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Be our guest: Connecting with customers using your wireless network


Johannesburg, 13 May 2019

There are many great reasons to set up a guest WiFi network for your business or organisation; the value of the guest network and the available presence analytics cannot be overstated.

One of the many advantages of guest WiFi is that it provides a unified face to your customers from the moment they connect to your network. Most network providers offer a custom landing page that can be aligned to your brand identity in the form of images, logos, colours and banner advertising. Some organisations use this page to direct customers to a promotion or recent blog post, which immediately engages their interest in the company. At this point, you may also request a login from your customers, which will allow better tracking of their activity while using the guest connection.

Depending on how you set up your guest network, you will also have access to presence analytics to help understand user stay times and engagement patterns for your business. This information may be used to improve operations by changing staff shifts according to customer peaks, optimising your marketing strategies or creating targeted and intelligent merchandising to boost sales.

You may also view guest network information for multiple stores or premises, allowing you to compare customer engagement and find areas of improvement for different locations.

In terms of more direct benefits, a guest network encourages customers to spend more time in a particular store or venue, which can result in more purchases or simply further opportunities for them to interact with your brand. This, in turn, drives brand loyalty. How many times have you vowed never to return somewhere based on their poor WiFi connection? It can completely alter a customer's experience of your business, and by giving them the connectivity they need, it is more likely to be a positive one.

This is best illustrated within the hospitality industry. WiFi connection is one of the first things guests ask for when they arrive, and it will one of their biggest complaints if you get it wrong. For those businesses that prioritise high-quality connectivity, there is a wealth of loyal customers ready to join your revenue stream.

If none of these features have grabbed your attention yet, then perhaps the increased network security is more your speed. By separating your business and guest networks, it becomes more difficult to access your sensitive information because your business network will only be accessed by authorised users and employees. While your business network should have a highly complex password and security features, a guest network may have a simple password that can be given to anyone visiting your premises. Using your network provider's connectivity management system, you may control the duration and usage of the connection to ensure there are no risks to your organisation.

HPE Aruba Central's guest WiFi enables branded access for visitors, contractors, or suppliers and is simple and fully customisable. You are able to choose from several registration methods and create mobile-friendly login pages with your logo, custom welcome messages, terms and conditions, backgrounds, colours, and images, or simply choose from existing templates.

Connectivity health delivers the active monitoring and analysis needed to improve and maintain the connection process, including association with access points, network authentication, address assignment and domain name service accessibility.

With HPE Aruba Central, everything from setting up the network to monitoring and maintaining it is effortless. Whether managing one site or 1 000 remote locations, one interface that can be accessed from anywhere gives you the visibility and control you need. These features have the potential to expand your overall IT value and network far beyond your original objectives. HPE Aruba Central has one of the most advanced network management systems and offers a range of unique features for your presence analytics.

Ultimately, there are few reasons not to create a guest network for your organisation, and using the right network provider will give you complete control over how guests use this connectivity. In a world where wireless and mobile devices are essential tools, it's easy to give your customers what they want and drive more successful relationships with them.

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Editorial contacts

Sigourney Frier
Duxbury Networking
(+27) 011 351 9800
sfrier@duxnet.co.za