How High-Speed Internet Can Transform Your Small Business

For even the smallest businesses, the internet has become the backbone for getting things done. From marketing to customer service, order fulfillment to data management, every business needs internet access to be competitive. Those with slow internet access can struggle to keep up with the rapid pace of the modern business world. Fortunately, it’s never been easier to get high-speed internet for business. 

If you are looking for fast small business internet, we can help. Contact us today at WOW! Business to upgrade your internet and level the playing field for your business. 

Benefits of High-Speed Internet 

There are so many benefits that come with fast small business internet, including: 

Secure Payment Processing 

Today’s payment processing services are designed to be used over a stable, fast internet connection. Slow speeds can delay transfers of sensitive payment information and lead to failed transactions. The encryption used in payment processing needs to happen quickly to reduce vulnerabilities, which is why a faster internet speed can help improve your payment security. 

Efficient Order Fulfillment 

A lot has to happen between the time a customer clicks “Buy” and the warehouse ships off their order. The transfer of order information needs to happen quickly so that all the various systems involved can update and ensure a seamless process. Lost information or slow-to-arrive information puts a hitch in the process that negatively impacts businesses and customers. 

Seamless Cloud-Based Applications 

Businesses today need to take advantage of any technology available that can make them more competitive. Most of those technologies are cloud-based, like data backup to the cloud, which means they require the internet to communicate between the cloud and the application. A fast internet speed is necessary to ensure all of that back and forth happens without any discernible lag for the user. 

Drawbacks of Slow Internet for Businesses 

There are multiple negative impacts that businesses experience when they have slow internet. 

Bad Customer Experiences 

Whether the customer is waiting online for an order to complete, only to have it time out, or they are waiting at the checkout stand for the payment to go through, slow internet can drag down customer experiences. 

Reduced Employee Productivity 

Employees are only as productive as the tools they have available to them. If their tools stop working, they are going to struggle to get their work done. Slow internet speeds can cause cloud-based apps to function poorly and leave employees without the tools they need. Although they can switch gears and work on something else when this happens, there will be a drop in productivity. 

Less Business Growth 

Slow internet makes it difficult to take advantage of the modern internet-based tools that businesses use to remain competitive. That can lead to slower business growth and stall your progress. 

Do Physical Stores Need Good Internet? 

For e-commerce businesses, the need for fast internet can seem obvious. But what about physical stores? The fact is, that most physical stores are using plenty of online tools to do business. Those can include payment processing apps, inventory management apps, VoIP phone systems, data backup and security apps, and more. 

All of these tools rely on the internet to function. When your internet is slow, they are not going to work as intended. An obvious example would be the payment processing issue mentioned earlier. If customers have to wait longer to make a purchase because the POS system is lagging due to slow internet, they are going to notice and be upset. Such delays can be forgiven occasionally, but if it’s a regular occurrence they might go somewhere else next time. 

Does Internet Speed Affect My Website’s Load Times? 

Yes, internet speed affects how quickly your website loads on a user’s device. The download speed affects page load times and how quickly the data from the server transfers to the user’s device. Even the upload speed can affect the website’s performance if your website offers real-time updates. 

The amount that internet speeds affect your website load times can vary depending on many different factors. It will be different for each business and each website. But you can reliably predict that if your internet is slow it’s going to affect the way users experience your website, your e-commerce store, and any other online offerings you provide. 

What Is Good Internet Speed for A Small Business? 

This is an answer that depends a lot on the specific business. Some businesses are heavy internet users while others only use it for certain things. For those who want maximum speed and flexibility, fiber internet, also called gigabit internet, is a good option. 

But, as mentioned above, even businesses that were once not considered serious internet users, like small retail shops, are now using the internet much more heavily than before. 

If your business doesn’t use the internet for more than business communications, 25 Mbps might be sufficient. But if you conduct a lot of POS transactions, 75 Mbps would be more appropriate. If you are going to be using video conferencing, streaming, and offering mobile shopping, 250 Mbps is a better speed for your needs. 

Get Your High-Speed Internet for Business Today! 

Each small business internet user has unique needs based on a variety of factors. That’s why it’s helpful to speak to a business internet expert to determine exactly what speed is right for you. Our team can answer your questions and help with all of your internet needs. 

Get the high-speed internet you need to blast past the competition and dominate your local or online space by getting in touch with a trusted service provider that will make you say wow!