Anyone in the hospitality industry knows that wireless networks are a huge part of guest experiences. In restaurants alone, 74% of customers want WiFi. Just imagine the statistics for hotels where guests stay overnight. WiFi networking solutions for hospitality businesses have become a necessity. It’s a total necessity!
In this guide, we’ll introduce you to how to launch your hospitality business rocket through WiFi. But let’s also turn the dial down and crack the basics; why bother with WiFi? How does its importance vary for hotels, restaurants, and bars? Read on to learn the facts you need to know!
Why Choose WiFi Networking Solutions for Hospitality?
Hospitality internet marketing is vital for business survival. In an age where guest satisfaction hinges on strong WiFi, you need to be at the top of your game. This is especially the case if you want to survive in a saturated market like the hospitality industry.
WiFi for hospitality is also quite a niche area, which is why outsourcing can be helpful. Instead of tackling everything yourself, you can use software that automates much of the processes. This takes out the stress of self-managing and monitoring security systems. And in essence, it just streamlines the whole process.
WiFi networking solutions for hospitality make your life easier and customer interactions more rewarding. Perfect.
The Importance of WiFi for Hotels
Let’s imagine your most typical hotel guests. They want to eat, sleep, sightsee, and browse the internet. As they arrive at reception, if you don’t bring it up, you can bet they’ll ask for a WiFi password.
It makes sense; they stay longer and want to plan activities and stream movies. WiFi for hotels is vital.
Wireless networking solutions for hospitality aren’t just about keeping them happy ( imagine their faces if you said no). It’s about making the most of that opportunity. In the hotel industry, you need a reputation to draw in new customers and retention to keep existing ones. You need to build rapport, and you need to do so quickly.
Hotel WiFi solutions keep your guests connected with their loved ones, and you connect with them. You can collect their contact details through a captive portal system for future marketing purposes. For instance, you could ask for email addresses in exchange for immediate internet access. You can then use them in future email marketing campaigns.
Prioritizing hotel WiFi helps to keep guests coming, meets modern-day expectations, and allows you to invest in marketing.
The Importance of WiFi for Restaurants and Cafes
Although guests stay shorter at restaurants and cafes than at hotels, that doesn’t mean they still don’t want WiFi. Guest internet is really important for restaurant and cafe owners to consider.
There are so many reasons customers want WiFi, including scrolling social media on their mobile devices or even working remotely. Some people also use their phones as a social crutch if dining solo. It’s a great way to make guests more comfortable.
Of course, like hotel WiFi, offering internet in the food sector also massively helps with marketing. It lets you set up captive portals and collect valuable details for future campaigns.
The Importance of WiFi for Bars
WiFi solutions for hospitality aren’t just about food and hotel stays; bars are an important sector, too. Bars are all about fun and advertising social connection — so where better to offer free internet? When you run a drinking and partying-based venue, allowing people to browse on their wireless devices is smart.
It means they can find their friends more easily and stay safe. It also means that you’ll likely feature on lots of organic marketing. We all know that drunk people like to spam social media stories! Out of all the hospitality properties, bars have the most potential for getting organic marketing through WiFi.
The same holds true for captive portals; you can set up software to collect details from guests. It’s a win-win situation: Customers have a better experience, and you get marketing prospects.
Spotting the Best Hospitality WiFi Providers
To spot the best hospitality WiFi providers, you need to narrow down your search to specialty software companies. The hospitality industry is vast, with many different areas of expertise, which great software reflects in its features. Choosing the best provider depends on whether you want hotel WiFi or a restaurant solution.
Here are four steps to follow to spot a “good one”:
- Look at subscription plans and aim for as much flexibility as possible. You initially want to “date around” different software choices, so anything like free demos or trials is perfect.
- Analyze what features each offer and decide how useful they’d be.
- If you’re short on staff or time, consider possible automation features. These will trailblaze your experience by reducing the human workload.
- Check reviews, and check them thoroughly — even if there’s a minimal commitment subscription.
How To Take Initial Steps — Like a Small Hotel WiFi System
As a small business, it can be daunting to embark on the world of wireless network solutions. Luckily, there are some really easy steps you can take. Whether you want internet solutions for a mega-chain of bars or a small hotel WiFi system doesn’t matter. These three steps are ideal for small or large businesses:
1. Evaluate Your Current Scenario
This isn’t a step to rush past. Do you already have WiFi? Or do you want to start from scratch with a start-up company? Are you opening up an existing WiFi network to guests?
It’s important to evaluate your goals, current position, and purpose.
Next, look at your budget and do so honestly. It’s all too easy to breeze past numbers, but skipping math won’t do you any favors in this situation. Before you move forward to browsing, you should know roughly how much money you can spare on the project.
You should also have clear goals and non-negotiables. For instance, you want to collect email addresses for an email marketing strategy to roll out a loyalty program. This clarity will help with feature comparisons later.
2. Browse the Market
Browsing the market is inevitable and a fun part of the process. At this point, you have a handy list of information to help you:
- Budget
- Goals
- Ideal features
These golden three should be your measuring strategy as you proceed. If it helps, physically jot down how each software racks up against each of these three points. You should also consider the following:
- Reviews
- Options for free demos or trials
When you find the one you like, allow an initial “trial time.” This could be a month-long period that the software sets or one you set yourself mentally.
3. Optimize and Review As Necessary
WiFi isn’t always a smooth ride; the same goes for its software. After the designated trial period, allow time to optimize and review. At this stage, ensure you’re also properly collecting and storing customer data.
This is also a good time to review your general WiFi health. Check for dead spots and apply boosters and extenders if necessary.
Beambox: Let WiFi Work for You
The secret is to let WiFi work for you. There’s so much power in offering internet service in the hospitality industry, so why wouldn’t you? And through software, it takes all the hard work and brain power out of it, creating a slick process.
Captive portals are the basis of most software, acting as a temporary barricade for those trying to connect. Instead of immediately allowing them to join, a web page form pops up. Guests then just input whatever details you decide to request to proceed.
At Beambox, we offer that captive portal solution and specialize in the hospitality industry.
Start your Beambox free trial today and finish your hunt for the perfect WiFi networking solutions for hospitality!
