Too often in our technology-encumbered world employers pay the price for those employees who enjoy surfing the web, catching up with friends on Facebook or MySpace and playing games. Small business content filters allow you as the employer to block out specified websites that your employees may be enjoying at the expense of your company.
But with all of the different options for small business internet filter software which one will work best for your company? In order to help you make an informed decision, we have tested and reviewed several of these applications. For the review of these products we consider a small business to be less than 100 employees. At TopTenREVIEWS We Do the Research So You Don't Have To.™.
Because small businesses are how many people make a living each and every dollar counts. Having just a couple of employees that choose to spend your valuable work time on the internet can significantly harm your bottom line. In order to try to help you make the right decision for your company we examined several different software applications. Take a look at our Learning Center for even more information and articles on small business content filter software. We considered the following factors when evaluating these software applications:
Features
Some things to consider when you are searching content filters are the different types of features they offer. For example, do you want to be able to control your employees' internet time? Do you allow them to surf the internet during breaks and lunches, or not at all? There are different software applications that will allow you to select times when the internet or sites are blocked and times when not to block. Are there some websites that your employees need to have access to in order to help your business grow? Some applications allow you to create a list of safe domains that may be accessed. Do you have certain groups of employees that need access to different web domains than others? There are applications available that will allow you to create user groups and select different websites to block at different times. Other applications allow you to give a password to certain people which will allow them to bypass the content filter all together. Using business internet software can help you to increase your productivity.
Reporting
Another important feature of content filters is how you are notified of different occurrences. If you travel a lot and manage your network and employees remotely, then you also want to have access to your internet filter data remotely. Auto archiving is an important feature to look for as well with office web monitoring software. You never know when you may need to review an employee's internet history. Something else to consider is choosing internet filter software that will record screenshots and keep a record of what is being searched for on the internet. These can come in handy if you ever find yourself in litigation with a disgruntled employee.
Help & Support
Good internet filter software will not leave you in the dark if you have questions. Some of the software applications we tested offer product manuals and how to guides as well as having contact information for technical support easy to find.
No matter what type of business you own, purchasing a small business content filter is a wise decision. Take a look at our top picks: SentryPC, ContentProtect and Interguard. It will help increase productivity of your employees as well as adding to your bottom line.