Keep Your Customers Happy By Offering A Wi-Fi Hotspot.

Image via WikipediaGiving your customers access to an Internet connection can increase the attractiveness of your business. For instance, someone wanting to stay at a Hotel would much prefer to settle in at one advertising a WiFi connection than one without Internet access.

In today's world, people conduct business or simply stay in touch even while they're on vacation and without high-speed Internet access, they're doomed to miss out on important communications. I stayed at a Hyatt while traveling. It had free Wi-Fi and breakfast. I'll be going there again.

Hotel's aren't the only ones jumping onto the WiFi bandwagon. Other small business owners are realizing the importance of catering to their customers' needs, such as the owners and operators of campgrounds, independent bookstores, apartment buildings, family-owned restaurants, and coffee houses.

Even Home Depot has public Wi-Fi. While your picking up something to fix your toilet you can check your email. Many times I grab a cold drink from the cooler and take a seat in the garden furniture department and go online.

It's not just travelers looking for a WiFi connecting spot. Many local residents like to make sure a business carries this feature so that they can get out of the house and relax with access to a high speed Internet connection.

The cost of setting up your own WiFi hot spot is minimal, but it goes a long way in fostering the relationship you want to develop with your customers. It's one must-have aspect many people check on before committing to visit a certain establishment.

If you want to stay competitive with other businesses in the community, set up your own WiFi hot spot and offer it as an added incentive for people to visit your place of business.

McDonald's was wise enough to set this up years ago. It was almost impossible to get online but that has been fixed and now it's a pleasure to sip you Carmel Frappé and surf the Internet.

Even our local YMCA has installed free Wi-Fi. While my daughter takes her class there I go online with my netbook and write a post or check my email.

The first thing you do is invest in some equipment, which will include a Broadband connection and credit card processing in case you want to offer your WiFi services at a fee, as some businesses do to deter squatters from taking up space all day in their place of business.

Buy some hotspot equipment for less than $300 and install it according to the directions. You want to choose an option that delivers good technical support for your customers, in case you don't want to be responsible for troubleshooting yourself.

Small business owners have the choice to buy and install the WiFi equipment and system themselves or hire someone to do it for them, such as a hotspot specialist or management service. Regardless of which installation method you choose, make sure it's running effectively. Then sit back and watch as the loyalty to your business grow exponentially.

With the growing use of smart phones and laptops the decision is a no brainer on installing a Wi-Fi at your business.


Reader: Where would you like to see WiFi at?