Create Your Own Hotspot

Rules for Hotspot Success

If you've got it, flaunt it! A little planning and promotion can go a long way toward making your hotspot a success in terms of added revenue, higher brand recognition, and increased customer satisfaction. Here are JiWire's top ten dos and don'ts for the self-respecting hotspot:

1. Provide a laptop-friendly environment for your wireless customers, with comfortable chairs, tables big enough to accommodate notebook computers, and electrical outlets available nearby. There's no need for expensive rewiring -- a few strategically placed power strips running from existing outlets will do the trick. Place them in quiet unused corners.

2. Get the word out! If you are part of a hotspot network, you'll receive things like door stickers, brochures, tent cards, and other means of notifying your customers that Wi-Fi is now available. Use them! If you're doing it yourself, create your own door or window signage advertising your hotspot. Inside, post clear signs telling people how to connect. The clearer things are, the fewer questions your employees will need to answer.

3. Promote your hotspot externally too. Don't just advertise to your existing customers, attract new ones by including references to your hotspot service in newspaper and yellow pages ads, on your Web site, and even on your answering machine message.

4. Get listed! More and more, business travelers are relying on online directories of hotspots (like JiWire.com) to find the location closest to them. Sign up with as many as you can. In addition, some paid networks (including Boingo), allow free Wi-Fi sites to be listed in their directories at no charge. To list your hotspot with JiWire.com, click here.

5. Help customers get connected. If you are not partnered with a hotspot provider network (which will have its own customer support phone numbers), try to train at least one employee on each shift about basic connection techniques in case of customer questions. Also print up a laminated card or two with basic instructions and troubleshooting techniques that can be handed out like a menu (easing the load on your employees).

6. Give it away! If you're a pay site, consider using promotions like a free month for new accounts, "frequent-buyer" cards good for a day of access, and other incentives for good customers of your primary business. Once customers have tried it, they'll probably like it. Just be sure that you don't end up giving access away to business travelers, since they're only there for the day anyway.

7.Customize your splash screen. By all means take advantage of the free opportunity to advertise your primary business, and gain recognition in return for providing hotspot service. Almost all turnkey hotspot software allows you to do this without programming knowledge.

8. Minimize interference. Don't use 2.4GHz cordless phones on your property, and keep microwave ovens away from your access point. These are both common sources of interference with Wi-Fi, which uses the same 2.4GHz radio band. Use 900MHz cordless phones instead. Also make sure you use a different Wi-Fi channel than other nearby hotspots. If you still get complaints about a poor signal, switch to a MIMO router.

9. Don't get spammed. If you are providing a free hotspot, or using consumer-level access point hardware, be aware that spammers may be attracted to your service as a great way to get onto the Internet. This could result in your location being blacklisted by ISPs, making it useless for regular customers (and nightmarish to undo). Dedicated hotspot solutions normally monitor user activity and prevent this sort of thing from happening. They also often have filtering options for objectionable content, which may be necessary in places like schools or libraries.

10. Provide the computer, too. Some visitors might want to get online at your hotspot but not have a laptop. Why not offer a couple workstations where customers can pay to get onto the net, like Schlotzsky's Deli?