Business WiFi: 7 Reasons Why You Need It
It seems like we’re all online 24/7 these days. We check Facebook and Instagram while in line for a coffee, read our email and instant messages while waiting at reception when visiting a client, watch videos on our commute to and from work, and are constantly online. Running a business is no different. You need to be online to communicate with customers, suppliers, colleagues… the list goes on and on. This cannot happen if you have an unreliable internet connection. Have you heard of business wifi? If not, don’t worry! We’re here to help – so read on below to learn 7 reasons why you need business wifi for the success of your business.
If you would like to learn more information or pricing about business broadband, you can do so here .
VIDEO
Business WiFi: What is it?
Being constantly online eats up quite a lot of data, though, so no matter if your business relies on a steady stream of customers or if you’re trying to encourage the customers you have to stay longer and spend more, most people will jump at the chance of joining a business WiFi network when one is available if only to save as much data as possible for all the times when one isn’t. You’re not surprised that customers want your business to “have WiFi”. What might pique your interest is that there are a few good reasons why it would also be helpful for you to provide an excellent guest internet experience to your customers, beyond just being able to answer yes to the question: “Do you have WiFi?”
Business wifi can c over mobile data dead zones.
First, let’s start with the basics, if your business happens to be in one of those mobile towers’ dead zones, then neither you nor your customers can get online. So unless you’re looking to disconnect and don’t need to take card payments (most terminals like iZettle or Square will require an active data connection), you’ll need to get business WiFi just to run your day-to-day operations.
If you already own or rent the space, you’ll know if you can get mobile data there, but if you’re relocating your business, it might be a good idea to check how many bars and how fast the internet is at your new location.
Terrible locations to look for are:
Any basement or partially underground commercial spaces,
Railway arches (no matter how interesting they look), or
Any building with thick brick walls and few windows.
A weak, or worse yet, the non-existent connection can be bad news and should make getting set up for broadband a priority.
However, it’s all doom and gloom – not being able to get data on their phones will push most customers to use your WiFi, which opens up a few good opportunities, which I’ll explain next. Also if you’re a bar, cafe or any business where customers might stay a while, it offers a unique opportunity to strike up a conversation and offer a solution to a problem. Wouldn’t you like to hear: “I’m sorry, the signal is terrible here, but we have excellent WiFi, here’s how you get online”? Insufficient mobile data and good WiFi are perfect for great customer service.
Separate customer traffic from employee traffic
Another good reason to get good business WiFi is that it will allow you to set up multiple networks using the same router. Most plans will come with enterprise-grade hardware allowing you to set up as many different networks as you want. A standard setup is having a password-protected employee network and an open (but secured) guest network that allows users to register and get online.
Some larger national providers like BT will also add their public mesh network, a feature that can extend the range and speed of your guest network. It works by pooling every active router in an area, including consumer ones (for example, if your business has flats above or across the road and these have BT internet). All these access points create a mesh network that can pass off a consumer from router to router to ensure they get the best connection. Most of your customers will probably still end up using the access point on your premises, but it’s good to have peace of mind, knowing that if your hardware goes down you can still use the internet service provider’s WiFi access point network.
When you do get your kit, it might be tempting to create one network and be done with it. However, there are two good reasons why you shouldn’t.
First, it’s much better if your guest WiFi is open; that way, you don’t have to share the password with every customer that wants to get online, and better yet, you don’t have to have an easy-to-remember but also easy-to-bypass password.
In addition to this guest network, you can set up a second, more secure, but less restricted one for your employees. This network can have a hard-to-guess, and therefore hard-to-remember, password.
But since only you and your employees need to join this network, and since this password is unlikely to change often (unless you have a good reason to) once you’re on, you’re on so there is very little friction. This type of setup will also allow you to ensure that only employees can access specific systems and keep unwanted guests out.
Make sure customers aren’t abusing your business WiFi
Having a dedicated guest network will also allow you to add specific restrictions . Depending on your use case, this can range from simple website filtering (like restricting access to adult sites) to speed throttling and service restrictions.
