Managing your online reputation is one of the most crucial parts of a business’ online presence.
In this day and age, the internet is more accessible than it has ever been and is usually a person’s first resource when gathering information (whether it’s true information or not). To this point, it’s not only important to have an online presence, but to actively manage it. Over the last few years, new technologies have turned the world of business on its head and what is said online about your business defines the perception that your customers have of it.
Why You Should Manage Your Online Reputation
Search Engines
Whatever search engine users choose–Google, Bing, or even Yahoo–your business will be looked up. We can apply this thinking to our personal lives: When you’re thinking of ordering something, trying out a new restaurant, or even finding a new hairstylist, there’s a pretty good chance that you will do your research and weed out the “bad” ones that aren’t worth the try, based on their online presence. Make sure when people do this with your business, their opinion is a positive one.
Build Trust
It’s a pretty standard, logical question that we all internally ask ourselves: Why should I trust this business with my money and time? When it comes to your business, the answer should always be “Because I trust them to do what they say!”
Creating Brand Awareness
86% of consumers say that they would trust word-of-mouth recommendations before any other marketing strategies. So the next question is “How do I get people to talk about my business?” At the core of it, you are relying on the other 14% of people to find your brand and take the chance on your business. Find your target market and increase your brand awareness by making sure they know you’re there!
Which is Worse – No Online Reputation or Bad Online Reputation?
Think about it this way — if you were in school taking a quiz and you left an answer blank, would that be considered a correct answer? Absolutely not. If you choose to be stubborn and stagnant in the ever-changing world we are in now, your business will be left behind. Bad press or negative customer reviews can happen, but the best way to deal with it is to bury it with good news or to practice great customer service, not ignore it.
How to Keep a Good Online Reputation
Reviews
When it comes to people’s experiences and opinions, people are more likely to share negative ones than positive. Although nothing on the internet ever really goes away, we can weaken an argument with a story that we want the public to see. Bad reviews are not the end of the world or your business, so let’s flip the script!
Correcting the negative can only go so far, though, so we have to gently push the inclination for positive reviews. This comes from encouragement, incentivization, or even walking a customer through the process of leaving a positive review. It may feel like an extra weight on your shoulders, but it is so worth for your online reputation it in the long run.
Press
Make a point of trying to acquire positive press on your business. Televised or printed news stories about your company can impact the public perception of your business. This helps build your brand awareness as well and is an avenue you can use to help people find your business.
Employee & Personal Reputation
The bottom line is that your employees are representatives of your company whether they’re at work or not. Both current and former employees have the freedom to post and comment about your business on social media, job boards, and review sites. What they have to say about the business as a whole and how they are/were treated as employees has a major impact on the perception of your business and can ruin your online reputation.
Social Media
Most people have a love/hate relationship with social media, especially in the business world. It can work wonders for your business in helping build brand awareness, positive interactions, and the consistency of your physical aesthetic. If there is a lack of management, though, social media can be a huge downfall.
There are a couple things that are specific to social media that you will not be able to get elsewhere:
Depending on the social media platforms that you’ve chosen, there are different algorithms that have been created to give users exactly what they are looking for. You can use these to your advantage and allow it to work behind-the-scenes for your business through hashtags, keywords, and tags. Social media offers an opportunity to communicate directly with customers informally through private messaging and ‘stories’ to develop your brand’s personality. Responding and interacting with users is key for social media to be a positive experience for your business!
Get Online Reputation Management From Boiling Point Media
Here at Boiling Point Media, we monitor and manage our clients’ online reputation for them! Every industry-specific (dealer.com, angi.com, avvo.com, etc.) and major review site (Google, Yelp, Facebook, etc.) is completely handled by us. We take great care in responding to every review that comes in, positive or negative. No situation is ever the same, therefore, every response is unique and in-line with your business’ brand and personality.
Although we strive to only bring positivity to your business, negative reviews do happen. When it does, we always reach out to the client to address the situation first, then respond accordingly.
At Boiling Point Media, we treat our clients’ businesses like our own! Any business, whether it’s fully online retail or brick-and-mortar, needs an online presence so, while you’re busy running your business, allow us to take care of your online presence for you!