The internet has become one of the most important parts of business operations — that’s why a backup internet connection is often needed. We’ve probably seen that sentence a hundred times. And while it is true, not all businesses require an internet connection, which means it’s not always necessary. Since backup internet for business is an added expense, you have to know if you need it before sealing the deal.
There are a lot of factors to be considered, and we’re here to walk you through each one of them to help you determine if you need backup internet for business or not.
- Does your business run online?
The most important consideration you have to make is how much of your daily operations rely on being connected to the internet. If most of your business activities—like sales, customer service, or team communication—happen online, even a brief outage can cause major headaches. What would happen if you couldn’t process orders or answer customer emails for an hour? Or worse, a whole day?
While some would think having failover internet is a luxury, it’s actually a necessity for businesses relying heavily on a stable internet connection for their day-to-day operations. So if your business operates online, having a second internet connection is a must.
- Do you experience frequent outages?
We all know outages are inevitable. No matter how expensive your internet plan is or how fast your connection is, you will experience downtimes and you won’t be able to do anything about it — even if you keep on calling customer service. The worst part is, even if it’s just a few minutes, it could cost you a lot. If you frequently experience outages, usually more often than normal, it’s best to use a backup connection that operates on a different network, like relying on mobile data through a provider with strong cell service coverage.
Having a failover internet is excellent, but if your primary provider keeps on failing you, you should also consider switching to a better provider. Remember that some providers work better in specific areas, so you have to look into that before making the switch — especially if you’re planning to sign into a long-term contract. You wouldn’t want to find yourself dealing with expensive early termination fees just because the provider can’t deliver what you’re paying for.
- How competitive is your industry?
Not all industries are competitive, let’s get that out of the bag. If your business isn’t in a high-stakes industry, a few minutes of downtime here and there might not be a big deal. But if you’re in a field where every second counts, let’s say the food industry, a short internet outage could give your competitors the upper hand.
In competitive industries, being online and available at all times is extremely important. For example, someone is trying to reach you to place an order, but your internet is down so you can’t respond and close the sale. They’ll likely turn to one of your competitors instead. If potential customers keep on experiencing this, they will stop reaching out to you in the first place and just go directly to your competitor — which is what you don’t want to happen.
This is why even though it’s important to have a backup connection, you will also need to have a reliable primary connection. When we say reliable, it means a connection that can handle your business needs with minimal interruptions. One provider we can think of is MetroNet. Metro offers high-speed fiber internet that is known for its stability and fast service, which makes it an excellent choice for businesses that need consistent online access.
- Does your business handle sensitive tasks?
Some businesses simply can’t afford even a few minutes of downtime. If your business deals with sensitive or mission-critical tasks, such as processing financial transactions, managing customer service inquiries, or running online sales, a lost internet connection can lead to much bigger problems than just a temporary inconvenience.
A great example would be the customer service industry as it is highly dependent on reliable connection. If your team can’t respond to customer inquiries in a timely manner due to an internet outage, customers might feel neglected or dissatisfied. Nowadays, fast response times are often expected, so it’s very easy for customers to feel disappointed. A single negative experience could result in lost trust, poor reviews, or even loss of long-term customers.
The Bottom Line
Taking the step to make an effort to determine if you really need backup internet for business shows a lot about you as a business owner or manager. It’s not great to avail something you don’t need as it’s only a waste of money, but it’s also not good to not have something you need. We hope that this guide helped you figure out if having failover internet for your business is necessary or not. Good luck!
