WiFi Driving UK Business Growth – New research conducted by YouGov on behalf of British Telecom (BT) suggests that over two thirds (69%) of UK companies see in-store WiFi as essential to business growth. The research also suggests that more than a quarter (27%) believe that the availability of WiFi has or would increase customer visits. In some cases the reasons behind this are fairly obvious. For example in the hotel sector many customers now consider the availability of WiFi as the number one consideration when choosing accommodation.
Chris Hewertson, Chief Technology Officer at jlh Hotels said “Wi-fi enables businesses like ours to offer a more streamlined customer service. Faster free wi-fi gives us a clear product advantage over other hotels, which is key in a sector as competitive as ours.”
The impact on other sectors is not so obvious. Customer purchasing behaviour has changed considerably in the past few years. Retail outlets are increasingly seeing stores as ‘showrooms’ where products are viewed but not bought. Customers will opt to buy on-line and often do this using the in-store WiFi facility rather than waiting until the get home.
Commenting on the the research findings, Erik Raphael, Director BT Wi-fi & Devices said: “Wi-fi has become the backbone for many British businesses since its inception nearly two decades ago. In-venue wi-fi is not only seen as essential by customers, but also by companies who also view it as central to the way they do business and how they interact with their customers.”
Despite the business benefits of WiFi being widely recognised, surprisingly the research found that over half of UK businesses had still not adopted in-store WiFi access.
