Simply going with whichever provider is cheapest can harm your business down the road. Here are some things to keep in mind when choosing your business’s internet service provider.

1. Location and Logistics

Before looking at the criteria that really set providers apart, you’ll need to determine whether your preferred provider is available in your location. Check the options in your area, and be sure to consider both local companies and the well-known names. While it’s great to “buy local,” you may need capabilities the bigger vendors are better able to provide.

After that, compare price points and packages. You’ll want to avoid bloated packages that offer things you don’t need, like phone lines. Your business also likely has a price range you can’t exceed, so only evaluate plans that fit that target budget.

Once you’ve narrowed down the options and created a list of plans that could make sense for you, the real work begins.

2. Speed

Probably the most important thing to consider when choosing high-speed internet is the speed that’s promised. The number of Mbps (megabits per second) delivered is an important factor when deciding whether an internet plan is right for your business. Look at both upload and download speeds to make sure you’re getting symmetry between the two — reducing lags and video call freezes. 

Most home networks have just 50-100 Mbps, but a business should aim much higher. You’ll want around 500-1,000 Mbps (1 Gig) or even more. The number of devices used in even a small office will tax slower plans, and you can’t risk a moment of lag time. A higher speed also allows you to keep the same plan as your business grows.

3. Bandwidth

Bandwidth is closely related to speed, but it’s not the same thing. If you imagine internet cables as a road, speed is how fast the cars are traveling. Bandwidth is how many lanes they’re able to travel down. More lanes mean easier travel.  

Bandwidth is also measured in Mbps, and a plan’s promised Mbps typically addresses both. Remember that the advertised Mbps is usually the highest limit of the range of bandwidth a plan offers, so aim high when choosing. Also, keep in mind that fiber almost always offers better bandwidth than cable.

4. Reliability

With the basic requirements of speed and bandwidth addressed, it’s time to investigate reliability. Does the provider consistently deliver the high-speed internet they promise? Customer reviews and online ratings can give you an idea of who has a reputation for outages versus a reputation for reliability.

Online publications can give you a good overview of which provider performs best in different areas. Review and compare these resources, and you’ll soon discover who has the best reputation for reliability and customer satisfaction.

5. Low Equipment and Installation Costs

Some providers try to slip unreasonably high equipment or installation costs into your deal. Keep an eye out for those costs so you’re not caught off guard.

These one-time costs won’t matter quite as much as your long-term monthly rates, but they’re still worth considering. This is especially true if other providers offer similar service but cheaper installation costs. As you work to get your business off the ground, you’ll want to minimize your up-front investments.

6. Fiber Optic Internet

Delivering internet over cable is tried and true, and if that’s all that’s available in your location, you likely won’t suffer for it. But fiber optic internet is the best bet across the board. It’s faster and more reliable than cable by a large measure.

Fiber optic cables can deliver data faster than even the most efficient cable can. Fiber internet also sends data on a dedicated line that’s not shared with your neighbors, so their internet usage won’t impact yours. Downtime is also much less likely because fiber is less susceptible to things like power outages and temperature fluctuations.

7. No Data Caps

One of the most frustrating things internet providers do is put caps on the amount of data you can consume. They may technically offer high speed internet, but they’ll limit the amount of data that can be used at any one time. This causes your streams or calls to suddenly stall or slow for no apparent reason. Some providers even charge extra when you go above data caps.

This is obviously a bad deal, especially for a business, so try to avoid data caps whenever possible. You may need to read the fine print carefully to figure out whether your provider enforces data caps. The best providers will make it known that they never do.

8. Good Customer Support

No internet service is perfect all the time. If something does happen, you want to make sure you have a provider dedicated to fixing the problem. Great customer support is key for any provider your business may use, and internet providers are certainly no exception.

Research the companies known for great customer support, and pay attention to how customer-focused the sales reps you talk to are. Before signing on to an internet plan, investigate the customer support options that will be available to you.

9. Robust Security

Cybercriminals are everywhere these days, so you’ll want to be sure that your Wi-Fi provider has taken that into consideration. Criminals can spy on Wi-Fi networks or hack routers if they’re not fully secure.

Ask providers whether they offer 24/7 threat monitoring. Do they block IP address spoofing in order to prevent distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks? You can change easy-to-hack default passwords on the hardware you’re purchasing, but your ISP should take the lead in securing your connection.

A good internet plan is an important investment for any business, and doubly so for one that’s digital-first. This list will help you start vetting internet plans so you can choose the best one for your business.

