Since the 2013 introduction of Apple iBeacon to the market, beacon technology has been generating buzz. The Bluetooth beacon market was valued at $519.6 million in 2016, and is predicted to reach over $56 billion by 2026.
Still for many, the true potential of beacon technology is untapped. These small, battery-powered wireless devices do more than just broadcast Bluetooth signals to nearby smartphones—they’re opening up new possibilities.
In this article, we’ll break down what Bluetooth beacons actually are, their benefits, and dive deep into seven Bluetooth beacon applications that are revolutionizing industries in terms of efficiency and user experience.
What are Bluetooth beacons
Bluetooth beacons are small wireless transmitters powered by battery that transmits Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) signals. These devices communicate with users who have Bluetooth-enabled and compatible apps installed on their mobile devices.
The main use of Bluetooth beacons is to provide proximity-aware services. When a compatible mobile device comes within the range, beacons can trigger specific actions or prompt information.
For example, a visitor walks into a museum gazing at famous paintings and art. Suddenly, their smartphone prompts detailed information about the artwork, its history, and the artist. Beacons do enhance visitors’ viewing experience.
Bluetooth beacon technology is already embraced by many industries, from retail to hospitality, education to logistics. Apple’s (iBeacon) and Google’s (Eddystone) beacon protocols have led tech giants to adopt this beacon protocol and foster widespread adoption and innovation around this technology.
The benefits of using beacon technology
Adopting Bluetooth beacons in different applications brings a lot of benefits. It helps organizations to create more personalized experiences for users, thereby enhancing engagement and interactions. In this section, I’ll discuss some of the key benefits of using beacon technology.
- Location-based services
Gone are the days when businesses could only rely on static information delivery methods. Now, users expect more contextual interactions that adapt to their location. Beacon technology provides precisely that, triggering actions or information based on a user’s proximity to specific points of interest.
Now, users can receive relevant information at the right time and at the right place.
- Personalization
Just as online platforms offer personalized recommendations based on user behavior, beacon technology can provide customized experiences in physical spaces. Everything from targeted information to specific alerts can be tailored to user preferences. This not only helps develop better user engagement but creates a more interactive and meaningful experience.
Traditional information delivery methods are generally available, but they cannot provide personalized assistance to every individual. Beacon technology serves to bridge that gap.
- Data insights
It is possible to track user movements and interactions to get very valuable behavioral data. The exhibition host can analyze the traffic patterns and the duration of user engagement at different intervals and locations. From there, they can help optimize how events are organized, and help improve event planning and execution considering visitors’ behavior and preferences.
- Mobile app engagement
It’s not uncommon for users to download apps to their smartphones and then forget they exist. Beacon-triggered interactions act as reminders to increase the app’s utility and relevance. By leveraging beacon technology, mobile apps become more valuable tools that provide timely, location-based features to users.
7 popular Bluetooth beacon applications
The main use case in most Bluetooth beacon applications is Point of Interest (all our Bluetooth anchors support this, but it requires compatible apps), that is, using Bluetooth beacons to provide proximity information. Another important application is location and navigation (we offer various Bluetooth asset and personnel beacons for this purpose). Of course, Bluetooth sensors can provide additional functions.
Retail
Retail stores use beacons to revolutionize the shopping experience. The more common case is the use of Bluetooth beacons for proximity marketing. At the time of a customer entering the store, beacons can send personalized information, like promotion or product information, based on their needs.
Also, Bluetooth beacons analyze product traffic. For example, the retailer would place our M4 beacon in shoes and with movement triggers on the M4 would know if the shoe was picked up. The number of times one shoe is picked up shows how interested one is in different shoes.
In supermarkets, Bluetooth ToF sensors can greatly help monitor the usage of sanitary products such as hand sanitizer and paper towels.
Of course, our asset beacons can also be used for tracking things like shopping carts, etc.
Real Estate
Mainly used for point of interest and navigation. Bluetooth beacons are the perfect way to navigate large houses and assist brokers in managing multiple visitors touring properties.
Beacons can notify clients when they are in proximity to a property. Placed in or around the house, beacons can trigger notifications directly to potential clients with Bluetooth-enabled smartphones. They can find property information and schedule tours directly from the notification.
During home tours, beacons replace paper printouts by delivering property details to smartphones. Clients receive notifications with access to custom pages showing property data and photos upon arrival.
