Vox has introduced the Vox WiFi Retail Lite solution targeting coffee shops, restaurants, and other small service businesses where customers have come to depend on freely available WiFi access.

“Retail stores can ill afford not to provide customers with high-speed WiFi connectivity given the increased connected lifestyles we lead. The days of not offering the option of a wireless connection are long gone. Any retailer where customers are likely to spend more than 10 minutes see them expecting to have internet access to do their work and stay up to date on their social networking feeds,” says Jacques Visser, head of wireless at Vox.

But there is a difference between simply having access and getting a superior service. Vox has designed the offering to do away with slow speeds, weak signals, or even dead spots while giving the store owner the option to get valuable consumer insights and harness marketing opportunities to have the business running smoothly.

Furthermore, Vox provides the option to have an engineer configure a separate private network for the business that enables it to easily link its own devices, point-of-sale systems, and even value-added services such as Uber Eats and Mr D.

“However, retailers must be aware of how cybercrime has become increasingly sophisticated with malicious users targeting customers who use publicly available WiFi networks. In fact, WiFi is not a secure environment by default. We advise all our retail clients to implement their own cyber security measures to protect their files, online accounts, and user privacy. Fortunately, Vox has an extensive range of security solutions available that can be incorporated into the Vox WiFi Retail Lite packages.”

The WiFi Retail Lite solution includes a marketing engine, that enables the retailer to speak directly to customers, informing them of specials, find out their likes and dislikes, and even build loyalty programmes.

“Even though other providers might have been tempted to leave it as an off-the-shelf solution, we wanted to provide retailers with a truly unique offering. To this end, our product is completely flexible and customisable to the needs of each customer. There is also a customisable WiFi landing page that offers the end users several ways of logging in, including using their social media profiles, email address, cell phone number, or completing a questionnaire.”

It is in this where the WiFi Retail Lite solution brings data insights to business owners. They can use the information to create marketing campaigns based on demographics and historical data. Customers can be targeted with SMS messages, emails, or even coupons to reward loyal patrons with discounts and specials. Vox will never distribute or use the personal customer information of the retailer, providing the business owner with the peace of mind that only they can access customer data.

There are several different packages available depending on the number of access points and marketing functions required. The business needs to have existing internet access, alternatively Vox can provide cost-effective connectivity depending on the unique requirements of the retailer.

“We pride ourselves in delivering enterprise-grade solutions that are affordable to any budget. The WiFi solution works on any internet connection whether the store uses ADSL, wireless fibre, LTE, or even satellite. It is all about enabling retailers throughout South Africa to deliver a digitally transformed environment for their customers,” concludes Visser.