Most contentious small business owners know that to succeed, they need consistent cash flow, a competent staff and a comprehensive business plan. However, they may not be aware of the importance of having a robust and reliable high-speed solution. Having insufficient bandwidth can have a negative impact on everything from customer retention to operational efficiency to marketing outreach.
A slow and inconsistent internet connection can hurt small businesses in every sector of industry. For instance, a lack of proper bandwidth can be potentially devastating to both a café and a trucking company. For a café, high-speed internet is essential because patrons expect to use WiFi while they snack and sip. Without it, owners might not only repel internet-loving customers, but they can also lose out on several different WiFi monetization opportunities. Moreover, if a café utilizes a mobile payment system, slow internet will aggravate customers and employees with protracted order processing.
Similarly, a burgeoning trucking company needs high-speed internet to succeed. To track the position of individual trucks, process payments and access files maintained on a cloud server, a company will need quality connectivity, ideally in the form of Ethernet Dedicated Internet. Every small company that depends on a digital infrastructure to function should have a wireless internet backup system at the ready. It’s a common-sense measure as the unfortunate reality is 90 percent of U.S. businesses experience a network outage every year.
While some internet service providers will force businesses to simply do without until they can restore connectivity, Comcast Business Connection Pro service is different. In the event of an overloaded network or weather-related outage, Connection Pro kicks in and provides up to six hours of 4G LTE wireless internet so business customers can maintain normal operations.
Lastly, a high-speed internet solution is very important to small businesses for marketing purposes. As noted in this report by Constant Contact, email-based marketing campaigns have a higher return on investment than online banners and keyword ads combined. As such, email should be a cornerstone for every small business’s online outreach. Additionally, one survey found that the most effective way to utilize email as a marketing channel is to ensure that company emails are rich in image and video content. According to the Meclabs Institute, media-rich emails can boost company revenue by as much as 109 percent. However, to send out media-rich email blasts on a regular basis, a business will need truly high-speed internet. Otherwise, the blasts might incur a serious delay due to a lack of available bandwidth or not sent at all if a data cap is exceeded.
As its service comes with no data caps and internet speeds up to 1 gig, Comcast Business Internet is a service provider that won’t hamper your company’s mission-critical marketing efforts.
Comcast Business has the largest IP network in the nation, serving the needs of small business through large enterprise customers. Technology solutions range from fast, reliable Ethernet and Internet connectivity to voice, video, and Managed Solutions. Comcast Business is powered by an advanced Gig-ready network and 24/7 technical support. Learn more at business.comcast.com/minneapolis.
For more tips, inspiration, and Minnesota small business stories, visit smallbusinesspulse.com.