Since the pandemic, we’ve had a number of new clients reach out to us for assistance. Although companies need several IT support services and dwell in them for months, the proverbial straw that typically breaks the camel’s back is slow internet. 

Sluggish internet speeds are among one of the most frustrating experiences employees have in the office and at home. Moreover, poor wi-fi connections are hurting your business in a number of ways. 

Businesses naturally sign up for premium tariffs – on the understanding that they will get the fast, reliable internet service providers (ISP) promise. To your dismay, you discover, that the connection speeds you are stumping up for each month are falling short of what you expect. 

Check the website bandwidthplace to check if your internet service provider is delivering on its promise. 

There can be several reasons for this – all of which lie at the fault of your internet service provider. Part of the problem is that the existing telecommunications infrastructure is simply not good enough to support a huge number of users. 

Another common issue is that you have a large number of users that are sharing the same bandwidth. If this is the case, your 30Mbps is probably reduced to around 5Mbps per person. 

ISPs also throttle internet speeds so to the permitted number of gigabytes out over the course of the month. If you’re not already on a premium contract, it’s a wise choice to bite the bullet and pay for the bandwidth your business needs to operate efficiently. 

Theoretically, throttling shouldn’t happen if you’re signed to a premium contract that promises unlimited bandwidth, but when there is no other reason for your wifi slowdown, this is only the explanation left. 

How do slow internet speeds harm your business? 

Impacts Productivity 

Businesses that predominantly work in the cloud will no doubt have experienced slow running apps and backup speeds which can take days. A sluggish internet naturally slows down the progress of your employees. Even simple data inputting becomes laborious and tedious. 

Slow internet also has a negative impact on the morale and motivation of your employees. This causes a knock-on effect on their productivity levels which invites stress and annoyance. 

Slow internet speeds can also result in missed deadlines which makes your employees feel unreliable. It will almost certainly mean they will have to work longer hours to meet the targets or deadlines which can breed resentment. 

Lost Connections 

Unstable internet speeds typically drop off. And lost connections puts a serious dent in the productivity of your workforce – and ultimately your profitability. 

Lost connections are arguably more frustrating for employees than slow internet. A drop-off completely blocks progress and demotivates staff. Having to build up the motivation to get back into a thought process again can be difficult. 

People work best when they are “in the zone”. If you are the victim of slow internet and work you will know from experience how annoying a loss is. You can be deep in thought, on the brink of resolving a problem or in a flow state where everything makes sense, then boom, no internet. 

When the internet goes, so does your line of thinking. Once you lose that thread, it can take 23 minutes to get it back. And if the internet crash also caused you to lose work, you have to go over what you’ve already done. 

File Sharing is a Drag

Uploading and downloading files requires a good deal of bandwidth. So much, in fact, that DropBox’s default setting is to throttle file-sharing speeds to avoid impairing your browsing experience or slowing down the app you’re using. You can change this setting if you want faster file-sharing capabilities.

However, in most cases, slow download and upload speeds are due to limited bandwidth or a congested network. Even relatively small files can take up to an hour – which is not great if your team has got deadlines to meet. 

Lagging Video 

Poor wi-fi connections really come to the fore when it becomes impossible to have a video conference. Freezing speeds and broken sentences make it impossible for team members to communicate effectively. 

The issue with lagging during a video conference is amplified in meetings with clients, stakeholders or partners. Communication can break down which results in a misunderstanding and your business image does not look good. You won’t win many if any, contracts on a slow internet connection. 

Loss of Customers 

When customers contact a business, it’s usually to buy something, take advantage of your services or issue a complaint. If the line keeps breaking up, or the connection is lost, because you have slow internet, your professional image takes a knock and you are considered unreliable. 

When customers are frustrated – and yours will be – they look for the products and services they need elsewhere. Your competitors. So if slow internet speeds are affecting your customer service, you are basically handing revenue over to your rivals. 

Customers will also ditch their cart at the checkout if the payment process is taking too long. The reason consumers buy online is for convenience and to save time. According to marketing specialists, consumers are only willing to wait for 30 seconds for a payment to go through. 

High-Speed Wi-Fi Services

In today’s world, organisations need to leverage cloud-based services. Unfortunately, for too many businesses, the existing telecommunications infrastructure and level of service are harming your business. 

Fast internet is a staple of any online business. As we have shown, wi-fi is required to maintain high levels of productivity, retain employees and customers and win new business. 

The fact of the matter is that if you do not have a fast and reliable internet connection, you should seriously consider upgrading your contract with your current ISP or switching to a service that delivers internet speeds your business needs to work at maximum capacity. 

MicroPro provides perfect WiFi with high availability. Our experts identify sources of interference and install solutions using the latest technologies to ensure your network can handle the workload your business demands. 

For example, in low-frequency ranges, we will install a mesh network or take advantage of range extenders. For more information about how we can help your business to survive and thrive, contact a member of our knowledgable and experienced team today.