Wireless networks have provided an advanced level of mobility and convenience to businesses worldwide. WiFi is the new tool that boosts business productivity and plays a major role in business promotion.
The trend of using Internet while on the move has been increasing steadily among today’s workforce. Everyone expects to access WiFi hotspots wherever possible. It is quite commonplace for business to entertain clients, customers and other visitors every day. So, businesses have been making their swift moves to meet this demand successfully by offering free WiFi to their guests. If you own a small business with chances of visiting clients requesting to access your WiFi, you already know the advantages that this brings.
That being said, sharing WiFi access with a guest endangers your business data to the point of it getting stolen or destroyed. It renders confidential information regarding your business at a colossal risk of exposure. So, if you would like to give your customers an opportunity to utilize your company’s WiFi connection in a way that is safe for your business, setting up a guest WiFi network is the way to go.
What is a Guest WiFi Network?
It is a part of your company’s WiFi network which can be accessed freely by clients or other visitors in your office. It is basically a sub-network that allows its users Internet connectivity without exposing any internal information of your business.
Following are a few reasons why you might need a guest WiFi network for your business:
#1. Enhanced Security
A guest WiFi network offers the advantage of increased privacy for your business’s data. Since it is isolated from the main WiFi network, the internal information stays secure.
With a guest WiFi network in place, you will be able to:
- Control who is accessing your company’s network of computers, servers, printers, storage appliances and other resources.
- Protect your company’s primary network from prying eyes.
- Reduce the risk of your devices from getting virus or malware infected.
#2. Password-Controlled Access
It is a common practice to keep your WiFi password protected. Now, once a guest logs into your company’s wireless network, it becomes quite laborious to change the password after he logs out. You would have to change it on the router and then update every device with a new password.
This problem can be eliminated with a guest WiFi network since it gives you the freedom to update your guest password at will, without having to go through such a lengthy process. In addition to that, guest WiFi passwords are cached differently than a standard WiFi password, preventing permanent access.
#3. Controlled Usage
With a guest WiFi network, you will not only be able to measure the data usage, but also set a limit for it. You can allocate bandwidth and speed preferences for the guest WiFi network. This will ensure that your guests enjoy easy access without affecting the performance of the primary WiFi network. This means your employees will not have to compromise on WiFi usage every time a visitor walks in.
Additionally, a guest network allows you to set different levels of access to various Internet resources. You can restrict access to certain websites and filter the content by activating parental controls to eliminate the scope of your guests wandering into inappropriate websites through your network.
#4. Increased Footfall in Your Business Premises
The Internet is an integral part of our lives. A steady access to it is essential. Therefore, a guest WiFi network works as an added incentive for your consumers to visit your business premises. It takes care of the first step of business expansion, which is getting more traffic through the door.
Did you know that while using social mapping services to locate businesses, people tend to look for amenities like WiFi hotspot? Offering guest WiFi is a great chance to get noticed easily. Also, good quality guest WiFi network will ensure customer satisfaction, which could mean increased footfall.
#5. Increased Scope of Advertisement
Word of mouth works as an extremely powerful tool for marketing. You will be surprised to know that word of mouth generates $6 trillion worth annual consumer spending! If your company is providing a commendable guest WiFi to customers, chances are people are recommending your business to others. Consequently, your business will attract new customers. This will immediately propel your business ahead of your competitors.
Additionally, you can ask your guests to like your business’s social media pages when they are logging in or out of your guest WiFi network. This will increase your business’s social reach considerably. You will also receive reports on how frequently your customers are visiting your business, the reactions that your marketing strategies are drawing on social media channels and so on. With the relevant insights in your database, you can actively market your business based on these.
#6. Scope for Providing Improved Customer Experience
Customer data is essential for all businesses to understand consumer behavior. This helps businesses to devise improved strategies to enhance customer experience. This helps in building better business opportunities. A guest WiFi network can allow you to accomplish this with ease.
Guest WiFi is an important business tool. The WiFi you offer your guests can be leveraged to help your business grow.
You can make use of captive portals to accumulate user information before providing access to the Internet. This portal can be designed in any way you want. You can use this to obtain contact information of your guests before they log in. And people rarely think twice about sharing these details for free Internet access. With such a database in place, you can send personalized offers and notifications to your customers.
While a guest network seems like a convenient way of offering free WiFi to your customers, not all wireless routers come with a feature that allows a guest network. Therefore, be sure to examine your wireless hardware to determine if you have the adequate wireless equipment to support such a setup.
You should also know that it isn’t absolutely necessary to provide your clients with an Internet access. It is a courtesy and a simple way to show that your business is friendly to visitors and takes network security seriously.
Images: ”Restaurant Guest Check Online /Shutterstock.com“
______________________________________________________________________________
Tweak Your Biz is a thought leader global publication and online business community. Today, it is part of the Small Biz Trends stable of websites and receives over 300,000 unique views per month. Would you like to write for us?
An outstanding title can increase tweets, Facebook Likes, and visitor traffic by 50% or more. Generate great titles for your articles and blog posts with the Tweak Your Biz Title Generator.
