10 argumentów against beacons

Much has already been written about beacon technology – headót is not only in superlatives, referring to the possibilities of the technology and where it can be used. Last year was the beginning of a boom. One by one, deployments have sprung up like mushrooms. And while a nice video presentation promises a lot, sometimes the reality turns out to be more harsh.

Dear marketer, if you’re thinking about using beacon technology, keep in mind that there are many problemsów, w hichóThese factors need to be considered and addressed before you can effectively integrate them into your marketing mix. Based on my own experience gained during the implementation of the projectóI’d like to give you a hint on what you shouldóshould be taken into consideration when planning any implementation.

1. Is TwóThe recipient is aware of?

As reports show, the majority of peopleób do not know what a beacon is (more than 70 percent of.). Unaware consumers are using a scanneróin a photo codeór for activities thatóre should implement beacons. You have to think how to make them aware. If you plan to use beacons for sales, train your salespeople to use beaconsóAlso your employeesóin order for them to promote the solution further.

2. Twój receiver needs to download the application

Ideally, the phone’s operating system should be the same as the phone’s operating systemóhe head to detect beacons himself. Unfortunately, this is not yet the case. Remember, for beacons to communicate with a device, the user must install your application. For this to happen, there must be motivation. Just getting notifications on your phone is not enough incentive.

3. The phone must support BLE technology

Although this is becoming less of a problem,. When we were doing our first implementations two years ago, a significant proportion of usersów does not have a BLE-enabled device or system version. Before implementation, it is worth checking which smartphoneów using your target group.

4. Bluetooth must be enabled

Most consumersów is not reachable via bluetooth – has it customarily turned off. For “fun” can roll out, you need to monitor bluetooth status and inform/motivate to turn it on.

5. Lack of precision

If you want your application to activate precisely when you enter the beacon’s range, you may be sorely disappointed. Beacons are not super responsive. The information about leaving or entering the range may be far from the set range. This makes it difficult, and sometimes impossible, to implement actions that require accuracy: navigation inside a building, activation at a selected point or range.

6. Zakłóprice

There are many factorsówhichóre affect the lack of precision of the bluetooth itself. Public Wi-Fi, smartphones and tablets, traffic jams. These factors zakłóThe signals emitted by beacons are a majorów.

7. RóThe reality of the situation is thatóThe users, róThe RSSI

Smartphones are getting thinner and lighter, by this róalso susceptible to damage. Users protect them by putting on cases, protective films, rubber covers. These elements affect the reading of the signal. Additionally ródifferent phone modelsów have róBluetooth modules. In practice, this means that if two people are standing in the same place, one of them may not receive a signal when entering beacon range.

8. Space matters

During the implementation of our projects we noticed that it is most effective to place beacons around the perimeter of the rooms. When we installed a beacon on a reinforced concrete pole in the middle of the office, the signal was amplified on one side and poorly received on the opposite side. This meant that a person walking close to the transmitter could stay out of its range.

9. Beacons are not solar powered

Thanks to Bluetooth Low Energy technology, beacon batteriesów work longer, but they do not last forever. With heavy use, a beacon can drain a battery in a few months. Replacement is not easy and often ends up simply replacing the beacon.

It is also important to remember here that dead beacons do not collect any data, which means that valuable information may be lost.

10. The glue does not stick

The glue placed on the beacon surfaceów is not always effective. It depends on the surface and temperature. It is best to use an additional tape, whichóThe cradle reinforces the mount and protects against loss of the device.

Summary

Despite numerous difficulties, we should not be discouraged. Properly planned, conscious actions, preceded by tests, should bring the intended effect.