Your business reputation is just as important as your personal reputation. In the online realm, losing reputation may manifest in one-star reviews, negative news, and publicity. If your company loses its reputation, it will require reputation management. It is a marketing technique used to restore lost reputation. While it may sound easy, there are various things you need to be careful to do and not to do. Here are the dos and don’ts of online reputation management
5 Dos for Successful Online Reputation Management
1. Get a Professional Online Reputation Agency
Once you notice a build-up of negative content concerning your business, you need to seek expert help. We know that the most natural reaction is to defend yourself in videos or comments. Well, this could land you into more trouble and even trend in the wrong direction. Instead of doing all this, find a good online reputation agency to help you reinstate your reputation. They have been in the business long enough and will devise a plan to help your business.
2. Know what People Are Saying About You
It is very easy to go into hiding and not want to know what people are saying. Instead of hiding and shying away from the problem, set up tools such as Google Alerts to monitor your business name, services, and other related services. If people say good things, you can capitalize on it and drive more sales. On the contrary, if it is negative, you can catch it early on and deal with it before it gets out of control.
3. Invest in Authenticity and Consistency
In the online field, people have to trust you before they can buy from you. Trust, as we all know, is earned. You must demonstrate your trustworthiness to your clients before they buy from you.
When enhancing your reputation online, you must underpin everything and focus on honesty and openness. Your authenticity will be your biggest influence. If you are selling kitchen appliances and creating reviews, ensure that the customers know what to expect, both positive and negative.
4. Address the Issues Raised by Customers
Complaints and reviews are a great place to know what needs adjustment. If most clients complain about poor customer service, you can assess your support team and reshuffle where necessary. If you do not have enough manpower for the job, outsourcing will assist you in satisfying customers and ultimately improve your reputation.
3 Don’ts for Successful Online Reputation Management
1. Don’t Panic
Building a brand online is no child’s play. It requires days of effort, sleeplessness, and dedication. When you begin receiving negative reviews and news, it can be very easy to lose your cool and try to get back at them. At this point, don’t panic. You need to re-strategise.
2. Don’t Ignore the Customer’s Feedback
Businesses will always have complaints. The difference between you and your competitor is how you handle them. If you get a complaint, it is important that you quickly resolve them. This helps you prevent a potential negative review.
In today’s internet age, over 90% of consumers check for online reviews before purchasing. If your site or page is full of negative reviews, you are definitely going to lose. This should be reason enough for you not to ignore client feedback.
3. Don’t be Defensive
It is very humane to want to be defensive in the face of criticism. Public rebuttals don’t always work, and this can further damage your reputation. If you have already addressed the issues, all you can do is let the online reputation agency do its part. Remember that any public retaliation will be analysed by the reviewers and your potential customers.
And there you have it! As you can see, building and maintaining an online reputation is crucial for your business. In business, remember that no one is immune to negative reviews and comments. You only need to know how to deal with them. To achieve results quickly and efficiently, your best shot is to find a good online reputation agency.