Business leaders can agree better data leads to better decision-making. In business, data is everything, and the more you know about your current and potential customers, the better. Your organization may already put a great deal of effort toward soliciting and acquiring market data.

But there may be a gold mine of data you’ve been ignoring for years. It’s time to unearth some of the most powerful data out there: your guest Wi-Fi analytics.

Your guest Wi-Fi is more than a complimentary offering for your in-person customers. Businesses can gain valuable insight into their customers’ behaviors and preferences through Wi-Fi analytics. Your findings can then be used to target customers with the right products and services at the right time. Before you post your guest Wi-Fi credentials, learn what powerful data will be waiting for you on the other side.

1. Get to Know Your Customers

You may think you know your customers, but do you really? Consumers are often hesitant to share their personal information, but if you’re offering free Wi-Fi, you may have an opportunity.

When guests sign on to your free Wi-Fi through a social media account, they’re agreeing to share certain data in exchange for the service. This enables you to gain access to valuable demographic information, which can help you fine-tune your sales strategy.

You could learn that your top customer is a 45-year-old mom shopping for shoes for her family. This insight may be vastly different from your broad assumption of selling discounted shoes to price-conscious shoppers.

When you use a product like Plume WorkPass, you’ll gain access to powerful reports that help you refine your messaging. If this data set is new to your team, spend time exploring it and seek training from your Wi-Fi vendor.

Free Wi-Fi yields a bevy of useful data for you, and it’s a perk customers increasingly expect. In fact, many consumers will patronize stores and facilities because of the free Wi-Fi they offer. Often serving as a third place, such businesses invite customers to stay beyond the traditional shopping visit.

In doing so, they open up the possibility of learning more about their interests and how to sell to them.

2. Learn Where and When Customers Spend Time In-Store and Online

Your store may have a set opening and closing time, but how closely do you pay attention to customer activity? Get to know where your customers spend time within your walls and how best to keep them there. Wi-Fi analytics can show you when a unique user enters your business and how many times they return. If your business is a repeat stop like a coffee shop or gift store, use traffic data to project sales.

Access customers’ physical location in your store to influence product placement. Review areas where customers linger to uncover checkout process or traffic flow improvements. Heat maps can be eye-opening, providing businesses with peak traffic data and inspiration for new opportunities.

Use physical location data to know where to place priority products with a better margin. Beyond sales, use data to help determine the need for way-finding signage or identify prospects for expansion.

Your analytics dashboard can also show you where customers are browsing while on your Wi-Fi. If customers are using their Amazon app while in your store, they may be shopping for a better deal. Use this information as a spur to convey your value proposition, quashing their desire to shop elsewhere and miss out on your unique offering.

3. Make Informed Marketing Decisions

It can be hard to know where to spend your marketing dollars. Social media is a fickle space, constantly changing alongside trends and generational preferences. Add in the complexity of platform-driven updates and enhancements, and your marketing efforts are antiquated before you complete a buy. With more consumers researching and buying in a mobile-first environment, Wi-Fi plays an even larger role.

Tap into your Wi-Fi analytics to make agile, informed marketing decisions. If you learn that your customers are most active on Facebook, prioritize your content creation and advertising dollars there. Adopt a philosophy of meeting your customers where they are instead of chasing them. The more you can learn about them through their usual habits, the easier marketing — and selling — will be.

Daily reporting access can help you pivot your strategy if customer behaviors change. Plus, you’ll be able to identify browsing traffic levels, which can help you devote in-store marketing dollars effectively. Remember to pair paid marketing with original content creation, as consumers become more interested in value-adds instead of flashy ads.

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Leverage Wi-Fi Data Throughout Your Business

Now that you know how to utilize Wi-Fi data, take the opportunity to use it to its fullest power. The simple act of customers accessing your guest Wi-Fi can earn you insights that matter in the short and long term. Analyze traffic in-store to make smart staffing and stock decisions. Review sales data against foot traffic to determine your in-person conversion rate.

The possibilities are almost endless when you consider how much customer information is available to you. Time spent digging into the data can improve sales, enhance product offerings, and transform your business.