Here at Curve IT we’re continually improving the way we support businesses by designing and installing the most robust, scale-able and efficient WiFi technology, and now we’ve got something else to shout about: our new head of sales, Gary Bristow.
With free WiFi now seen by many as a basic human right, customers often expect to find it no matter where they are or what they are doing – and nowhere is this more apparent than in the hospitality sector.
The benefits of offering free WiFi
The increasing omnipresence of WiFi means a high percentage of people out and about want internet access 24/7, with hotels, restaurants, cafes and many retail outlets now offering free WiFi to their customers. There are some obvious benefits, such as:
- An increased competitive edge
People actively seek out places where they can access free WiFi, and are more likely to recommend venues to friends and family. - Increased spending
Offering free WiFi to customers in a café, restaurant or shop means they’re likely to stay longer, and spend more money.
But there are other ways WiFi can add value to a hospitality business.
WiFi marketing portal
Curve IT has developed a WiFi portal specifically for the hospitality sector which is designed to enable businesses to promote themselves, engage with their customers, and capture useful data.
To ensure we can roll this out to a wide number of businesses – both in the South East and nationwide – Curve IT has appointed Gary Bristow as head of sales.
“One of the key advantages of using Curve IT’s WiFi portal means businesses can learn more about their customers, and get something back from them,” says Gary. “Traditionally ‘free WiFi’ has been pretty unregulated, so you’ll get people coming into a coffee shop and using the WiFi for six hours and only buying one cup of coffee, and the cost of the WiFi falls on the business owner.
“WiFi is often called ‘the fourth utility’ but you wouldn’t allow a customer to go into the kitchen and run a tap for six hours,” Gary points out. “With a bespoke portal from Curve IT the owner of the business regains some control in terms of bandwidth and data consumption- and gets something back from the customer.
“A custom portal provides opportunities for user engagement, analytics, data capture and more. That might mean social media interaction which encourages them to share where they are or ‘like’ something;customer information which enables some marketing action; or more advanced technology which can allow location tracking, footfall analysis or other data – even advertising space.”
Engage customers and control connectivity
In short a bespoke portal and internet gateway offers businesses more control over who uses their WiFi – and how.
- With a bespoke WiFi portal in place businesses are able to influence customer behaviour.
- There are many different ways of interacting with customers. (For example, a huge amount of targeted marketing can be done just through collecting a customer’s date of birth when they log in.)
- A portal and gateway benefits everyone – from two or three users in a cafe to thousands in a residential building.
- By controlling data transfer and bandwidth a more level playing field is created.
- With a Curve IT portal and gateway, every end user will have a positive experience with connectivity no matter how many others are using the WiFi.
Brighton Spiegeltent was one of the first venues to deploy Curve IT’s WiFi marketing portal during the Brighton Festival.
Bespoke technology service
Curve IT can provide bespoke internet services to suit every business – be it hotel, retail outlet, multi-dwelling unit (MDU) or small scale business. The same service is also applicable to all types of events and venues; indoor or outdoor, temporary or permanent.
Usually the first step is an onsite visit so that the building or venue to be connected can be surveyed and information gathered about how many users will access the WiFi and what they will be using it for.
Understanding the venue is key to Curve IT ensuring the most efficient WiFi technology solution can be delivered. Curve IT works with industry leader Ruckus, whose solutions are smart, secure and scaleable, no matter how tough the environment.
“There’s a very structured approach to understanding the venue and its needs, measuring footfall and potential number of devices that might be connected,” says Gary. “Different levels of pricing are available for differing venue sizes, and we are even able to offer a ‘plug and play’ solution for smaller businesses.”
“The Curve IT team is experienced with all types of business – from small outlets to very large residential developments in the private rental sector (PRS), where it’s crucial that the IT infrastructure is able to respond to the inevitable changes in technology throughout the lifespan of the building.”
For more information about what Curve IT can offer your business, email Gary or call 01273 806220.