Currently, Facebook is pushing its Facebook WiFi service to businesses.
It is a free WiFi service that you can offer people in your area. The promise here is that you can provide a public secure WiFi network with a small amount of time and cost.
In exchange, they will increase your exposure on Facebook. so giving you much free advertising. What Facebook asks the WiFi user is for a Like or Check-in for your business page. As the average person has many people on their Facebook page, that is a great way to increase your exposure *FREE*. Plus you will get many new reports, e.g. demographic information about the people in your area. You would then know what Facebook thinks are the people who are similar to your customers. This would reduce the cost of reaching potential people, some of who will become your customers using Facebook ads.
Is your shop near a suitable area?
Say you had a nearby place where people sit and use their mobiles and laptop. Examples might be a bus stop, tables where people sit, eat and drink, e.g. pubs, etc.
If the answer is no, then you can stop reading now.
Internet issues.
Some of you will need to upgrade both your internet plan. How much would you need? I am not sure. You may need to talk to your ISP.
Also, it does not work on all routers. You would need to check this out in advance. You may need a new router.
Is it easy to set up?
Clients who have done it say that it is not easy. One computer literate user told me that "I found an access point that had Facebook WiFi.. was a lot of stuffing around to set it up. Then creating a Facebook app then linking the AP to it was not easy."
I suspect that if everything is correct, we are looking at a small amount of time. Otherwise its a not quick, especially if it is your first attempt.
Summing up
If you have a business that ticks the above boxes, *YES*.
Although it is probably not as simple as advertised, Facebook WiFi does much of the heavy lifting when setting up a customer WiFi portal. Most of the settings required for getting a customer WiFi portal running is done for you. Much of the legal responsibility is passed on to Facebook. Also, it can link into your Point of Sale Software.
So it's worth investigating to see if it will work for your business.
If you want to know more, then click here.
