It’s funny to think how bad the internet was in the 90s. There was that weird noise when you connected into the internet, which was just the beginning of a frustrating process of attempting to view a website. 

The loading speeds of the early days of the internet now seem a little laughable. However, slow internet speeds are no laughing matter for today’s businesses. If you’re still scraping by with sluggish internet, it’s likely that you’re doing your business a great disservice. It prevents your business from being competitive, productive, and professional.  

The bar keeps being raised higher and higher in terms of how fast the internet can go. If you’re not taking advantage of modern wireless or fibre internet solutions, here’s how you’re holding your business back. 

A low-performing team

Employees need excellent upload and download speeds to keep their productivity going, whether they’re working in the cloud or on software applications. Slow internet makes it harder to access these critical business tools, which can take a toll on employees’ performance. As such, they could be spending hours on a task that should have taken mere minutes, resulting in an unnecessarily time lost to your business.

Missed deadlines

Deadlines are crucial to your business’ success. With slow internet being one of the biggest productivity killers, staying on top of projects and their deadlines will eventually become impossible for employees. And missing deadlines doesn’t only make you appear unprofessional, it can also result in a loss of clients and projects. 

Direct loss of profit

An internet connection that can’t keep up can be disastrous for your bottom line. This is especially true if your business is wholly dependent on an internet connection such as an ecommerce website or a digital marketing agency. Unreliable internet may send a message to your customers that you are not willing to invest in a quality service. The result is that they may take their business elsewhere which can be a huge cost for your organisation.

Frustrated employees

Having unreliable internet can lead to a negative employee experience and affect their morale in the process. Employees start their day at the office expecting a smooth, uninterrupted workflow. When the internet connection slows them down, it causes frustration because they can’t do their job efficiently. This can negatively impact employee retention.

Communication issues

Consider the many ways that clients interact with your company on a daily basis. They may call you on your VoIP telephone line, chat on a video conferencing software, or reach out on social media. Clients have certain expectations when it comes to communicating with your business, and as said before, they won’t hesitate to take their business elsewhere if you cannot consistently deliver convenient and reliable communication methods.

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Don’t let slow internet hold you back!

If you’re looking for prosperity and growth as a business, updating your outdated internet plan or upgrading your current speeds should be a top priority. A good internet speed is especially important in this era of digital transformation where it is a full-time job to stay on top of systems, software, and hardware. So, don’t stand in the way of your business’ future, and get rid of slow internet today. It’s one of the best things you can do for your business.