A shopper walks past your store. They weren’t planning on stopping in until a link to your latest offering hit their phone. Along with the offer, they get images, the right coupon, reviews, and a little marketing magic.
Now that billboards, window displays, and other signage are the norm, Bluetooth beacons are adding that extra kick to grab attention, triggering notifications as a user comes within proximity to a location. For small and medium businesses, beacons are a uniquely practical trend. Owners need only purchase one beacon in order to begin seeing results. Simply place it near the store entrance or anywhere you want to reach customers.
What is a Beacon?
A Bluetooth beacon is like a lighthouse, regularly sending out its “Unique ID” number. This number is picked up by Bluetooth-enabled devices—in many cases, smartphones. A related program on the smartphone looks up the beacon’s ID number and an action is triggered. Perhaps points are collected in an app. A link to the day’s news pops up. It’s up to the beacon owner to define the action.
App or app-free?
There are three basic ways for businesses to use beacons: through the Physical Web, Google Nearby, or with an app. As the Physical Web and Google Nearby don’t require a specially-made app, they should be the go-to methods for businesses working alone.
Getting Started with Physical Web
The Physical Web is Google’s platform for adding URLs to everyday life. In this instance, when a person walks near your Bluetooth beacon, they receive a URL. The Physical Web runs through Google Chrome, meaning anyone using Chrome with Bluetooth enabled can receive it.
To get started, you’ll need any beacon using Eddystone. The next step will vary slightly depending on where you buy your beacons. Use the associated configuration app to assign your URL to the beacon and start broadcasting. This should take only a few minutes and is relatively painless.
Notes:
- URLs must use HTTPS.
- This method does not track data. Instead, you could monitor traffic related to the URL.
Going with Google Nearby
Google Nearby Notifications enable a beacon to relay a URL and 40 character title to visitors’ smart phones. This should sound familiar as it’s very similar to the Physical Web. The major difference is that Nearby is built into Google Play Services. This means Nearby works with all Android devices but not on iOS. Users do not need to enable scanning in order to receive notifications.
To get started, you’ll need a beacon (Eddystone or iBeacon will both work just fine). Unlike with Physical Web, you’ll likely have to go straight to Google to set up your beacons and send out your message. This means you’ll be dealing with Google instead of your beacon hardware provider. It does take more effort to set up than the Eddystone URLs described above. Google wrote up a guide here.
Notes:
- URLs must use HTTPS.
- Does not support links to play.google.com
- This method does not track data. Instead, you could monitor traffic related to the URL.
Leverage an app
The last option is entirely different: link beacons to an app. This is difficult for a small business owner to achieve alone. Instead, it is possible for individuals to come together for a larger project. This is common in strip malls or city projects. This is a great option, supporting more methods of communication, active push notifications, and data collection. However, it also requires a much larger investment. To get started, you’ll need to locate a solution provider to hear what’s possible and how much it will cost you.
Success needs more than technology
The key to a successful beacon project? Know what problem you’re solving. Don’t add beacons for the cool factor, instead add them because they reach a certain customer base or add them to generate interest in a certain offering. Also, be sure to make your URL and any text visitor-centric.
About the author: Hannah Augur researches and reports on technology for beacon company Kontakt.io. Her focus is creating educational, timely articles that bring value to businesses and readers. She has previously worked with 3D printing, Big Data, FinTech, and cryptocurrency. Hannah boasts a hearty tolerance for buzzwords.
Edited by
Ken Briodagh
