Why do cafes offer wi-fi?

[Carley1697X]

hi, i'm just wondering:
1. why do cafes, buses and other public places offer free wi-fi
2. why is it so important
3. how it helps that business/the public?
thanks x

[PlanB]

It's just a convenience. Or in some circumstances gives a competitive edge. I've used cafe's or bars that offer Wi-Fi over ones that don't, many a time, for whatever reason.

[Ryan]

It attracts customers to come hang out i suppose. Also they probably need to have internet there anyway for employee use, so it doesn't take much effort to make some of it available to the public.

[Nema]

Cafe's and restaurants offer free wi-fi because it boosts their sales. The people sitting there using the free wi-fi are also buying coffee and cakes and what ever kind of food the restaurant sells. At the same time the people passing by are seeing them sitting there and subconsciously, they see the place as a popular hang out. They may not verbalize it but their brains register it that way and they end up coming there to check it out. So, in the end, it's all about the sales. Revenues made by people sitting and eating, and sales made by new customers coming to find out why the place is so popular.

[Aldatra]

People carry smartphones, laptops around. It is convinient and both the customers and the business benefits and encourage customers some- how to make use of services.

It is has to be viewed from a business man's perspective

[Megan]

Attracts more customers
People use the internet to access plenty of different things(e.g. social media websites, yahoo)
People can access these things for free