Website filtering is pretty self-explanatory, and it will be up to you if you want to block access to specific sites on your WiFi or not. However, service restrictions are something that you should actively consider, especially if you run a business where your customers are likely to spend more time on the guest network (once COVID restrictions allow).
Services that you might want to restrict are video streaming sites like:
Netflix,
NOW TV
Amazon Prime Video and
Phone app stores
The reason for this is pretty simple; these services tend to be significant data consumers. Having a customer watch a 30-minute episode on Netflix while they have a coffee might not seem like a problem, but if ten customers do that, you might find your speeds decreasing and the network becoming congested for everyone.
The app store restriction, however, is less about the user doing something they probably shouldn’t and more about how smartphones work. Most app stores will update and install apps with an active WiFi connection, so your customers might not even know that they are doing anything data-heavy.
Additionally, it’s probably a good idea to monitor and restrict any guests transferring large amounts of data, especially if they are using the guest WiFi unless this is a perk you want to offer to draw in remote workers. Remember that while business broadband is more robust and usually faster than a consumer service, you will still reach your speed limit if you have a few heavy users on at the same time. Our comparison service can help you figure out what plan is best for you based on your needs , so you can offer the service you want to the number of customers that you need to serve.
Handle the busy times
The same professional hardware that allows you to create multiple networks and restrict certain traffic has one more ace up its sleeve. It’s explicitly designed to handle many simultaneous connections and stabilise them. If you’ve ever been in a large hotel or conference venue that somehow had a fantastic signal despite the number of people, that is probably the reason. Professional routers and access points from Cisco, Ubiquiti and others usually come with all but the most cost-effective plans.
With one or more of these installed, you can ensure that your network can handle as many customers as possible. Because somehow, bad WiFi is even worse than no WiFi – there is nothing more frustrating than trying to get access but constantly failing on login or getting kicked off randomly. Eventually, customers will give up and use their mobile data, or if they need access, find somewhere else next time.
Like with any other service, you should pay as much attention to internet access as you do to any other part of the service you deliver. There’s nothing worse than hearing a customer tell another not to bother with the WiFi after you’ve made an effort to have it put in.
Build a relationship with customers
Granting access balances providing an additional service and getting more information on your customers in exchange. Another reason to use a professional business WiFi solution instead of a regular plan is the ability to build custom sign-up page s. You will have seen these before; they usually ask you to provide an email address and accept terms and conditions before letting you go online.
The terms and conditions part can help spell out restrictions like the ones on streaming video, downloading large files or accessing restricted content discussed above. You should also make clear if there are any restrictions on speed, length of use, and amount of data available and, most importantly, explain how you will use any data you collect when they sign up and while using the service.
If you create a landing page form, I’d recommend collecting the minimum amount of information. You don’t want the first thing the customer experiences when signing on to be a lengthy questionnaire that asks for ten pieces of information to get online. It’s important to remember that if you ask for an email address, you should use this in a GDPR-compliant way. You cannot use sign-up information to advertise to customers without their consent; this consent must be opt-in . Of course, you can have a checkbox asking if they would like to get updates and promotions, but it must not be checked when the form loads. Being reported to the Information Commissioner’s Office is not worth sending a few marketing emails.
Now that we’ve handled the legal bit of signup forms, how do you encourage engagement with your business through them? An idea would be to include a special discount for people that use your WiFi. That’s right there on the landing page. Better yet, make this instantly available, so you encourage them to buy something right then and there. Don’t link this discount to their signing up for your newsletter; however, you’ll find that customers are more likely to want to hear from you if they’ve gotten a good deal.
Every touch point, including accessing the internet, can be an opportunity to delight and build a more personal relationship with your customers.
Encourage social media sharing.
This might not be every business owner’s cup of tea, but for a lot of young consumers going out and enjoying themselves is partially about sharing that experience with their friends – in the best cases or (not so) humble bragging about where they are and what they’re doing online – in the worst cases.
The pros and cons of influencer culture are a topic for another time. Still, there’s no denying that if you run a trendy business drawing in influencers (even aspiring influencers) that will let their followers know about it can bring a lot of business your way.
