If it feels like everyone has a smartphone those days, that’s because they very nearly do. Over seventy percent of the entire UK population own a smartphone, and nine out of ten people in their twenties, according to Deloitte. If you are starting or growing a business, you cannot afford to ignore mobile.
Making sure that your website in optimised for mobile is a no-brainer. And if you have premises where customers spend time, you need to consider offering free WiFi. Owners of coffee shops and hotels have long since understood that free WiFi can make or break their business.
Now WiFi is increasingly expected right across the service sector too. Whether customers are waiting for the drill at the dentists, for the bill at the car repair centre or in foils at the hairdressers – those grubby old magazines won’t cut it these days – they want to be able to check their email, download music or read the latest issue of that magazine online.
Make sure that the WiFi service you offer is secure and protects your business from any liabilities and that the quality of the service is good enough. Offering inconsistent WiFi is probably worse than not offering it at all. That was a particular issue for the Fitness First chain. Many of their centres are based underground and customers were irritated by the weak WiFi signal. Since establishing a reliable WiFi service, with the help of EE , Fitness First hasn’t looked back. “Free WiFi is a huge business benefit,” says Caroline Ayling, manager of a Fitness First branch in London, “this is the way forward, definitely.” It’s worth watching this short video for a few more tips from Caroline about all the ways, some unexpected, that free WiFi is transforming her business.
A sponsored post from EE and Fitness First