The first question that comes to mind when you’re ready to run your business is: How do I now reach out to customers who are constantly online? The reality is a reliable connection is no longer a ‘nice to have’, but a necessity. Yet, many businesses make common mistakes when choosing their broadband plan for the first time. It seems like a simple task, but it requires careful planning.
There is no doubt that hybrid work and adopting cloud services are the future. However, choosing the wrong broadband plan is a decision that can severely impact your customer experience, staff productivity, data security, and even your revenue.
In fact, picking the fastest and cheapest broadband option may cost you more in the long run because it can lead to slow speeds, downtime, and lost customers. A recent UK study found that internet failures cost businesses over £3.7 billion in just one year. Therefore, it’s essential to take extra time researching broadbands, service providers, and taking the right steps to get the right broadband plan for your current needs.
But here’s the problem: many businesses still choose broadband plans based on price or speed alone and end up paying the price in other, more costly ways. So, how do we tackle this? Let’s break down the top 5 mistakes to watch out for.
1. Choosing a Plan Based Only on Speed
Fast download speeds look great on paper, but we’re here to tell you that speed isn’t everything. Many businesses are surprised when their broadband is slow, even though they signed up for a “superfast” connection. Why? Because real-world performance depends on many things, such as:
- How many people are using the connection at once
- The quality of your internal network and router
- Whether the provider actually delivers the promised speed at busy times
2. Picking the Cheapest Plan
It’s tempting to go for the lowest price, especially if you’re a small business. However, cheaper residential broadband plans are not designed for business use. These plans often don’t include technical support during business hours, guarantee uptime, or give you features like a static IP or priority service. If your internet goes down suddenly, especially if you rely on cloud systems, VoIP phones, or remote staff, you’ll experience serious disruptions in the way your business operates.
3. Forgetting About Backup and Failover
What happens if your broadband goes down? Many businesses have no backup, which means no internet, and no service, for hours or even days. Outages can cost you lost sales, unhappy customers, and a damaged reputation.
4. Not Thinking About Long-term
You might choose a plan that fits your needs today, but what about next year? As your team grows or you add more devices (like smart systems or video tools), your broadband might struggle to keep up. That can lead to slowdowns, frustration, and reduced productivity. You need a plan that is scalable.
5. Overlooking the Quality of Your Equipment
Even if your broadband connection is fast, poor internal equipment can slow everything down. Problems can include:
- Old routers that can’t handle high speeds
- Wi-Fi interference from walls or other devices
- Bad or outdated wiring inside your building
With a little planning, and by avoiding the mistakes above, you can make sure your business stays fast, connected, and reliable.
Need help finding the right broadband plan?
We’re here to guide your business to success. Alfonica offers business-grade broadband, expert advice, reliable support and customised packages built for businesses of all sizes. But first, let’s access and plan your current needs! Book a free, no-obligation consultation here.
