In today's competitive environment, restaurant chains are constantly evaluating a customer's in-store experience from first impression to when they walk out of the door. New mobile-based geomarketing technologies are allowing brands to make that first experience smoother, more personal and more memorable. Two of the more recent options, GPS and Beacon technology, opened up new doors for marketers, but what is the difference?
GPS Technology: How It's Limited
We are all familiar with GPS technology and how it calculates a user's location. In fact you probably use it a few times a week through the navigation system on your smart phone. GPS or Global Positioning System is a satellite based navigation system made up of a network of satellites. Because of their reliance on satellites, GPS signals can be easily obstructed by things like tall buildings in urban areas, atmospheric changes and electronic interference. This causes delays and can interrupt the experience a marketer is trying to create for their customers.
Beacon Technology: How It Works
Beacon Technology was developed to overcome the inherent limitations of satellite-based location information where smartphones are primarily used indoors.
Beacons work by using Bluetooth transceivers that can run for over two years on a small coin battery. By placing your Beacon on any surface, it can broadcast and receive Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) signals from a range of two inches to 230 ft. Smartphones can pick up these signals and (using a beacon's unique ID tag), calculate the distance to each beacon in range. They then trigger an app to perform various functions that can be helpful when trying to market to consumers on-premise. To make this even more compelling, according to a study from Swirl, 62% of respondents will engage with your app if the content is customized to their likes and preferences. Beacons allow you to do that.
Beacons for Your Business
So, go ahead, imagine a world where you are greeted when you arrive, assisted exactly when you need help and receive offers or rewards based on your actions! This new technology has arrived to help you accomplish just that for your customers!
Are you thinking about implementing new restaurant technologies? Click the download button below for our full white paper which details everything you need to know about beacon technology for your restaurant!
