How to Use FS Wireless Products to Build Retail Wi-Fi Solutions?
Updated at Jun 26th 20231 min read
Offering free in-store Wi-Fi is no longer simply a nice customer perk, it’s become integral to the shopping experience. By deploying Wi-Fi in commercial retail spaces, customers will compare the product’s prices, read its reviews, and even browse the deals. Even when customers are in the store, they go online and research a product to compare. But it’s not just consumers who have benefited from the emergence of retail Wi-Fi. Employees and operations management are able to collaborate and communicate seamlessly while instantly updating inventories and dispatching work orders. For brick-and-mortar retailers willing to embrace the digital world and leverage Wi-Fi marketing, they are not only meeting customer expectations, they are driving sales.
Why is it Necessary to Offer Free Wi-Fi in Retail stores?
Improved shopping experience
By providing shoppers with high-speed Wi-Fi to search for product information, read reviews, and compare prices, they can conduct all their research in your store. Moreover, if reviews and prices meet their expectations, they are more likely to purchase there or on your website. New applications can also help shoppers add products to their shopping lists, find aisles with specific products, and discover new products.
Increased sales
More than 60% of businesses reported that customers spend more time lingering in their shops when free Wi-Fi is offered. Not only that, but 50% of business owners said customers spend more as well. When customers linger at your business, they are more likely to find things they want. They might add something to their meal (like another drink, coffee, or dessert) which is profitable to your brand, or they may increase their cart by adding impulse buys or deciding to splurge on extra items. The increase in time spent at your store and sales go hand-in-hand. If your customers leave after a few moments, you won’t have time to really sell them on your brand.
Increase customer loyalty
Providing your customers with free Wi-Fi access will let you know your customers better. When shoppers connect to your retail Wi-Fi, you have the ability to learn about their shopping patterns, purchases and habits. You can run high ROI marketing campaigns by sending users personalized emails to promote your new products, discounts, and collections.
Common Challenges in Retail Wi-Fi
Cost consideration: Cost is a constant pain point for customers, especially in the case of small and medium-sized retail stores. The cost is especially important.
Internet experience: The coverage of the network in the store is not stable, and the connection to the headquarters often disconnects. How can business be guaranteed? The internet experience is the only standard for testing the value of the network in a store. Without a good experience, customer feedback will continue to deteriorate, eventually leading to no one using the network. The severe wireless roaming problem causes mobile business terminals to have slow navigation or even dropouts, and employees frequently complain. Employee efficiency significantly decreases, affecting the effectiveness of store operations.
Maintenance difficulty: After the network is built, easy maintenance is a bottom-line requirement for customers. They cannot afford to spend a large amount of additional effort involved. Especially in the case of overall scene, customers expect to be able to concentrate on centralized configuration and upgrade. Device failures cannot be visually managed, and frequent visits to the scene result in high maintenance pressure and high costs.
Basic Needs of Retail Wi-Fi Network
Retail chain stores are distributed all over the country, and the IT headquarters manages the informatization of the stores. There is a problem with low operation and maintenance efficiency in daily management. Therefore, retail chain stores will have the following requirements for informatization in IT construction:
Capacity
Figuring out the capacity needs for a retail space is one of the biggest challenges of all since people are floating in and out every few minutes. It is impossible to know how many people will be in and how much data will be traveling through the space at any given time. More data will mean more stress on the network, so it is important to plan for the total amount of throughput.
Simple setup and quick deployment
Through centralized configuration by the IT administrator of the headquarters, each store is standardized for network configuration. The store site only needs to complete the device on the cloud, greatly improving the efficiency of store opening.
Easy authentication
Supports multiple authentication methods, such as Portal authentication, WPA2/WPA3, and 802.1X, achieving fast network access for customers (one-click access, user/password access), and the Portal page can be customized according to the needs of the store.
Cost-effective
The equipment required for chain store branches must be multifunctional and unified, with high-quality and affordable prices.
FS Retail Wi-Fi Solution and Highlights
Tips for deploying this network topology:
Small-sized stores: Under 150 square meters, one AP-N505 will be installed on the ceiling. The installation height is controlled between 3-5 meters above ground. Each AP supports up to 64 terminal connections.
Medium-sized stores: Under 1000 square meters, divided into gypsum partition and open-style types. For gypsum partition stores, one AP-N505 AP is deployed in each region. For open-style stores with more than 150 square meters, AP-N505 APs are deployed at intervals of 15-20 meters, in an equal-angle distribution.
Large-sized stores: more than 1000 square meters, access points are placed at equal intervals horizontally and vertically, with an interval of about 20-25 meters. FS AP-N515 APs are installed overhead using ceiling mounts, and the installation height is controlled at 3-5 meters from the ground. Each AP supports up to 80 terminal connections.
What are the highlights of this solution?
Wi-Fi full coverage, convenient cloud authentication
Retail chain stores provide full Wi-Fi coverage, in order to support free and best Wi-Fi experience functions for customers. Customers can quickly and freely use the Wi-Fi service by completing the Portal authentication. The authentication page can be customized according to the needs of each store.
Simplified cloud-based management platform to improve efficiency
Through centralized IT network management at the headquarters, each store is standardized in its network configuration. At the store, only need to complete the device on the cloud, which greatly improves the efficiency of open-style stores. In addition, a unified O&M management platform can be used to achieve centralized monitoring and management of national wired and wireless network equipment and key links.
Which product should I choose to build the retail Wi-Fi network?
Here is a list which includes FS devices for reference:
Product classification | Model | Brief Introduction |
Airware | A Cloud-based Scalable Network Platform | |
Wireless Access Point | Cloud Managed Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax 3000 Mbps Indoor Access Point, 2x2 MU-MIMO Dual Radios | |
Cloud Managed Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax 5375 Mbps Indoor Access Point, 4x4 MU-MIMO Dual Radios | ||
Wireless Controller | 802.11ax Wireless LAN Controller with 6 Gigabit Ethernet Ports, Manage up to 224 Wi-Fi 6 APs | |
PoE+ Switch | 48-Port Gigabit Ethernet L2+ PoE+ Switch, 48 x PoE+ Ports @740W, with 2 x 10Gb SFP+ Uplinks and 2 x Combo SFP Ports, Broadcom Chip | |
Security Gateway | SG-5105 All in One Multi-WAN Security Gateway with 8 Gigabit Ethernet Ports, 1x SFP, 1x SFP+ |