Slow Internet affecting your business

In business, good connections matter
Small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) must have high-speed internet connectivity to compete in today’s business world. The UK’s average internet speeds have steadily improved over the years, and having a fast, reliable internet connection puts a business at an advantage but there remain numerous parts of rural UK – especially in Northern Ireland – where internet connections are poor and SMEs are suffering as a result.

A slow internet connection of 40 minutes a day equates to 21 wasted days per year. Bad connections don’t just waste your employees’ time and drain your businesses of money. They are also the kiss of death for business budgets and your company’s wider health. In fact, getting a faster internet connection just might be the key to raising your business to a whole new level. So let’s look at how slow internet speeds could be holding your business back.

  • Customer experience
    If your business welcomes clients or customers through its door, you need to offer fast, free Wi-Fi. It’s more than just a perk, it’s the accepted gold standard. If you don’t provide fast efficient Wi-Fi, one of your competitors down the road will…and your customers will walk. So think of fast broadband as a sales tool, rather than a free service.

  • Lost productivity
    Slow internet connection causes productivity to drop as employees to have to wait for a longer duration to send emails, for pages to load, or for downloading attachments, etc. It also places limits on file size, which can be a real problem for creative agencies. Some sites such as yousendit.com can alleviate the pressure on your email platform, but if you have a slow Internet connection, problems can still persist.

  • Difficulty using latest technology
    Most companies now use cloud-based technology, such as storage and software as a service (SaaS).These offer lower cost, better value services than their non-cloud counterparts, but businesses with slower internet connections may struggle with cloud services and find themselves deprived of the savings (and performance efficiencies) they offer.

  • Slow Internet is detrimental to your customer service
    When you’re trying to resolve a customer issue, speed is all and a fast, responsive internet service can make a world of difference. Telephony may still carry the brunt of customer service work, but many leading businesses are also using connectivity to deliver better customer service. These digital forms of service are only possible if your business has a reliable connection.

  • Serving your internal customers
    SMEs need to stay connected with employees and keep them updated with company and product information.
    So a weak internet connection can cause serious problems with internal emails, e-newsletters and webinars, to name a few. One common cause of the problem in this area is the contention ratio, which slows down connectivity when a lot of people are trying to use one internet line at the same time. A fast broadband connection removes this problem, ensuring that everyone stays informed and ready to represent the brand and message as effectively as possible.

  • Video Conferences Lag
    As more and more businesses connect with clients locally, nationally and globally using Zoom, Microsoft Teams and other such platforms, the need for video conferencing grows more and more apparent. Poor connectivity and technical glitches are the main reasons why many meetings start late, so if you want your meetings to run smoothly and on time, you’ll need to think about how providing the connectivity that they need.

Slow internet? Act fast!
No matter what industry you are in, a fast internet connection is essential to making sure that you acquire more customers, stay in touch with your team and sustain business growth. If you would like to talk to HPN about fast, reliable broadband as part of a new business plans, call me, Paul Hagan, or any member of the High Performance Networks team on 028 9053 8411, or email info@hpnetworks.net. We’ll help you manage your broadband in ways that are right for your business.