Let’s suppose that you were asked to deploy a Wi-Fi network in a restaurant and that your customer wants to collect their Wi-Fi clients’ data to promote their events and special evenings.
In order to collect this type of data easily and quickly, we encourage network admins to enable an easy way for users to login to the Wi-Fi, avoiding complex and long forms to fulfill.
There are two preferred social login flows to achieve this:
Facebook login
Facebook social actions (Like or Check-in)
Facebook login
This social login flow consists of asking Wi-Fi clients to “Log in with Facebook.
UX: After connecting to the Wi-Fi, the Wi-Fi clients will see a splash page, that can be customized with the customer’s logo, their preferred background, and type of advertising. In order to log into the network, they must click the button “Log in with Facebook” on the splash page which will give Facebook permission to access their data. If they accept to provide their complete anagraphic information (or a part of them) to the app “Access Internet”, they will connect to the internet.
PROS: No complex permission needed, no Facebook review needed. Super-easy login flow for the user. You can collect user data (name, surname, hometown location – country and city, birthday, e-mail, age, gender).
CONS: Because not everyone has a Facebook account, you should enable an alternative way to log in (e.g. e-mail, Twitter, Google+).
Smart Cities: Singapore integrates access points to its trash bin
Singapore’s new pilot project has equipped ten solar-powered trash bins with 3G smart sensors and Wi-Fi access points on Orchard Road, the busiest shopping street of the city.
By equipping public trash bins with 3G smart sensors, the project leaders, BigBelly Solar Inc, was looking for an increase in the containers productivity by sending mobile alerts to the city cleaning staff when the trash was full. As a first result, BigBelly declared that smart trash bins improved the productivity, cut down on waste collection and eliminated overflowing bins.
The second step was to integrate these bins with Wi-Fi access points from RansNet to provide internet for shoppers and tourists on Orchard Road.
Each wireless device is powered by the bins solar battery, and the radius coverage is 30 meters.
To manage this free Wi-Fi public, Terra Sol (the BigBelly Singapore and Malaysian distributor) partnered with AdZtream and Digimatic Solution, particularly for the marketing Wi-Fi services implementation.
The network is open to the public from 11 am to 9 pm and allows shoppers and tourists to log in for 15 minutes for free. Once the session ends, they can reconnect to the network. The advertising system implemented enables retailers to promote their business and targets the right people. Indeed, the advertisement is coordinated by the user’s position on Orchard Road: “Wi-Fi advertising in high footfall areas can help bring relevant brands better marketing outreach compared to outdoor advertising,” says Jozua Lee, Managing Director of Digimatic Solutions.The local Wi-Fi network deployed met a big success from both retailers and users, even though the network technology still needs to be improved. One project leader declared that “the stability of the network when many people logged is not good enough”.
To conclude, the pilot project is still ongoing and will for sure see some improvements in the next weeks due to its benefit for the local economy. Wi-Fi marketing services such as the advertisement is a great opportunity for retailers to attract the right people at the right moment.
In this post, we will discuss how museums can leverage free Wi-Fi to facilitate interaction with their visitors and improve their services successfully.
Nowadays, an increasing number of museums use Wi-Fi technology to enhance their services and provide users with an enriched experience. Let’s see the main benefits of deploying a Wi-Fi hotspot in museums to offer free Wi-Fi connection to visitors.
1. Improved visitor experience
Museums can leverage Wi-Fi to provide visitors with a more complete experience. Indeed, museums can add much information on their login pages, such as the catalog containing all exhibitions, the history of the current art collections, detailed information about works on display date, maps and recommended itineraries, etc. In this way, Wi-Fi turns into a powerful tool for sharing useful and interesting content with museum visitors. The Tanaza login page, for instance, allows adding content and information with banners and videos. Furthermore, it is responsive and is available in more than 60 languages.
2. Easy internet access and better coverage for visitors
Thanks to Wi-Fi, visitors can connect to museum hotspots in a simple way from different mobile devices: not only smartphones but also tablets. The captive portal featured by Tanaza, for instance, allows users to access a Wi-Fi network using a variety of authentication methods, such as log in with email, phone number, forms, and social login. Social login is the registration process that allows people to authenticate themselves through social media, such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. In this way, visitors can access a museum network easily and quickly. Also, visitors can enjoy free Wi-Fi connections in different areas of the museum: from the exhibition halls to lobbies to the museum restaurant.
