WI-FI, the new basis of Maslow’s pyramid of human needs?
Today, Wi-Fi is the predominant access technology for mobile devices. Why is that? As more and more mobile devices become Wi-Fi enabled, the amount of public hotspots expands and the user acceptance grows. The effect?
75% of people say 1 week without Wi-Fi would leave them grumpier than 1 week without coffee (Iconic Displays)
Can you relate to the feeling of being uncomfortable without your mobile phone? “Nomophobia”is the fear of being without our mobile phone. Constant mobile availability via Wi-Fi has become one of the primary human needs in today’s developed world. Some would even call it the new basis of Maslow’s pyramid of human needs, which describes the hierarchy of human needs, ranging from most fundamental levels of physiological and safety needs at the bottom to the need for self-actualization at the top.
According to the 2013 Internet Trend Report by Kleiner Perkins, mobile users check their phone 150 times a day and SAP states that 44% of people sleep with their smartphone beside their bed. Even more striking is the fact that 80% of smartphone owners check their phone within 15 minutes of waking up (IDC). In short, Smartphone usage and constant connectivity have become an essential part of our daily lives — 29% of smartphone owners state that they “can’t live without it”. Here are three key facts about Wi-Fi adoption that every business should know:
1. Two-thirds of U.S. consumers choose Wi-Fi over cellular (Deloitte)
This is an immense increase compared to 2012, where Wi-Fi was the preferred choice by only 1/3 of U.S. consumers. Considering smartphone users alone, 71% of users prefer to connect to Wi-Fi when using the internet on their mobile device. This figure is expected to grow, as consumers increasingly use their mobile devices to engage in online activities. More and more institutions and companies recognize the benefits of offering guest Wi-Fi and equip their locations with free Wi-Fi access, in order to attract, please and entertain visitors.
2. 50% of consumers feel comfortable making a large purchase in-store if Wi-Fi access is available (Accenture)
Why is that? Wi-Fi enhances the consumers’ online connectivity and thus provides them access to valuable information during the in-store decision making process, both directly and indirectly: It directly enables consumers to utilize their mobile phones to search online for product and brand information. At the same time, retailers can utilize guest Wi-Fi to indirectly guide consumers onto their own online channels and increase brand awareness at the point of sale. Up to 70% of shoppers have a Wi-Fi capable smartphone at hand, out of which 50% have their Wi-Fi enabled during their shopping trip.
3. Smartphone users are mobile “nomads”: In-home usage is expected to grow more than on-the-go usage (Cisco)
Increased Wi-Fi usage is supported by the rise of mobile connectivity. More users utilize their smartphones both at home and on-the-go, in order to browse, shop and use apps. In fact, while two-thirds of people typically use their devices on-the-go, the world of mobile usage is changing from an “on-the-go” world to a “nomadic” world, which is dominated by in-home use. In-home is reported to have an average usage of 2,5 hours per typical day, which is 5 times the average “on-the-go” usage. 30% of users believe to boost in-home usage even further.
So what’s in for retailers?
Retargeting store visitors across their mobile devices — both on-the-go and at home — is highly lucrative for the advertising industry. Mobile will become a more and more relevant medium for advertising and other communications, thanks to the widespread adoption of Wi-Fi. The only challenge remaining is targeting the right customer segments at the right time and across the right devices.
Luckily, MiNODES has the solutions to help you solve that challenge.
Check out our website to read more: www.minodes.com/blog
