The benefits of social WiFi for your venue
Your customers already expect free WiFi. Offered through Wayv, it gives something back to them and to your business every time someone connects.
Why it works
Why free guest WiFi is worth offering
Most venues offer WiFi because customers ask for it. The trouble is that a password on a chalkboard gives nothing back. You pay for the connection, guests use it, and they leave without you ever knowing who they were.
Social WiFi changes the deal. Guests sign in through a page branded for your venue, using a social login or a quick form, and in return for free access you learn who they are, with their permission. Over time that becomes a list of real customers you can welcome back. That is how a running cost turns into a marketing channel.
Here is what it means for the three groups who matter: your customers, your business and your marketing.
For your customers
WiFi that just works for your guests
A good first impression starts before the menu arrives. Easy WiFi is one of those small things guests notice.
Quick, easy sign-in
Guests pick a social account or a short form and they are online, whether they are waiting for a table, killing time before a train or settling in with a coffee.
No passwords to share
Staff no longer read out a code or chalk it on a board, and guests never have to ask twice. It feels more professional, and you decide who gets access and for how long.
Faster return visits
Wayv remembers a guest's device after their first visit, so next time they connect automatically. Regulars feel recognised and nobody has to sign in again.
For your business
A customer list that grows every day you are open
Each sign-in is a guest you can recognise, thank and invite back. These are the benefits venues feel first.
Data you own
Every sign-in adds to a customer list that belongs to you, not to a social network or a booking site. View it, export it or sync it to your email tools whenever you like.
More repeat visits
Repeat custom keeps most venues going. With a list of opted-in guests you can invite people back for a new menu, an event or a quiet midweek evening, instead of waiting and hoping.
More reviews
Wayv can ask guests about their visit and make it easy to leave a review on Google or Tripadvisor. Reviews land in one dashboard, so you can thank people and put things right. Review tools depend on your package.
Real insight
See how many guests are new, loyal or lapsed, how often they come back and how they respond to your messages. Offers and events are easier to plan when you can see who is actually coming in.
For your marketing
Marketing that is targeted, automated and measurable
Because guests sign in with real details, every campaign starts from what you know about them. Our guide to WiFi marketing has ideas to get you started.
Targeted
Send each message to the guests it suits, such as regulars, lapsed guests or everyone with a birthday this month, instead of the same email to everyone.
Automated
Welcome, birthday and win-back campaigns run in the background once they are set up, so your marketing keeps working on your busiest days.
Measurable
See who opens and clicks each campaign and watch how return visits change, so you can do more of what works and drop what does not.
Is it right for you?
Is social WiFi right for my venue?
If people spend time at your venue and you would like them to come back more often, the answer is probably yes. It suits places where guests stay a while and reach for their phones:
- Pubs, bars and restaurants, where regulars are the backbone of the trade.
- Cafes, where a loyal morning crowd is worth looking after.
- Hotels, where the goal is the guest's next stay.
- Shops, gyms, salons and other venues that rely on people coming back.
Wayv works with many popular business WiFi systems, so you can often keep the equipment you already have. Take a look at every Wayv feature, browse ideas for all 12 sectors, or read our answers to common questions about set-up and GDPR.
Still not sure? Tell us about your venue and we will give you an honest view of whether guest WiFi marketing is a good fit.
Talk to us about guest WiFi for your venue
Every venue is different, so we'll put together a package that fits yours. Tell us a little about your business and we'll be in touch.