The post 9 Things to Look for in Your Business’s Internet Plan appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

What does that mean for you as a startup or small company? Your presence on YouTube matters. In fact, it matters quite a bit from a marketing and sales perspective. According to the site’s own statistics, viewers collectively watch more than a billion video hours daily. These are people hungry for information about a variety of topics, including those related to your products, services, and industry.

To sate the appetite of watchers and seekers on YouTube, you’ll need more than a business-focused channel. You’ll also need a plan to attract eyes and potentially become a top performer in your niche. Fortunately, getting an initial promotional bump shouldn’t take more than a few months if you follow these strategies.

1. Stay brand-true.

When first-time visitors land on your YouTube channel and videos, they deserve a taste of your brand. Be sure that everything from your thumbnail logo to your Canva-created banner to your graphics are brand-consistent. Delivering an unmistakable brand concept from the get-go helps you appeal to your target audience. It also differentiates you in whatever categories you belong.

2. Budget for YouTube advertising.

It’s tempting to reduce costs by trying to beef up your views and subscribers organically, particularly if you’re bootstrapping a corporate venture. Nonetheless, don’t discount the value and ROI of YouTube ads. As AdOutreach’s Aleric Heck notes, you’re best served putting your budget towards the advertising itself as opposed to fancy equipment. He recommends simplifying your ad videography and putting your dollars into highly targeted YouTube ad campaigns. You’ll get a lift and make your budget stretch much further by investing in what can produce real results.

3. Develop a welcoming intro trailer.

Never miss an opportunity to make an impression on your viewers, right down to the intro trailer on your brand channel. The best trailers are short and sweet. They’re meant to educate the viewer on your company, giving a 30,000-foot viewpoint. Save the nitty-gritty stuff for your video content. Users only need a palate-pleasing taste of what you do from your trailer, not the full-fledged buffet.

4. Brainstorm simplified content based on customer FAQs.

You know the biggest questions your customers ask. “How does this work?” “Can I do this at home?” “Is this a good fit for my family’s needs?” Use those FAQs as springboards to create content for your initial videos. Don’t worry whether or not the topic seems too basic. A straightforward 30-second “how to” video shot with your smartphone could drive far more interest than a clever, but unnecessarily convoluted, commercial.

5. Lay out a content management calendar.

Ideally, you’ll want to populate your YouTube channel with as much video content as possible. But the reality is that you might find it hard to film some weeks. To ensure your videos drop on a regular basis, construct a content calendar. Then, shoot numerous videos ahead of time. For instance, you could take a Wednesday afternoon, film 10 videos, and call it a day. They’ll be ready for you to use (after a round of editing, of course.)

6. Remember all that SEO 101 stuff.

Guess what? SEO isn’t just for your website. It’s also vital to getting visitors to your YouTube channel. Tag your videos, use keyword-rich descriptions, enable transcriptions, and take advantage of any opportunities to construct unique content. Double check the way you name your videos, too. Each video needs to be keyword specific so bots and humans know how to categorize it.

7. Make your voice heard.

If you allow viewers to comment on your videos, set aside time every few days to respond to their feedback. This type of monitoring isn’t just good manners. It’s also a way to communicate with users. Even if someone writes a negative comment, answer it with compassion, humor, or—at the very least—professionalism. 

8. Remind viewers to become subscribers.

How many times have you enjoyed a YouTube video only to click out without subscribing to the channel? It happens frequently. Yet it doesn’t have to be inevitable. Instead of allowing users to just go on their merry way, remind them to subscribe with a YouTube card or other effective device. Asking for them to support your channel will boost subscription rates, which will in turn increase your brand authority.

9. Leverage the power of playlists. 

As you begin to amass plenty of videos, you’ll want to organize them into groups. Those groups are essentially playlists that viewers can use to navigate your channel. It’s not uncommon for viewers to watch every video in a playlist devoted to a special topic. Over time, you may want to rearrange your playlists to stay up with trends.

10. Link to your videos obsessively.

Want viewership to skyrocket? Here are two words to keep in mind: embed and spread. Embed videos on relevant pages throughout your website, such as within a blog post or on a product page. You may also want to embed your latest YouTube content in a MailChimp email as part of a messaging blast. In addition, plan to spread the word on all your social channels whenever you release another video.

Now’s not the time to get camera shy or think you need to go to filmmaking school to own a piece of the YouTube pie. Any small business can build a brand presence fast on YouTube. The sooner you hit “record,” the sooner you’ll reap the rewards.