3. Better service quality
When visitors access a museum’s Wi-Fi network through a captive portal, network admins can collect a large number of user data, such as email, phone numbers, age, gender, interests, etc. Through the Analytics Dashboard provided by Tanaza, museums can analyze a wide range of data about their visitors and integrate them with Marketing platforms, such as Mailchimp, to create statistics and personalized marketing campaigns. For instance, the museum’s IT manager can send customized emails to inform families about the forthcoming exhibitions for children. In this way, museums can effectively improve their visitors’ segmentation based on their preferences and behaviors and offer a personalized and high-quality service to visitors.
4. Enhanced social reach
The authentication method based on social login offered by Tanaza is a successful strategy to make more people hear about your museum, fastly and simply. Social login not only allows visitors to access a museum’s network easily, but it also allows museums to strengthen their social reach and quickly improve their online visibility. Indeed, social Wi-Fi is based on social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, which facilitate the way people interact with your museum: for instance, you can ask visitors to share their positions through a Facebook Check-in or to put a Like on your Facebook page. In this way, more people will know your museum and you will attract new visitors with no effort at all. Also, you can leverage your social Wi-Fi user data to create Facebook custom audiences, a powerful advertising tool that helps your museum to increase the number of Likes on your Facebook page and enhance your social reach. Check out this article to know in detail how to use Wi-Fi user’s data with Facebook custom audiences.
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Do you want to know how to deploy Wi-Fi in public places?Read our case studies and find out how Tanaza partners succeed in deploying Wi-Fi in libraries, universities, and many other public venues.
The European Commission has allotted 120 million euros to fund the equipment and installation costs of Wi-Fi hotspots in public areas within Europe with little to no Wi-Fi connectivity.
The WiFi4EU has set out to provide 6,000 to 8000 local communities with free high-speed connections by 2020. While the exact locations where the WiFi4EU hotspots will be installed is still to be decided and will be up to the local authorities of each member state, the initiative is said to equip public places including libraries, hospitals, parks, stations, among others.
According to the European Commission website, the EU will pay for the equipment and installation costs of the Wi-Fi hotspots and the municipality or other local public institution, also known as the beneficiary, will pay for the connectivity and maintenance of the equipment. Each beneficiary must contract the telecom operator of their choosing ensuring that it can provide free and high-quality Wi-Fi connectivity for their citizens and visitors for a minimum of 3 years.
The public institutions wanting to partake in this initiative must apply through an online platform dedicated to the applicants of this project, and propose to equip areas where similar offers of free Wi-Fi connectivity do not exist in the same location. The projects selected are said to be selected on a first-come, first-serve basis as each member state will only have a limited amount of vouchers available to give out.
The European Commission released this statement on their decision.
Editor’s note: This article was originally published in June 2017 and has been updated for accuracy as more details on the WiFI4EU initiative have since come to light.
4 reasons why hotels should offer free guest Wi-Fi
In this post, we will discuss the 4 main benefits free guest Wi-Fi brings to hospitality venues, such as hotels, B&Bs, and holiday resorts.
Nowadays, free Wi-Fi has become the most-wanted hotel amenity among tourists, who firstly check its availability before booking a holiday accommodation. Hotel guests, indeed, prioritise in-room free internet access to connect their WiFi-enabled devices such as smartphones, tablets and laptops and leverage it for leisure or business purposes. Accordingly, if hoteliers want to attract and retain travellers in an effective way, they should invest in a reliable Wi-Fi infrastructure and include free guest Wi-Fi in their offerings.
What are the main advantages of providing guests with free hotel Wi-Fi?
