TripAdvisor today announced the availability of TripAdvisor Wi-Fi Plus, a new subscription service for restaurants that offers a valuable benefit to their customers, will help restaurateurs build better relationships with them and collect more TripAdvisor reviews, which in turn can drive more business.
TripAdvisor Wi-Fi Plus is custom-branded for each business subscriber and works by automatically collecting contact information from diners who opt in to receive free Wi-Fi at the property. Owners can then use email marketing to connect with their customers—and encourage them to leave candid TripAdvisor reviews about their dining experiences.
“We’re excited to make TripAdvisor Wi-Fi Plus available to restaurants around the world. It’s a free benefit for consumers and helps businesses engage and build closer relationships with new and existing customers,” says Evan Becker, head of key accounts, TripAdvisor Restaurants. “The vast majority of reviews on TripAdvisor are positive—better than 4 out of a possible 5—so using the service to ask guests to share their experiences on our site generally leads to a better overall rating for the business and more engagement with our community of millions of high-intent visitors.”
Businesses using the new service collected, on average, up to 70 percent more TripAdvisor reviews, and reviews matter: 72 percent of consumers always or frequently read reviews before making a decision on where to eat, where to stay or what to do, according to a recent Power of Reviews study TripAdvisor conducted in partnership with Ipsos.
How to Get TripAdvisor Wi-Fi Plus
Owners can sign up for TripAdvisor Wi-Fi Plus by clicking on this link and following the prompts. They will receive a hot spot package by mail and will be able to plug in and go as soon as they receive it.
Once the service is installed, diners can seamlessly access free guest Wi-Fi through a preconfigured, custom-branded landing page with their email address or social media credentials. TripAdvisor Wi-Fi Plus continues the conversation with guests by automatically sending them reminders to leave TripAdvisor reviews.
There’s no need for marketing experience or technical skills. Business owners can use the service to easily create automated email marketing messages to wish customers a happy birthday, offer discounts or loyalty rewards, send “we miss you” emails and more.
The service will also help owners better understand consumer behavior with actionable insights, such as how many new customers are visiting, so they can improve the guest experience.
Pricing and Availability
TripAdvisor Wi-Fi Plus will be powered by Captini, a leading social Wi-Fi marketing provider and offered as a convenient “pay as you go” model through monthly, annual and two-year subscriptions to give restaurants flexibility and savings.