WiFi: Why It’s an Essential Amenity for Small Business

Michael HarrisKinetic Strategies

WiFi: Why It’s an Essential Amenity for Small Business

High-speed wireless Internet access on the go has evolved from a nice-to-have option to an essential and expected amenity for many businesses. More than 70 percent of U.S. consumers now own a smartphone or tablet¹ and 80 percent of the data accessed through these devices is via WiFi². Not surprisingly, nearly two out of three consumers expect restaurants to offer WiFi access³ while almost half of retail shoppers say they would be more likely to choose a store with WiFi.4

While WiFi is a powerful way to attract and retain customers, it is not practical for most businesses to become Internet service providers. To minimize operating costs and complexity while maximizing the marketing potential of WiFi, partnering with turnkey hotspot service providers may be an attractive option. With a WiFi service partner that handles equipment installation, service management, network security, and ongoing customer support, businesses are free to focus on their core operations.

Why Offer WiFiThe benefits of WiFi access for customers are clear. When away from home or the office, WiFi enables people to connect to the Internet using their preferred devices, including WiFi-enabled laptops, tablets and smartphones. But what are the business benefits of offering WiFi?

In addition to being able to offer an appreciated amenity to existing customers, businesses can attract new ones by partnering with a WiFi hotspot partner with broad marketing reach. Hotspot locations are featured in directories delivered through a service provider’s web site and mobile applications. As WiFi users decide where to shop or dine, such directories can act as a funnel for new customers. Some WiFi providers also enable businesses to customize the welcome screen customers see when connecting to the network, delivering a unique opportunity to promote products, services, and special offers to customers at the time of purchase.

In a recent survey of independent consumer-facing small businesses including casual restaurants, bars, nightclubs, coffee shops, clothing boutiques, books shops, and salons—more than three out of four decision-makers rated WiFi as important to their business. Furthermore, nearly two-thirds of respondents said customers spent more time at their business once WiFi was offered and half said that they saw increased spending by customers.5

One such customer is Bob Villhard, an intellectual property attorney with the Villhard Patent Group in Austin, TX. Connecting with WiFi Internet access on the go is essential for his work. “During lunch time I’ll head out to anywhere I can get WiFi, continue working and meet clients there,” Villhard explains. “If I’m between meetings I will stop somewhere and work—cafes and coffee shops—it makes doing my job a lot more pleasant.”

WiFi Is an Ideal Offering for

WiFi Hotspot Advantages

Restaurants and BarsCafés and BakeriesMedical and Dental Offices Retailers and Specialty Stores Automotive Sales and Repair Health Clubs and GymsSalons and SpasBarber Shops and LaundromatsAmusement and EntertainmentFinancial and Legal Firms

Free advertising Drive traffic Promote at point of sale Easy for customers to locate Easy to use portal

White Paper: WiFi: Why It’s an Essential Amenity for Small Business 01Time Warner Cable Business Class

Of mobile device data is accessed via WiFi80%

63%

76%

Consumer Device Ownership

45%

74%Smartphone

Tablet

Adding WiFi to the MenuIn a recent survey nearly two out of three consumers said they expect casual restaurants to offer free access to WiFi.6 To capitalize on the growing appetite for wireless Internet access among consumers, eateries are increasingly adding WiFi to their menus.

Shelly Wong owns and operates Café 32 in Overland Park, KS, a major business hub in the Kansas City area.

To cater to the high concentration of technology, healthcare and financial service workers in the area, Wong looked for an Internet service provider who offered a WiFi hotspot service.

“Because we have many business customers, I knew a WiFi hotspot would be appreciated,” Wong said. “With WiFi our customers are more comfortable and they want to stay longer.” Customers spending more time in Café 32 are also spending more money, contributing to a noticeable increase in restaurant revenue.

Partnering with a WiFi hotspot service provider has allowed Wong to focus on running her restaurant, rather than managing an Internet service. The ability to customize the logon screen for customers visiting Café 32 has proved to be another valued feature. Wong says not only is she able to promote specials at Café 32, she advertises and drives customers to a second restaurant she owns and operates in the area.

Doc’s Bar & Grill in Austin, TX, is also benefiting from offering its customers a WiFi hotspot. “With Austin being a tech-savvy town, people will leave the office, come here to do work and then hang out. They stay here longer, spend more money, call friends and are having their meetings here,” said Charles Milligan, owner of Doc’s Bar & Grill. WiFi hotspot service has also become an essential ingredient for fun at Doc’s. “Fantasy sports is a huge thing. If you come in here on a Saturday or Sunday you’ll see people watching games on their computers and their phones.”

Being able to partner with a WiFi hotspot service provider has proven to be a major operational benefit for the restaurant. “I’m not a tech savvy or IT guy. To be able to count on people who understand the business and help promote it, as well as help educate my staff and management, it’s a great deal,” Milligan added.