1. Increased bookings
Providing free guest Wi-Fi access is a great incentive to make travelers choose your facility. Indeed, according to Hotel Chatter, 94% of people consider Wi-Fi as the most important hotel amenity. Tourists value free internet access to stay in contact with their families and friends while on vacation, while business travelers leverage free Wi-Fi connection for their work. Also, according to Aviva’s Holiday Report, 40% of young holidaymakers aged 16-24 cite free Wi-Fi as the most crucial factor when opting for a holiday venue. What’s more, they give free Wi-Fi more importance compared to price (38%), swimming pool (32%) and walking distance to shops and bars (28%). Accordingly, offering free guest Wi-Fi is a smart strategy to attract more travelers and make them choose your hospitality venue again.
2. Improved login experience
An effective way to improve your hotel guest experience is to make things simple from the beginning of your guests’ stay: a way to do so is to allow travelers to access your network through an immediate and easy authentication process. Instead of opting for time-consuming login methods based on long passwords, keep up with the latest trends and offer social-savvy login methods. For instance, Tanaza features social login, the authentication process that allows users to log into a Wi-Fi network using their social networks accounts: with one simple and fast click, they will connect through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. Interestingly, according to the Daily Mail Online, Facebook and Twitter are the most widely used social networks when people travel abroad, which makes free Wi-Fi access through social login further useful.
3. Enhanced brand image
Social Wi-Fi is key to boost your brand image and increase your bookings quickly. According to Aviva’s Holiday Report, 90% of millennials post updates to social media, and almost a third of the interviewed young travelers post pictures and selfies on their social media walls during their holiday. Also, according to The Independent, 40.1% of the millennial generation choose a holiday venue depending on its “Instagrammability”. Hoteliers should take advantage of social shareability and ask guests to like their Facebook pages or share their location when they access their free Wi-Fi network. Through this “viral word of mouth”, you can quickly increase your brand visibility and benefit from positive guest comments and reviews on platforms like TripAdvisor. Thanks to the customizable login page offered by Tanaza, you can add both “Facebook Likes” and “Facebook Check-ins” in a simple way. Also, you can build your login page in more than 60 languages, making your guest experience even further personalized!
4. Improved guest experience
Free Wi-Fi is a powerful tool to better understand your guest’s needs and improve your services accordingly, as well. Indeed, user data collected during the guest login flow is full of useful information, such as gender, age, country, interests, etc. Thanks to the Tanaza Analytics Dashboard, you can access this data in real-time and leverage it to run statistics, to create tailored marketing campaigns, or to offer customized offers to your guests. For instance, you can send personalized emails to offer room upgrades to your most loyal customers at a discounted rate, or you can promote your new spa treatments to your female guests. Through free guest Wi-Fi, hotels can segment and know better travelers, dividing new from returning guests, and innovate their offerings based on their expectations.
Top 7 hotel Wi-Fi hotspot features your facility should have
Guest Wi-Fi can turn into a powerful business and marketing tool for hotels. Let’s see what are the main 7 hotel Wi-Fi hotspot features hospitality venues should have to grow their revenues and increase their visibility.
Nowadays, free hotel Wi-Fi is a basic expectation among travellers and a relevant factor when they choose a facility. Furthermore, is not only free guest Wi-Fi a customer amenity but also is a powerful tool that allows facilities to grow their business and increase their visibility and reputation.
Let’s see how Tanaza helps hotels and hospitality venues to boost their revenues, increase their online visibility and meet their guests’ needs, thanks to these 7 must-have hotel Wi-Fi hotspot features.
1. Captive portal
The captive portal offered by Tanaza provides hoteliers with an easy guest access system. Indeed, different authentication methods for guest Wi-Fi access are available, based on your needs: login through email or phone, coupon or custom code, password, social login, etc. Also, Tanaza makes Wi-Fi access easy not only for hotel guests but also for the staff, as you can configure up to 8 SSIDs per access point. For instance, you can create one SSID for the hotel staff with WPA encrypted password, another SSID with your captive portal for guest access using social login, one SSID for the hall with coupon-based registration and one last SSID for hotel equipment. In this way, by separating traffic, you will guarantee a secure Wi-Fi connection.
