How to Take Control of Your Business Using Online Reputation Management

August 26, 2015

online-reputation-management

No matter what type of business you have, managing your online reputation is of critical importance.  Do people searching for your business with Google see first page results with your website, social media, and customer reviews that support a solid reputation, or are a few negative reviews and mentions weighing your business down?  When it comes to your business, preemptive online reputation management is one tool that can influence how people see your brand, and it can have a major impact on your bottom line.  Here’s why it’s so important:

  • 65% of customers who use the Internet feel that online search is a trusted source for learning about people and businesses.
  • 85% of customers state that reading online customer reviews for local businesses is very important.
  • 65% of customers state that they prefer brands with an abundance of great online reviews.

When so much is at stake, your business cannot afford to let negative online reviews impact your ability to reach customers.  But how do you take control of your business’ online reputation?

Here at Pixelcarve, our reputation management experts know how to take control of your business’ online reputation, using a combination of tools and strategies that not only investigate and bury unwanted search results but also engage customers to share positive experiences online.  Here we explore some useful tips that you can use to revitalize your business’ online visibility and reputation.

1.) Google your business and see what comes up.

This may seem simple enough, but you have to get an idea of where your business stands before you can start taking control of your online reputation.  As mentioned above, you want your first page of search results to include, at the top, your business’ websites, and the rest of the first page should be dominated by your business’ social media profiles, as well as some mentions.  What you don’t want to see is negative reviews of your business or products or sites which have no relevance to your business.

  • According to a recent survey, 90% of customers reported that online reviews influence their buying decisions
  • According to a recent study, just one negative online review can cost the average business 30 customers.
  • 80% of customers state that negative online information caused them to change their mind about buying a product or service that they were recommended.

As you can see, maintaining the first page of search results is important for online reputation management.  But how do you take control of this?  The main objective is to try and make sure your business runs and controls all of the sites and profiles that appear on the first page of search results.  If it doesn’t, you need to consider setting up more websites and social profiles and populating them with quality content, and then optimizing them to rank on the first page.

2.) Find out what people are saying about your business on social media.

reputationThough you may not be saying things online about your business, you can be sure that other people are making their opinions known, good or bad.  Do you know what people are saying about your business online through social media?  If you don’t have a clue, you can find out quickly by using Google’s free “Me on the Web” tool, or by leveraging one of the many social monitoring or “listening” tools available to track brand mentions and keywords related to your brand.

Social media has completely changed online reputation management, and it gives your business the chance to directly engage with customers and handle any negative experiences and interactions.  Did you know that:

  • Approximately 68% of customers utilize social networking sites to read product reviews.
  • Within the past year, the number of social media messages sent to brands increased by 77%. However, 83% of these messages go unanswered.
  • 42% of customers who reach out to a business through social media expect a reply within an hour

To get started managing your business’ reputation on social media, first, secure your business’ name on each social network.  Second, maintain an active social media presence.  If someone has issues or something good to say, make sure you respond quickly.  This will prove that your business is interested in supporting customers no matter what the outcome.  Finally, become an authority that provides value with quality information and content.  People like talking about companies that provide solutions to their problems.

3.)Have your customers share positive reviews and experiences.

This should be one of the main focuses of your online reputation management strategy, as people are three times more likely to trust brand advocates than they are ads or other forms of media.  However, as you surely know, most customers are quick to post negative comments or complaints.  But how do you get them to share their positive experiences online and boost your online reputation?  It’s not as difficult as it sounds.  Try adding subtle reminders wherever you can.  For example, on your social media content and web pages, you could ask them if your business went above and beyond expectations to share their positive experiences via social media or online review sites such as Yelp.  Additionally, experiment with offering incentives to your clients to share their positive experiences.   The reality is happy clients tend to go on with their days, while unhappy clients tend to be the most vocal and look for an outlet to express their frustrations.    Therefore, your business should consider making it favorable and easy for clients to share their positive experiences.

4.) Quickly resolve customer complaints.

While you may not be able to make customers happy all of the time, part of online reputation management has to do with quickly resolving any customer complaints.  And this makes it possible for your business to demonstrate how it can add value to customers by turning a negative experience into something positive.  Does your business have a system in place to quickly respond to customer complaints?

It’s crucial to respond appropriately, as another negative experience could compound the issue and make things harder to resolve.  Don’t bury your head in the sand. Instead, try reaching out directly to respond to customer complaints. Let them know that you regret their issues and give them a way, offline, to reach your business to resolve their problems.

When you are trying to figure out the best strategies and tools to boost your business’ online reputation, you should work with a digital agency that provides comprehensive online reputation management solutions.  If you want to learn more and gain control over the online conversation happening about your business, get in touch with our expert team for a free consultation.