From mom and pop shops to budding tech platforms, one thing small business owners can all agree on is this: When it comes to the Internet, reliability sits atop the list of their concerns. The threat of fallout from shaky Internet can keep even the most confident of entrepreneurs up at night. Because the truth is, losing connectivity means rolling the dice on losing customers and money. It’s a risky game not many care to play.

In fact, 93% of small businesses across Canada agree that reliable Internet service is important to them - so important that they ranked reliability a higher priority than anything else.

Jessica Pharand, Senior Manager - Take to Market, breaks down the benefits that reliable Internet brings to your small business. When done well, all of the above factors contribute to improving the overall customer experience, and ultimately convince them to come back for more.

Convenience

We live in an instant-gratification world, and consumer expects to receive as much no matter the situation. So imagine their frustration (and your loss of revenue) if your POS system is inconsistent, or worse, goes down completely. This level of disruption can be the make-or-break factor for closing a sale and securing a happy customer.

Same rules apply for online retailers. Many online stores today not only offer online purchasing, but online customer support by way of chat. From tech to fashion, these chat features have become a selling point, particularly because of the sheer convenience they offer customers looking for a quick answer. Take away that unique feature due to unreliable connections, and you’re losing your most valuable portal for connecting with consumers at their convenience.

Timely Connections

Online has become the norm for quick connections, and with it comes the expectation for quick responses. Take restaurants, for example. With online messages coming at them from every which way – OpenTable reservations, emails from suppliers, Uber Eats orders, questions on Facebook, reviews on Yelp – it takes an extremely reliable Internet connection (and a team of very connected employees) to stay on top of everything and answer as quickly as possible.

Productivity

Imagine if your Internet slows down to a crawl - your employees are doing what, exactly? Under these circumstances, people can’t perform their job to the best of their abilities even when working in small businesses, since almost everything requires an Internet connection. In fact, the average cost to small and medium businesses due to Internet disruptions is approximately $6,900 per hour, according to a study developed by Aberdeen Research Group. A consistently reliable connection empowers employees, giving them the tools they need to channel productivity for your small business.

Customer Experience

Allowing your customers to access Wifi while they visit your business location has been a game changer for some small businesses – particularly ones with waiting rooms. While most small businesses like doctor and dentist offices tend to go the target-TV-in-the-waiting-room route, offering your customers Wifi is a much-appreciated alternative trend that is catching on.

Here’s how Bell can Help

Small business owners know that the job is never done. You don’t stop, and neither should your Internet provider. Good thing Bell was rated by Canadian small businesses in a 2016 survey as the number one telecom provider in Canada with the best and most advanced Internet service.

Not sure which plan best fits your company’s needs? Or maybe you want to build your own bundle? Learn more about Bell’s reliable Internet service here.