‘Home for sale’ signs become smarter with beacons. These enhanced signs recognize nearby potential clients and instantly provide property details such as floor space and flooring materials.
Hospitality
Bluetooth beacons can simplify guest experience and make hotels and resorts safer too. From automated check-in to room access and personalized local recommendations, beacon technology is transforming the hospitality industry.
For employee safety, we provide various solutions. Hotel workers can use our Bluetooth badges and emergency buttons for easy identification and tracking. Our employee safety devices can give hotel housekeepers and room service staff even more security and comfort, especially.
As well, our asset beacons are suitable for tracking valuable hotel equipment.
Transport
Mainly, beacons in the transport facilities provide navigation and real-time information. In transportation hubs like airports, train stations, and bus terminals, beacons are applied to guide passengers, offer gate changes, and display estimated waiting times.
Passengers can get real-time information about terminal locations, parking, shuttles, and more. Airports can also track and dispatch employees more efficiently.
Beacons also have many applications in cold chain transportation. In vehicles and the cold chain, they can track locations and cold chain temperatures. Then such information is transferred through Bluetooth to the cellular gateways for wider coverage.
Education
Educational institutions are utilizing Bluetooth beacons to build smarter, safer schools. Our beacons serve multiple applications. Students can automatically register in all their classrooms through Bluetooth ID badge beacons for attendance tracking.
In terms of safety, our personnel beacons are used for student protection. School buses equipped with our Bluetooth beacons enable accurate location tracking of each bus. Real-time location and expected time of arrival updates are available to parents for their children’s buses.
But the beacons also help with equipment management. School equipment can have our asset tracking beacons attached to them.
Healthcare
We then discuss how hospitals and medical facilities are adopting Bluetooth Beacons to enhance patient care, and also operational efficiency. Patient tracking is a key use case – patients can wear our medical wristband beacons so that healthcare staff can monitor their location in real-time.
Tracking medical equipment location and occupancy is of great importance. Usually, healthcare settings need various beacons in different features, sizes, and forms. Those beacons often need to be robust, highly waterproof ratings, high-temperature resistant, etc. A variety of our asset beacons are available for your choice, such as coin beacon M1, robust beacon M4, and paper beacon UT1.
The monitoring of storage of temperature-sensitive medications is also an important use case. Our Bluetooth temperature and humidity sensors and door sensors are the best combination. T＆H sensors continuously track the storage conditions while the door sensors alert the door open status. Any abnormality including temperature deviations will be informed in time.
Warehouse
Asset beacons are everywhere in warehouses. From basically everything that moves to pallets, trailers, forklifts, pallet jacks, the list for tracking is long. In the same way, personnel beacons are used as panic buttons in case of accidents or emergencies.
Another use case that we cannot ignore is Bluetooth environment sensors. For fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, aquatic and dairy products, the optimal temperature and humidity metrics for storage are critically important.
Also worth mentioning is that our new mini Bluetooth USB gateway is ideal for warehouses. All data can be collected and transmitted via it for centralized monitoring.
How to get started with Bluetooth beacons
Now that you’ve learned the popular Bluetooth beacon applications, you may want to get them involved in your projects or business.
A beacon plan and a set of Bluetooth beacons are the first things you’ll need. There are many Bluetooth beacon manufacturers and platforms to select from, and MOKO SMART is a pretty good choice. The most important thing is to ensure select the appropriate beacon hardware suitable to your requirements and use case.
After setting up the beacon infrastructure, you’ll develop or integrate an app that can interact with the beacons. Inform your target users to download the app so they can have better experiences or features.
You can now start experimenting with different beacon-triggered actions or campaigns. This could include location-based notifications, indoor navigation, or proximity-based content delivery. If you focus on proximity marketing or point of interest, continue to monitor user engagement to refine your solution.
Make sure you honor the user privacy and offer clear opt-in/opt-out options for interacting with the beacon.
Why choose MOKO SMART beacons
For Bluetooth beacons that are highly reliable and affordable, MOKO SMART is the place to go. We have various types of models to suit different uses, support major protocols like iBeacon and Eddystone, and have outstanding technical support. With over 17+ years of smart device development and manufacturing, MOKO is your trusted Bluetooth beacon partner!
