Which makes more sense… offering free wi-fi or a stronger cell signal?

I guess the picture says it all. If you’re a business with a lot of foot traffic, you might have put in free wi-fi in the years before the pandemic You now find yourself wondering how to bring back that foot traffic that was gone for so long. One way to do it: make sure people can connect.

Internet access isn’t just a luxury anymore — we all expect a real-time connection no matter where we go. As a business owner, you know this, but maybe you’ve recently realized that your free wi-fi isn’t making people very happy. Maybe you’re not getting the level of use you hoped, and you’re faced with the idea of adding more speed or more routers just to serve your customers.

Or… you could go another way.

Why spend money for bandwidth when it’s all around? A one-time investment in a cell phone signal booster, especially one that can boost LTE signals, is much better than an ongoing investment in free wi-fi. There was a time when you could fool yourself about who needed cell service. You might have thought your customer base was over 40 and didn’t think about it much. Today, that isn’t really true. People of all ages are addicted to their phones. Most folks have generous data plans, or even unlimited ones. 5G is more of a common occurrence today than ever, too. Why bother with the extra expense when these people would rather use their super-fast cell data plan rather than your aging DSL line?

Good cell service keeps people in your store longer. It makes them feel more secure and connected. It’s also just plain good hospitality. In the past, you might have kept people in the store with free coffee or donuts. Today, it’s all about those megabits.

The facts about business internet

Business internet has always been more expensive than home internet. It has to do with the way businesses use it, and the density of businesss compared to the density of homes. With the cost of corporate internet access at roughly 4x that of residential (like you needed me to tell you that) a single investment in a high-quality cell booster will pay for itself quickly. Your employees will also appreciate good cell service and you can feel more comfortable keeping their phones off the corporate network when there’s good data coverage.

I honestly believe that every business should have a cell booster, because every business should have a welcoming environment for visitors and a comfortable environment for employees. It’s an inexpensive way to make sure people stay longer when they come to see you, and isn’t that what you want?

Getting a cell phone signal booster is easy. Browse the great selection at Solid Signal to find the perfect one for your business. If you’re new to the world of cell phone signal boosters, why not ask the experts? We have real technicians available in our corporate offices outside Detroit. Call us at 888-233-7563 during East Coast business hours. If it’s after hours, fill out the form below. We’ll be happy to get back to you, usually within one business day.

About the Author

Stuart Sweet
Stuart Sweet is the editor-in-chief of The Solid Signal Blog and a "master plumber" at Signal Group, LLC. He is the author of over 10,000 articles and longform tutorials including many posted here. Reach him by clicking on "Contact the Editor" at the bottom of this page.