As a business, you are probably wired to the internet on a 24×7 basis. To be very honest, it is hard to imagine a world without the internet. For most businesses all over the world, a brief outage in internet connectivity can result in the loss of millions!
Whether it is growing your business to greater heights, or reaching out to clients in new territories, you need the best Internet Service Provider (ISP).
More than just a vendor that offers a service, an ISP can become a real asset powering your businesses’ growth. In this resource article, we will try to address a question that most businesses always have on their minds- how to choose the best ISP for your business.
In this article, we will look to cover the following important sections:
- What makes the Internet so Important for Modern Businesses
- The different types of Internet Connections that are available to businesses
- List of 5 Important Factors to Consider that can help you choose the Best ISP
- Some common Network Connectivity Issues to avoid for your Business
- Our Final Analysis
Businesses and their need for the Internet: What makes it so important?
Let me throw some terms for your consideration
Social Media Marketing, E-commerce, Digital Marketing, Email Marketing, Application Development, Internet Banking. The list can go on and on.
All these above processes or strategies are something modern businesses swear by. In other words, no business can hope to succeed without anyone or all the above-mentioned strategies.
Modern businesses need robust internet connectivity to bring the best experiences for their clients. With consumers enjoying the perks of better digital awareness, it becomes important for businesses to bring their best game to their services.
SPTel, a leading name in business internet connectivity says that the size of the business does not matter. Small or big, all businesses need to improve their internet connectivity. This is where the role of a business ISP becomes critical.
To think of a business that is not connected to the internet is unheard of in today’s times. From the sales to the marketing teams, everyone is dependent on the internet for their day-to-day needs and functioning.
Major Types of Internet Connections that are Available to Businesses
In this section, we will try to shed some light on the major types of internet connections that are available to businesses.
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)
If you are a business that has only a handful of employees, you can opt for DSL. Dial-Up Connections have come a long way since the time they were first introduced to us. They still use your normal or traditional landline phone connections to work, However, in terms of speed, downloads, and service, there has been a marked improvement in DSL connections.
Cable Internet Connection
We all remember cable internet connections as an advancement over DSL lines in the early days of internet connectivity. Just like DSL, cable internet connections have also become advanced. You will be surprised to know that in some areas, the speed manages to touch 100MBPS as well. However, if there are multiple users, the lag starts to increase.
Satellite Internet Connection
The latest and greatest technology should be able to top both DSL and cable internet convincingly. However, that is not the case. This technology is still very much in its infancy and has proved to be quite unreliable and show. While Elon Musk continues to make Starlink grow, satellite internet is still not a preferred option for a majority of businesses in 2021.
Fiber Optic Connection
Last, but by no means least. Fibre Optic Connection ensures high-speed internet with great download speeds and phenomenal service support. It is the preferred option that most businesses fall back upon for their internet needs. Yes, it is expensive and does not cover the entire country. But in places where it is available, you do not need anything else.
List of 5 Things to Help you Choose the Best ISP for your Business
#1. The Reputation of the ISP
Before you choose an ISP, you must try to research the brand. This means looking at the reviews and ratings of the ISP to get a better idea about their services.
Working with a reputed, credible, and established ISP means that you can expect top-notch services. In other words, you can expect faster, more secure, and zero outage times.
#2. The Level of Customer Support on Offer
You cannot imagine how many things can go wrong when it comes to your ISP provider. From simple headaches like billing problems to more complicated ones like upgrades and add-on extensions, a business is dependent on the customer support of the ISP.
Hence, it is important to choose an ISP that offers 24×7 customer support to address needs as and when they arise.
#3. Flexibility in Service Conditions and Bandwidth
Every business expects to grow. When you grow, the kind of support and bandwidth that you would need from your ISP also grows.
As a business, you do not want unwanted complications whether it is form filling, paperwork, validation, and so on. You want the process to be as simple as possible so that you can concentrate on growing the business. Look for the ease of working.
#4. Package Deals offered by the ISP
The best ISPs ensure that their customers do not have to go anywhere else for complimentary services. For example, as a business, you might want to club your phone, tv packages and other cloud computing needs to stay with the same provider. This makes dealing with one vendor easier. Ensure that the ISP you choose can help you with the different services on offer.
#5. Prioritizing Security in the Age of Cybercrimes
As a business, you might be reading about how cybercrimes are growing, especially during the pandemic. Choosing an ISP that prioritizes additional levels of security is very important.
In a day and age where most businesses store financial information online, this need becomes a critical necessity. Any compromise on this front can affect the life and stability of a business.
Some Common Mistakes Businesses should avoid regarding their Internet Connectivity
In this section, we will try to list down some of the most common mistakes businesses make when going for an ISP.
Going for the cheapest option might look like the most attractive one at the moment
However, this is something that should be avoided. Low prices mean poor support and service and slow internet speeds. while this appears to be an attractive proposition early on in the business, it will cost you more harm in the long run.
Engaging with technologies that you are familiar with is another mistake that businesses make
ISP’s are smart. They try to sell solutions telling businesses that this is simple enough for their internal teams to take care of. However, this just saves them the time, energy, and effort of investing their own resources for the business.
If the world has moved on to automation and tech advancements
Businesses too should go for the latest and greatest technology in network connectivity. This means 5G rollouts, package deals, greater flexibility, and additional bandwidth support. all this will help the business to grow exponentially.
Working with an ISP that does not have a 24×7 Support Team
You cannot imagine the number of problems that can crop up in this area. What happens if the ISP does not have a 24×7 support team to address them immediately? Your business will lose credibility, customers, and a lot of revenues. 24×7 support is critical in this regard.
Too much paperwork for extending network services and pushing for bandwidth extension
If you want to scale up the internet solutions for your business, you should not have to wait for a month. This is why ensure that minimal paperwork and processes are involved to help you with flexible operations for your business.
The Bottom Line
In this article, we have tried to highlight how important it is to choose the best ISP for your business. A good ISP helps you stay competitive and grow your business. Experts say that scaling up a business is as much dependent on choosing the right ISP as it is on business plans, finances, and other important factors.
As a business owner, your attempt is always to make your business as future-proof as possible. The internet is future-proof. Building a business on the internet or taking help from it is the way to go if you want to create a set-up that confidently survives for the next decade or so. In simpler words, having a business that is connected to the internet is non-negotiable.
We have tried to dwell on the different kinds of internet connections that your business can choose. We have also looked at the five most important considerations that are required to be made when choosing an ISP. Additionally, we have also tried to shed light on some probable mistakes that most businesses end up making advertently or inadvertently.
If you have any more questions that you would like us to address, let us know in the comments section below. We will request our experts at SPTel to answer as many of your questions as possible.
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