| I was visiting a beautiful mall in downtown | | | | cable internet or other internet connection to the |
| Charleston, West Virginia this summer. It had | | | | router. Depending on your area - this high speed |
| some great anchor stores, many small chain | | | | connection might be up to $50 per month. So for |
| stores, boutiques and the food court. The mall | | | | a small investment to set-up and a small monthly |
| was clean, well lit and people were moving around. | | | | cost - you have changed to nature of shopping at |
| But this mall - like many retail spaces - was not | | | | your mall. |
| so hot. Since they were not hot - those retailers | | | | Now men like me can sit down and connect to |
| lost business. Dollars walked out of the mall that | | | | the outside world while my spouse continues the |
| might have stayed. The worst part of it is that | | | | important work of gathering throughout the mall. I |
| they could have been hot for just a few dollars a | | | | no longer feel the rush of time since I have enter |
| month. | | | | a magical zone in the mall that will transport me |
| There was no wireless internet "hot spot" in the | | | | around the world, to my office or business or to |
| mall. The mall was not "hot". | | | | chat with friends or colleagues online. In this hot |
| My wife and I are the traditional couple when it | | | | zone - we even lose our fear of the mall dragons. |
| comes to shopping. I'm the hunter who will know | | | | Without the pressure from me - my wife is free |
| what big game I'm after - run in - bag it and get | | | | to shop longer without hearing across the mall the |
| out before I am eaten by the great mall dragon. | | | | painful shrugs and sighs of the tortured husband |
| We all know instinctively that somewhere in the | | | | waiting uncomfortably for her return. This means |
| mall sleeps a dragon ready to destroy any man | | | | more dollars for the mall merchants. This means |
| who stays too long in the mall. | | | | more dollars for the mall owners. This also means |
| When my wife approaches shopping, she uses | | | | that these customers will come back more often |
| the traditional gatherer skills handed down from | | | | since it was such a "happy" experience. |
| our ancestors. She carefully surveys the area and | | | | Hotel chains and some restaurants have figured |
| then takes time to look at each item of interest | | | | out the value of high speed internet access. Most |
| to be sure it will be what the family needs or | | | | of these have gone wireless since more and |
| wants or imagines it needs or wants... but I | | | | more devices come with wireless connections on |
| digress... She does find great bargains and | | | | board. |
| interesting items that makes our home and life | | | | Many chains like Starbucks have chosen to |
| much more interesting. The biggest surprise to | | | | become hot spots. It is a natural connection |
| hunters like myself... she loves doing it. She does | | | | between sitting and drinking coffee while checking |
| not fear the sleeping mall dragon. | | | | your email. Some other store owners have |
| This creates an obvious problem whenever we | | | | recognized that if you can get a spouse to stick |
| both are at a mall together at the same time. I | | | | to their store - their partner is likely to shop there |
| would like to dart in and dart out. She would just | | | | as well. Food courts are another natural place in a |
| like to dart in... Successful married couples handle | | | | mall setting to have wireless - so people can eat |
| this in different ways. Some men just don't go. | | | | and surf at the same time. |
| Others will wait in sweltering heat in the car in | | | | I think it is important to have these kind of |
| hope of a ballgame or talk show on the radio. | | | | wireless connections to be password free. This |
| Some will even enter the mall and sit ever so still | | | | kind of public network should not share connection |
| on the blessed mall benches appearing to be in | | | | to your business computers or files. It should be |
| some kind of trance. The do not move - they | | | | only for the public and therefore to make it |
| just sit silently like mall monks doing penance for | | | | simple - keep it easy to log-on without needing a |
| the many grievous errors from their youth. The | | | | password. |
| less skilled will move back and forth on their | | | | Yet even today, you can go to many well |
| bench making all sorts of sounds and deep | | | | established malls that spend huge amounts of |
| utterances - the pain of the moment allowing | | | | money on advertising and marketing to bring in |
| them to perhaps wake the mall dragon. The most | | | | customer traffic do not have a wireless solution. |
| foolhardy men will actually accompany their wives | | | | What is truly amazing is how many stores that |
| into the stores. These brave fools might try to | | | | have wireless in their name do not have a hot |
| hurry their spouse along and risk the wrath of | | | | spot for wireless users to use. We believe in |
| their wife. Or they will clench their fists and teeth | | | | wireless - we just have no way for you to use it |
| as they admire the various items held up for their | | | | here... that's a great marketing message. |
| approval. | | | | If you are a mall owner, the marketing manager |
| But there is a third way. Sadly, this fine mall in | | | | of your mall or other retail space or a mall |
| that beautiful city nestled between the mountains | | | | merchant - make sure you have a hot spot for |
| on the Kanawha River missed it. All they needed | | | | your customers to gather. Perhaps your business |
| was a "hot spot". | | | | is a perfect mate to have a wireless option for |
| A "hot spot" is a place that will allow people with | | | | your hunters to use while they are buying |
| wireless devices like their laptop computer to | | | | something from your business. |
| access the internet through a wireless network. | | | | Add some heat to your retail space. In this |
| Shoppers with wireless devices then can check | | | | competitive world of big box stores and boutiques |
| their email, surf the internet or do other tasks | | | | that are challenging the traditional mall |
| that are part of the wireless world. The cost to | | | | environments - you need every advantage. Make |
| set this up in equipment like the Linksys | | | | sure you're a hot place to be. You'll keep more of |
| SpeedBooster Wireless Router is about US$100 | | | | those hunter and gatherer dollars in the mall |
| for a wireless router (you can also add an eight | | | | rather than down the street. Who knows - we |
| inch booster antennae to increase the range and | | | | hunters might even begin to enjoy the mall. Well |
| strength of your signal) plus the cost of having | | | | perhaps we won't go that far... |