The post Break Into YouTube: 10 First Steps for Small Businesses appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Increase website security

Many small business owners don’t know that a website, no matter how secure it seems, isn’t as secure as you think. The reason why is that when the site is placed on an unsecure server with various websites, there is a chance of one being hacked. It’s frustrating to know that no matter how secure your site is, it’s not fully protected and poor security can destroy your business. A minecraft server hosting will take preventative measures to reduce risks of privacy violations with the help of firewalls and other electric barriers between a site and those trying to access it with malicious intent. If your site is compromised due to a hosting issue with a well-known company and you chose a low tier plan, the chance of a speedy solution is slim. Business owners sometimes fail to realize the importance of knowing the types of web hosting available and choosing the most reputable providers. Both decisions have a direct influence on the success of your business. We are an IT support services company in Houston that constantly strives to provide dynamic, innovative, and practical consultative design and IT services that will save you a lot of time, reduce costs, and improve the key deliverables for all information technology teams. 

Receive better customer service

When your small business site goes down, you’ll get to know the customer service team of your hosting platform. The difference between good and bad hosts is the speed at which the issue is resolved. A good host offers knowledgeable representatives who will assist you with your problems and answer your questions, whether by phone or chat. Clients with a more profitable account will likely take priority and earn immediate attention. If you went cheap on hosting, you’ll probably be faced with longer wait times, less than stellar assistance, and a fix to your issue that won’t last long. Many small business owners wouldn’t associate customer service with a hosting platform, but it is something you need to think about since it actively affects the experience.

Offer your customers reliability

Your business website often makes the first impression – you want to make sure your customers see a website that runs well and best represents your brand. Visitors may not notice that your website is good when they’re browsing around, but they will notice  if your site is consistently down or isn’t user-friendly. There is always a possibility a website will crash, it’s far less likely if you have a good host. Good hosts are consistently backing up data and cloning sites to ensure they can always provide a fast solution to get your website back and running online so you can sell more products. Less expensive hosting often leads to a slow website – a frustration for many users. There is never a guarantee your website will consistently run without a glitch, but better hosts provides better care to their clients and more efficient web speeds with enhanced security. Reliable hosts minimize many risks involved with your site, which means you’ll have less of a headache if the site experiences any problems.

Small business owners don’t always realize how much hosting matters. There are various options available to everyone who launches a website so make sure you educate yourself before you select your host. A reliable host is the key to overall functionality of a website leading to happier customers and more sales.

The post 3 Reasons Hosting Matters appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

The Quest of an Unlikely Entrepreneur

This first interview tells the inspirational story of Fred Magnanimi, the owner of the jewelry company Luca + Danni. As we learn in the audio, Fred went on a quest to save the family business after his brother died from cancer – even though Fred had previously sworn off the family business and took a career in investment banking. In addition to inspiration, you’ll learn some tips and strategies for how you can transform a business that uses dated methods into one that is capitalizing on the latest trends and technology.

Click to read Reinventing the Family Business to Find Success in a New Era

The Importance of Online Reviews

In our next interview, we take a trip to SXSW 2016 where Ramon learned about a new company that can help small businesses manage their online reviews. ReviewTrackers is a software platform that gathers customer reviews from all the major review websites into one dashboard, where you can monitor what people are saying, respond to comments, track analytics, and encourage more reviews. Founder Chris Campbell also shares two tips for managing customer reviews that every small business owner needs to hear.

Click to read Why ReviewTrackers Says Asking for Customer Review Is Critical

Building the Best Small Business Team

In our final interview, Ramon has a chat with Erin Walter of Nuphoriq, a Chicago-based marketing company that focuses exclusively on catering companies. As Erin explains, Nuphoriq is a company that was first and foremost built around its team, and after years in business, Erin still attributes the success of the company to her team. In the audio interview, Erin explains why having a great team is essential, and from her experience, we extrapolate 3 team-building tips for small business owners.

Click to read 3 Team-Building Tips to Create an Active and Innovative Team

This selection of recently published Smart Hustle interviews demonstrates how we can lean on other small business owners for both inspiration and information. To join forces with other small business owners around the country, make sure to join the Smart Hustle Community and subscribe to the newsletter to stay informed about the latest Smart Hustle interviews and articles.

The post Smart Hustle Recap: 3 Informational and Inspirational Smart Hustle Interviews appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.