What is dwell time?
Definition
Dwell time is how long a visitor stays in a venue or in a defined zone within it. WiFi analytics measures it passively, from the first to the last time a device is seen in a session. In retail and hospitality it predicts conversion better than raw footfall counts do.
Dwell time explained
The calculation is straightforward in principle. Access points hear WiFi probe requests and connections from nearby devices. The analytics platform records the first and last observation of each device identifier within a session, and the gap between them is that visit’s dwell time. Reports usually show the average across all visitors for a period, per venue or per zone.
Zones are where it becomes useful. Using signal strength (RSSI) from several access points, the platform places devices into geofenced areas such as a store department, a hotel lobby or a stadium concourse. High dwell in a retail zone correlates with purchase intent; low dwell in a hospitality venue can point to a poor experience or a queue.
Two cautions apply. MAC randomisation can split one visitor into several identifiers, so platforms that also use authenticated sign-in data give more reliable figures. And location data is personal data under GDPR, so it needs a lawful basis and anonymisation where consent has not been given.
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