage customer ‘likes’Instead of using a cloud registration form for Internet log-in, some companies use a service that enables users to connect to the Internet via their social media log-ins such as Facebook or Instagram. These services, can, in return for free Wi-Fi provision, give a retailer’s social media platform a brand new ‘like’ or follower. Having a customer become, for example, a Facebook follower is a powerful marketing technique, with a wide reach.

Smartphone apps bring you closer Branded apps allow you to invite customers into an exclusive club, and you can begin to interact directly when they’re in your locations. Apps provide customers with value added information too, and can be a fantastic tool to share seasonal promotions, build loyalty schemes, and encourage reviews and recommendations. Venue Wi-Fi ensures you have maximum opportunity to reach out to individuals when they are with you.

How to capitalise on this demand for on-site connectivity

It’s true that mobile technology has long disrupted traditional customer behaviour, and this influence is only likely to intensify. The beauty of Wi-Fi connectivity is that it allows you to start conversations with your customers.



Great deals will drive loyalty With Wi-Fi on site, bars and restaurants can deliver targeted email promotions and SMS messages when a customer walks in. Location-based marketing is not new, but hospitality players are becoming more sophisticated in the way they execute targeted promotions that have high conversion rates. For the customer, being alerted to discounts and deals while they are on site is very compelling. According to our research, customers are very open to receiving marketing offers on their smartphones.

‘I WOULD LIKE PERSONALISED MARKETING OFFERS SENT DIRECTLY TO MY PHONE’

65%In a restaurant

57%In a hotel

52%In a café

49%In a pub

The power of social sharing Hotel, pub and restaurant social messaging delivered directly to customers at venues, can reach new audiences through recommendations and shares. The content needs to be creative, on-brand and relevant, but if it attracts the right kind of attention, the extended reach can be huge. New research from Saїd Business School (University of Oxford) and Kantar Millward Brown has measured the impact of social media for brands, and concludes that social can create long-term brand impact, boosting metrics such as brand awareness and association. The emphasis is on brand personality, to cut through these crowded social channels.

Create a live buzz Location-specific events have always been excellent traffic drivers in the hospitality sector, and great for publicity. With on-site Wi-Fi you’re enabling hundreds of customers to broadcast for you, live from the venue. This means celebrity appearances, special dining events or wine tastings take on a new lease of life, driven by social interaction on Facebook. Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and WhatsApp.

Social media interaction will give your brand personality a boost


Get personal but be secure

Digitally-engaged customers are demanding connectivity.

They are open to personalised messaging and promotions, which means they must supply personal details, and opt in. This will only happen if the individual fully trusts the retailer and the technology supporting this connectivity. For this reason, strong and reliable Wi-Fi is a prerequisite for the modern business looking to serve customers in the personalised, emotional manner they require.

Major considerations when investing in Wi-Fi include the scalability, flexibility, reliability and security of the network. By having a robust, managed Wi-Fi solution, companies can proceed with peace of mind. Preventing cyber-attacks is a major challenge for all businesses, and protecting the corporate network must be a priority.

Wi-Fi investment presents new customer engagement opportunities, and our research confirms hospitality patrons are ready for social connectivity in the venues they visit.

However, it’s important that all parties have complete faith in the Wi-Fi service on offer. With trusted technology in place, Wi-Fi can become a direct channel for powerful brand and loyalty messaging. It’s time to let the conversations - and the conversions - begin.

Vodat International’s Wi-Fi solutions are flexible, and expertly managed, leaving the retailer to focus on their customers’ demands – without worrying about those made by their technology.

Contact Vodat to find out why it is the fastest-growing supplier of telecom solutions and private, managed networks to the UK retail market.

www.vodat-int.com

how to build loyalty with social wi-fi - vodat … · tel: 4 0)16 06182 email: infovodat-int.com...

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