2. Web Content Filtering
Your hotel guests expect to be provided with a safe and secure browsing experience. Parents want to safeguard their kids while they use your Wi-Fi to browse, in particular.This is why you should control and protect your network by deploying the network content filtering offered by Tanaza, which allows you to block user access to inappropriate or unwanted websites and apps, such as content of pornography, violence, betting sites, etc. Indeed, you can choose what content categories your guests can access while using your hotel Wi-Fi network on their computers, tablets, smartphones, and other Wi-Fi-enabled devices and you can schedule when to block or unblock them. Also, this content filter blocks malware, botnets and other common viruses and can also function as a parental control software tool: in this way, you will further ensure the security of your network, guaranteeing a safe browsing experience for both your guests and staff.
3. Login Page Editor
You can welcome your guests building a personalised, branded login page before they access your network.Tanaza features a responsive and customizable login page, which gives you the possibility to promote your services, hotel facilities and special offers in a simple and effective way: for instance, you can add banners to advertise your room service or to show your best rooms. You can promote new amenities, new menus at the hotel restaurant or your spa offerings. Also, you can add special deals and discounts on your login page to incentivise your guests to try your services. In addition, you can add widgets to promote your conventions with local tour operators and other business partners by giving suggestions about particular events held near your facility. And it’s not all: you can even insert a TripAdvisor widget on your login page to further promote your hospitality venue. Thanks to the login page offered by Tanaza, you can build you Wi-Fi guest access page in more than 60 languages, included Spanish, Portuguese, German and Italian, simplifying your guests’ login process to your Wi-Fi network.
Example of a hotel’s login page
4. Analytics dashboard
When hotel guests log in into your Wi-Fi network, they provide some personal information, such as name, surname, age, gender, birthday, location, etc. Thanks to the analytics dashboard provided by Tanaza, you can easily collect and analyse user data to run statistics and marketing campaigns. For instance, you can see the number of users connected to your Wi-Fi, the preferred authentication method they chose to access your network, the preferred time at which they logged in. Once collected, you can export and name your list of data in CVS or XLSX to easily access it at your convenience. Furthermore, on the Tanaza Cloud dashboard, you can monitor in real-time the bandwidth usage for every access point of your network, which is a useful information to better control your bandwidth allocation.
5. Remember me
The “Remember me” Tanaza feature allows you to offer your guests a home-like experience. Indeed, the network remembers users’ devices after their first authentication and reconnect them automatically when they access to Wi-Fi after a while. In this way, guests will not be required to re-enter time-consuming codes or passwords.
6. Social login
Among the many authentication methods offered by Tanaza, social login is the ideal solution to enhance the visibility of your facility and improve your brand reputation on social media networks. Indeed, through the social login provided by Tanaza, users access your Wi-Fi using their social networks accounts, such as Facebook. In doing so, you can ask guests to put a “Like” on your Facebook page or to share their position after they have connected to your network, through a Facebook “Check-in”. Thanks to social Wi-Fi and social sharing, more people will hear about and grow their interest towards your hotel. In this way, your web reputation and the number of bookings will grow in a faster way, and you will increase the likelihood to get positive reviews on TripAdvisor.
7. MailChimp connector
Once you have collected enough user data, you can leverage the MailChimp connector integrated with Tanaza to communicate with your guests in a tailored way. The MailChimp Connector, indeed, allows you to add automatically new email addresses gathered through Wi-Fi to a MailChimp list and send triggered emails and campaigns to your guests. For instance, you can send automatic surveys to guests who stayed at your hotel asking for feedback, to improve your services. Also, you can send customised offers depending on your target: you can promote your spa specifically to couples, the playground of your facility to families, or offer treatments and massages at the beauty centre of your hotel to women, etc.
Last but not least, Tanaza is multi-vendor and supports a broad range of indoor and outdoor access points from different vendors, such as Tp-Link, Ubiquiti, etc. In this way, you have the unique opportunity to choose the access points you prefer for your Wi-Fi deployment, optimizing your costs while, at the same time, relying on a first-rate network. For instance, you can use a Tp-Link or an EnGenius device for outdoor areas, such as the hotel parking area, the garden or the swimming pool, and opt for a Ubiquiti access point for indoor areas, such as the hall or the restaurant. For instance, we suggest opting for the latest Ubiquiti UniFi AC In-Wall for hotel rooms, as it is small, easily deployable and can provide both wireless and wired connectivity.
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