Every business these days relies on the Internet in some way. Whether running a restaurant, a book shop, a finance company or a one-man consultancy service, your customers will need to be online at least some of the time.
While it can be tempting to sign up to the first broadband contract that comes along, there are good reasons why they shouldn’t. And if their current broadband isn’t up to the task, they shouldn’t cling to it either.
Here are six reasons why your customers should look for better broadband for their business.
1. Speed matters
If your customer’s broadband connection is slow, everything they do online will take longer than it needs to. And as the old saying goes, time is money. When it comes right down to it, a slow broadband connection is likely to hit them in the pocket. A faster connection means less frustration and greater productivity.
2. Downtime costs money
Reliability is perhaps the most important factor for business broadband. Quite simply, if the connection isn’t available, you can’t complete the tasks it’s needed for.
Of course, downtime affects businesses differently depending on what kind of work they do. But it’s never a good thing. In some cases, it can cause thousands of pounds of losses, as orders can’t be completed or customers take their business elsewhere.
When choosing a broadband provider, look for high levels of network uptime. The closer to 100%, the better.
3. Security is worth it
One of the major problems with being online is the risk of cyber attacks. In 2020, 46% of small businesses reported a cyber security breach. The average cost of these breaches was £8,170.
In the fight against cyber crime, everyone has to play their part – including broadband providers. While your customers can protect themselves by following best practice around internet use and passwords, broadband companies need to take care of security at the network level.
Make sure whoever’s taking care of their connection is also looking out for their online safety too.
4. The future is digital
A broadband connection is going to become even more important in the near future. In 2025, the UK’s old analogue phone network is being switched off. From then, all businesses will need to have digital, internet-based phone systems instead.
Add in rising levels of video calling and file sharing, and it’s clear your customers are going to need a connection that can keep up. They don’t want to sign up to a long-term contract for a broadband connection that’s going to hold them back in the years ahead.
Look for future-proof connectivity, which will be able to handle the extra demands of the digital future.
5. Competitive advantage
No business exists in a vacuum. Competitors will be looking for ways to get ahead, so your customers need to do the same. Having a better broadband connection could be part of that.
If rivals have faster, more reliable connectivity, they might be able to work more efficiently or provide better customer service. Unless they upgrade, they could fall behind.
Always keep an eye on new and upcoming technology, so their competitors don’t get the upper hand.
6. Pay for what’s needed
Sometimes, bundled services or added extras can be great. A broadband connection can be bought, and then for a fee, all kinds of wonderful products and services can be bolted on. But it’s not so great if they’re not needed, especially when tied into a contract.
Many businesses don’t need anything more than a straightforward broadband connection (although they might want to add a digital phone service now or in the future).
But a good broadband provider won’t try to sell extras that aren’t useful. They’ll explain what everything does and why it’s genuinely right for a particular business.
BT Broadband One is designed for your customers. A range of speeds can be chosen, right up to a superfast 1Gbps over full fibre. It’s backed by the BT network, so it offers availability of 99.999% – so you can be confident your customers will stay connected.
That speed and reliability makes BT Broadband One the ideal foundation for digital phone services when your customers are ready to upgrade to them. They won’t have to change broadband later when the old phone network is switched off in 2025.
For more information about BT Broadband One, get in touch by contacting your Partner Business Manager or email us at