Offering Free Wi-Fi in Your Bar Can Make You More Money

We are finally in a new year. For business owners, this marks a time to evaluate business plans, and consider new strategies to increase success this year. With 2015 upon us, it may be advantageous for bar owners to ask, “Am I making good use of all my resources to please customers and fans of my business?”

Well, here’s a little food for thought: One overlooked resource that bar owners can offer their patrons in the new year is access to free Wi-Fi. Adding your Wi-Fi login information to your menu could benefit your business, especially if you’re seeking to increase foot traffic and drive up your pint/beverage sales in 2015. So, maybe you’re wondering if your patrons really care whether you have free Wi-Fi to offer. Does it really make a difference? The data says it does. Judging by In-Stat’s data in the pie chart shown below, the numbers speak for themselves—the majority of consumers favor venues that offer free Wi-Fi.

The bottom line is that free Wi-Fi could mean better business for you!

Here are a few more reasons why implementing free Wi-Fi could bring you success in 2015.

1. In this Internet age, your customers want to use their phones without worrying about wasting their data. Give them access to free Wi-Fi, and they’ll keep coming back, knowing that they can enjoy their drinks and use their smart phones without running their data dry.

2. Providing free Wi-Fi to your customers allows them to check in and geotag your bar/restaurant on social media. Social media apps like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and  beverage apps like Untappd allow their users to geotag their whereabouts while out enjoying a drink. This activity actually benefits you by exposing your business to your patrons’ friends and followers—potential customers who may not have been exposed to your business before. . When your customers check in to social media using your free Wi-Fi, it means more customer outreach for you, while simultaneously pleasing your existing patrons and retaining their loyalty.

3. In the event that your bartender/server is unable to answer all of a customer’s questions about the beverage selection, your free Wi-Fi could be the perfect outlet for for self-education. A customer with lots of questions can use beverage apps like TapHunter, which has an informational database of over 40k beverages, to get all the answers he or she needs. Providing your patrons with the ability to access information at their fingertips gives your servers/bartenders the opportunity to service a higher volume of patrons who will benefit from a blend of your employees’ knowledge and the information they are able to seek out for themselves.

4. Piggybacking off of #3, craft beer/craft cocktail fans could use your free Wi-Fi to make more educated beer buying decisions after sifting through a beverage  app like TapHunter or Untappd while visiting your location to enjoy a drink or two, or three… You get the idea. No only does this mean that your customers stay “in the loop,” choosing what they want to drink based on their specific preferences, and get to feel smart about it, but it means that because they are ordering exactly what they want, they don’t waste your bartenders’ time, or beer, during a rush. Talk about a win-win.

Now you know: Offering free Wi-Fi to your customers can be a great return on investment for you. You build customer loyalty, as the data shows that customers prefer locations that provide an Internet connection for their patrons. In addition, providing free Wi-Fi is beneficial for your business in its pursuit of new customer retention as fans of your bar/restaurant can easily check in and geotag posts to your establishment  on their social media. With f the new year just around the corner, consider offering free Wi-Fi to your customers: It’s a business decision that may make a difference for your business in 2015.