Sharing a picture on social media won’t consume a lot of data; sharing live video or uploading video clips to friends and followers can, however. Offering fast and free WiFi means removing one barrier for customers who want to share their experience on Instagram, TikTok or Facebook. If this is what you’re aiming for, you should also get accounts for your business on all social media platforms and display your handle somewhere visible. Make it easy for people to give you free publicity.
One other thing to remember is that you should allow unrestricted and unthrottled access to those social media networks I mentioned when configuring your guest network if this is your goal. That router is starting to look more and more appealing now, isn’t it?
Encourage customers to linger or leave.
One final thing you can do with your business WiFi plan, especially if you get something with a professional configuration platform like the Cisco Meraki one that Virgin offers , is set up the guest network to encourage customers to stay longer or nudge them out the door.
If you’d like them to stay and maybe come back tomorrow, configure your network to remember users so they don’t have to go through the signup process daily. The system will occasionally prompt them to register again, but you can set it to remember a user for a few days.
Why would you want this?
Well, with the world starting to open up again, more and more people are looking for an escape from the routine of working from home all the time. These same people might not want to go back to working from an office full time, so if you’re looking to attract digital nomads, particularly for those less busy times in the late morning or early afternoon, you need to give them the one thing they need to stay (and continue consuming) in your business – good, reliable WiFi.
What if you’re on the opposite side of the spectrum?
If you want to get people through the door, serve them but then have them move on so you can serve the next customer. Maybe you have a small venue that can’t accommodate remote workers, or maybe you’ve figured out that remote workers don’t provide a good return on investment. Then you can set up your WiFi to do the complete opposite; it can time out and ask people to sign in again every 30, 20 or even 10 minutes. This would ensure that customers can get online while waiting to be served or while they have their food or drink but that they’re not inclined to linger after that. Once you’ve been timed out a few times, you’ll realise it’s time to go.
… Bonus!
Wireless Standards 802.11a, 802.11b/g/n, and 802.11ac
Pros
Cons
802.11b
Lowest cost; signal range is good and not easily obstructed
Slowest maximum speed, home appliances may interfere with the unregulated frequency board
802.11a
Fast maximum speed; regulated frequencies prevent signal interferences from other devices
Highest cost, shorter range signal that is more easily obstructed
802.11g
Fast maximum speeds, the signal range is good and not easily obstructed
Costs more than 802.11b, appliances may interfere with the unregulated signal frequency
802.11n
Fastest maximum speeds and best signal range, mor4e resistant to signal interference from outside sources
Standard is not yet finalised, costs more than 802.11g, and the use of multiple signals may greatly interfere with nearby 802.11b/g-based networks
(8). Tourists (and the rest of us) expect it
One final possible reason, depending on where you are, is tourists. International tourists will start returning to these shores. If your business is in an area where you get a lot of foreign travellers, you must have WiFi.
Most tourists (especially ones from outside the EU) will not have access to mobile data while they’re abroad. If you’ve ever been in this situation, you’ll know that you hunt for that WiFi signal in every cafe, restaurant, hotel or pub you go into. Sometimes it’s to check messages, sometimes to send pictures of all the fun things you’ve seen to friends or relatives back home, but mostly to get Google maps up and figure out how you get to the next place you’re going to visit.
For tourists, cafes and bars are not only places to sit down, relax and rest but also places to get online, and if you’re in one of these tourist areas, chances are that some of your competitors will have good WiFi, and advertise it. So don’t let those tourist pounds getaway, make sure that your coffee is hot, your food delicious, your beers cold, and your WiFi’s fast.
Other useful links about business broadband:
Guess Wifi for Businesses
EE Business Broadband
What makes business broadband, business? | Compare Your Business Costs
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James Ward is CEO and founder of CompareYourBusinessCosts.co.uk, a website that won the Prestigious ‘Website of the Year’ only in its second year of operations in 2015. The website has grown organically since then offering comparisons on over 20 different products including insurance, energy, telecoms, card machines, coffee machines and much more. James has a range of interests including horse racing, skiing, rugby and boxing. He splits his time between home family life, friends, exercise and socialising.