Not to be confused with the technical aspects of Wi-Fi analytics, Social Wi-Fi and analytics is related to the field of retail Wi-Fi and consists of using location based services as part of an overall marketing strategy. What this means is that free Wi-Fi is offered to customers on-site which can then be used to collate information on your audience to help you better understand how to effectively engage with your customer base.
Advanced data mining techniques can be used to glean all sorts of statistics such as the number of visitors to your retail location, the duration of their visit, and even movement patterns around the store. This can help inform factors ranging from store layout down to nuances such as product positioning on the shelf which in turn can help to drive sales and boost the success of a business.
With Wi-Fi analytics it is also possible to obtain more detailed demographic information regarding your audience including age, gender and location. This kind of detailed data will often prove invaluable when it comes to conducting in-depth market research. Social Wi-Fi also affords businesses the chance to connect with their audience via social media and can give brands a chance to get their audience to opt in for loyalty schemes and similar programs. For people who come into your store merely to browse, there is a greater chance to convert them into customers using retail Wi-Fi analytic tools.
Other benefits include better inventory management and assisted navigation for shoppers, both of which will ultimately lead to an enhanced Customer Relationship Management or CRM. Such a wealth of detailed demographic statistics makes it much easier to dispatch targeted promotions which, in turn, will have a greater success rate when it comes to converting into sales. As such, social and retail Wi-Fi analytics can be said to form part of multi-channel brand experience that many businesses are offering today, both medium and large. If your business does not keep up with this approach you could be in danger of falling behind.