Making Retail ConnectionsWiFi access is becoming an important offering for retail businesses. With WiFi retailers can extend the point of sale from the cash register to the customer’s smartphone or tablet. Using their mobile device and WiFi, shoppers within a store can check a retailer’s product availability, access a store map, view available discounts and loyalty offers, ask for help from an associate, and even make an online purchase onsite. Indeed, half of smartphone owners say they would feel more confident making a major purchase with the ability to research products in store.7

More than two out of three consumers say they have used a mobile device during a retail shopping experience and nearly half of consumers say they are more likely to shop at a store with quality WiFi access. Additionally, nearly a third of consumers say WiFi would make them more likely to stay in a store longer and return to the store more often.8

With WiFi, customers “stay here longer, spend more money.”-Charles Milligan, owner, Doc’s Bar & Grill,

Austin, TX

“Nearly HALF of consumers say they are more likely to shop at a store with quality WiFi access.”

2OUTOF 3

02Time Warner Cable Business Class

consumers expect restaurants to offer WiFi access

of consumers have used a mobile device while retail shopping

66%

White Paper: WiFi: Why It’s an Essential Amenity for Small Business

Waiting with WiFi WiFi access transforms any waiting room into a center for personal productivity, communication or entertainment. Being able to work while waiting for an appointment in a hair salon, doctor’s office, or automotive repair shop can make a world of difference in today’s time-crunched world. The same goes for helping a harried parent relax in the waiting room after connecting their kids with the mobile games or entertainment they enjoy at home. Not surprisingly, eight in 10 businesses offering WiFi say it helps keep customers happy while they wait.9

Salon Paul/Forent in Studio City, CA is well-known for its distinctive haircutting and styling approach, as well as its comfortable and relaxed atmosphere. Clients are served wine, coffee or tea—as well as high-speed WiFi Internet—as they wait for their appointment.

“Clients use WiFi to surf the web just for fun or search for hair styles and give us examples. They also use it to check emails and do some business while they have the chance. It’s great while they are waiting,” said Paul McKay, owner of Salon Paul/Florent.

A One-Stop WiFi Solution Time Warner Cable Business Class (TWCBC) offers an innovative WiFi hotspot access solution for its Business Internet service customers, including Café 32, Doc’s Bar & Grill and Salon Paul/Florent. TWCBC installs and maintains a dedicated WiFi access modem at the business customer’s location without added equipment or service costs. This way all public WiFi traffic is separated from the business’s private Internet connection, eliminating concerns about shared security and bandwidth. TWCBC also provides all WiFi end-user support through a 24/7 toll free telephone number.

Businesses appreciate the ability to configure their hotspot for customers with a Self-Service Management Portal. The solution allows each business to customize their WiFi hotspot welcome page by adding their company name and logo, as well marketing messages and offers. Through the portal, businesses can also set a daily time limit for WiFi users at their location, ranging from 15 minutes to 1 hour.

Qualified Time Warner Cable Internet Customers (Residential and Business) get unlimited free access. Business locations with a hotspot are listed on an online map and in a mobile application making it easy for potential customers to find the business. Additionally, businesses are offered signs and posters from TWCBC to advertise hotspot availability at their location.

Now that 70 percent of consumers own a WiFi capable device, wireless Internet access on the go is an essential amenity. By partnering with cable companies, businesses gain access to a unique no-cost, high-performance WiFi solution that can delight current customers and attract new ones.

03Time Warner Cable Business Class White Paper: WiFi: Why It’s an Essential Amenity for Small Business

8 out of 10businesses say offering WiFi helps keep customers happy while they wait

1 2014 RJI Mobile Media Research Report2 “Network Usage Insights,” Mobidia, November 20143 Technomic, cited in “Customer WiFi a win for restaurants,” Nation’s Restaurant News, October 24, 20144 The Wi-Fi Alliance Passpoint Survey, Wakefield Research, October 20145 U.S. Retail WiFi Survey, conducted by iGR and commissioned by Devicescape, June 20146 Technomic, cited in “Customer WiFi a win for restaurants,” Nation’s Restaurant News, October 24, 20147 Desktop vs. Smartphone: Technology’s Impact on Omnichannel Behavior, Acquity Group, October 20138 The Wi-Fi Alliance Passpoint Survey, Wakefield Research, October 20149 Bredin Research 2014

About the AuthorMichael Harris is principal consultant at Phoenix, Arizona-based Kinetic Strategies, Inc. Applying more than 15 years of experience as a strategist, research analyst and journalist, Michael consults with select clients in the networking, Internet and telecommunications industries.

About Time Warner Cable Business Services Time Warner Cable Business Services, a division of Time Warner Cable, offers a full complement of business communications tools to small, medium and enterprise-sized companies under its Time Warner Cable Business Class brand. Its Internet, voice, television, network and cloud services are enhanced by award-winning customer service and local support teams. Through its NaviSite subsidiary, Time Warner Cable Business Services also offers scalable managed services, including application services, enterprise hosting, and managed cloud services primarily in the U.S. and U.K. Time Warner Cable Business Services, founded in 1998, serves approximately 674,000 business customers throughout Time Warner Cable's service areas.

For more information, visit http://business.twc.com.

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04Time Warner Cable Business Class White Paper: WiFi: Why It’s an Essential Amenity for Small Business