Big or small, international or local, all businesses rely on internet access. Overspend on an expensive broadband contract offering access levels that you don’t need, or extras you will never use and you will be wasting money. Struggle with a slow service offering limited access and you will inevitably lose business. So how do you get it right?
Choose Best Internet Service Provider For Your Business
How to Choose Best Internet Service Provider?
Work out what you need.
How many users will be online at once and what will they be doing online? Lower speed and narrower bandwidth will be adequate for a few users to send emails and browse the web. Larger numbers of downloads, videos or online conferences will need higher levels. An unlimited data download means that you never run the risk of using up your agreed quotient, but costs more than agreed limits. Will you need computer access outside the office or for laptops, tablets or smartphones? Do you want Wi-Fi to be available on your premises?
Decide what you can afford.
If your business relies heavily on internet access consider paying for a ‘dedicated bandwidth’ connection used only by your company, which will be more expensive but more reliable than one shared with neighbours. Fibre optic broadband is the fastest connection option in most cases but is not available everywhere yet.
Consider what will happen if things go wrong.
What level of customer service is provided and should it be included in your contract? Is constant internet access so vital that it is worth paying extra for a guaranteed repair service? Is it worth paying for a separate telephone landline so you are not cut-off from customers completely if the internet connection is down, or even having a back-up broadband line? Should you pay for a ‘Failover’ dongle to allow you to connect via Wi-Fi if your landline fails? Does your potential ISP pay compensation if your connection goes down and support outside office hours?
Think about those little extras that can make such a difference!
Some service contracts include a service allowing you to send emails in a style ‘personalised’ for your business and web space allowing you to set up a website. Look for a contract that allows you to upgrade quickly as your business grows. Many ISPs also provide cloud storage as part of the contract.
Finally, find the best provider for your company.
Once you have worked out your company’s requirements, use an online speed and download allowance calculating service to estimate what levels you require, or ask a range of providers for quotes based on projected usage and see which offers the service you need for the best price. If your download rate is high, ask about unlimited downloads as part of the contract.
For most companies fibre broadband is the best option, but before making a final decision check what is available in your geographical area –there are websites that can run a search for you.
Finally, don’t forget to think long –term. Your business will grow as time passes! 😀
Join 25,000+ smart readers—don’t miss out!
1 Comment
Really finding a new internet service provider is very difficult task. While choosing the ISP, we should definitely check if they established and reliable.