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Tapping Into The Power of WiFiGetting inside the minds of your customers and influencing them at the right moment during their buying journey is no newchallenge for marketers. However, as technology becomes more sophisticated, business marketers who are tapping into dataon consumer preferences, timing and other key buying factors are making significant strides in consumer engagement.Mobile is clearly a disruptive force in the retail and consumer market as buyers are tied to their smart phones 24/7, andresearch shows them actively using their devices while shopping or visiting onsite at Events, venues, stadia and brick-and-mortarretail stores.Harnessing the power of mobile, however, requires much more than just sending sale alerts or creating an app for download.We know that consumers are looking for low-investment, high-return tools to help them find what they’re looking for, at the rightprice, and in the immediate vicinity to quickly make a purchase.They may be looking for particular products, they may have a brand in mind or they simply want to purchase. Either way, theyare open to guidance.All businesses can leverage this opportunity by tapping into the power of Wi-Fi. How?Picture this scenario, which has likely happened to you at some point. You try to send a text or email, access Facebook or searchfor a deal on your phone whilst in at the place you’re visiting, only to find that it is next to impossible due to terrible connectivity.Many developers now offer free Wi-Fi to consumers, in part, to ensure they still feel connected while shopping or enjoying theexperience. But this amenity has more to offer shoppers — and retail marketers.As an example, once consumers sign onto a business Wi-Fi network, they may be able to access resources such as a directoryof stores, mall events and key promotions, all of which add value to their immediate experience.As this delivery method eliminates the need for consumers to download apps or complete registration pages, consumers aremore likely to engage. It becomes a gateway for shoppers to pull information as they need it.Shoppers who sign onto mall,venue,event- or store-based Wi-Fi networks have reason to stay on the premises longer, providingretailers an extended opportunity to connect with more customers and clinch further sales — both by developing their customeracquisition pipeline as well as strengthening existing customer loyalty.On the customer acquisition side, many retailers are finding that shoppers are often entering their shops because they’velearned about a promotion while onsite — not necessarily because of an email or direct mail piece they received from thebrand. They may have even had a specific retailer in mind but didn’t find what they were looking for and decided to peruse acompetitor’s promotion instead because they saw it was available once they were at the places of interest.

Immediacy = LoyaltyThe importance of immediacy cannot be underestimated when consumers are looking to fulfil their purchase needs.Wi-Fi-driven customer loyalty is also at play, as many consumers have already formed a relationship with, and affinity for, particularplaces where they go or shop regularly.Whether or not they currently utilize the brand’s mobile app, providing visibility into targeted promotions via the Wi-Fi accessgives shoppers another key touch point with preferred retail brands. If they see something they were looking for, and it is availablefor immediate purchase, then that business has made significant loyalty strides with a customer.Additionally, malls and retailers using Wi-Fi to offer shopping information to consumers can utilize the technology to captureshopper insights and patterns, which can be funnelled back into the malls’ and retailers’ sales and marketing strategies. Forexample, Wi-Fi usage stats may reveal peak buying periods across certain types of stores or show which promotions drove thebest results on any given day.With this type of data available on Wi-Fi networks, malls, retailers, venues and events can learn from current trends and optimizetheir on-premise traffic engagement strategies.Buyer Behavior Trends Driving The Digital Shift Toward MobileAs consumer activity continues to move toward digital, marketers need to evolve to adapt to that trend.Buyer behaviour is rapidly changing and forcing brands across all verticals to adjust and conform to the interactive world. Nearlyevery consumer activity has shifted to digital in some way — from listening to music, to shopping, to booking restaurant reservations,and so on.From Advertising To Improving The Customer ExperienceThese days, brands are recognizing the importance of delivering one-to-one communication to customers throughout thepurchase cycle.Customers are all looking for relevant communication that relates directly to their needs — no matter if they’re searching for aproduct or service, in the intent phase of considering whether to make a purchase, or have been consumers in the past and arelooking to make a repeat buy.Understanding how, why and when your customers engage with certain channels will lead to a better customer experience —and ultimately more sales.Not only are customers turned off by inconsistencies across channels, but they’re also turned off when advertisements disruptand aren’t integrated into their user experience.Contextual relevancy is rising as an important facet for customers, according to a recent Forrester/Tapad report; 23 percentwant ads to be tailored to the content they’re viewing and 21 percent expect ads to be tailored to their location.As marketers continue to marry first- and third-party data, they’ll be exposed to a larger data pool to deliver these customizedexperiences. In a report by MyBuys, three out of four shoppers said they’re willing to allow retailers to use in-store purchasedata if that means the brand’s communication with them will be more personal.

From One Device To MultipleFrom One Device to Multiple the increasing number of media channels has created complications for marketers to determinewhen, and where, their customer is located along the purchase journey. While this fragmentation presents challenges, it alsocreates a huge opportunity, because there are now more interaction touchpoints. .The Forrester/Tapad report said consumers own more connected devices than ever, with more than 70% of connectedconsumers indicating that they personally use three or more devices.It’s not just the devices that are multiplying; it is also the time spent engaging with content across screens.Time spent with digital media has leaped to 5 hours and 38 minutes a day, with 2 hours and 51 minutes of that time being spenton mobile, according to eMarketer. This is due to the fact that consumers take their devices with them and engage on and offthroughout the day and night.www.hotcakedigitalmedia.com