Your online reputation is about what people say about you on the Internet. Take care of it because it has a significant effect on your business. The number of Internet users is continuously growing, and a large portion of these users do their search on the web before deciding if they will use a company or not.
Negative reviews about your business may cause new clients not to engage with you, and it may even cause the existing ones to find another company with a better reputation. What others think and say about you is out of your control. However, online reputation management will help in improving your reputation on the web.
There are different ways to manage your online reputation, including removing negative posts about your company by requesting Google and websites to remove them. You may also consider getting legal actions on fake information that are hurting your brand.
Managing your reputation on the web is not just about working to eliminate these negative posts, but dominating the Internet with positive information about you so users will see this first over the negative ones. They will have a lower ranking, so users are less likely to find them.
Here are some ways on how to build a positive reputation online:
- Get positive reviews from clients. You would never know what clients will say about you on the reviews. However, if you are confident that they were happy with your service or product, there is a bigger chance that they will give you positive feedback. Ask clients to fill up a survey or leave a comment about your company as soon as a successful transaction finishes, so it will still be fresh in their memory. Request another review for repeat clients who left positive feedback before, as they are more likely to do one more for you. Also, positive words from repeat clients will persuade other people to choose you because it means you offer a quality product or service, which is why you have a loyal following.
- Post informative content. Sharing helpful information will give the impression that you are an authority in your field. You will get the attention and respect of users if they see that you are knowledgeable and expert in your industry.
- Provide exceptional customer service. Respond to questions right away, and resolve the concerns of your clients as soon as possible. Acknowledge their feedback, whether positive and negative professionally and sincerely. It would make them feel that they are heard, and they are important. The positive comments will help in improving your reputation. Handling the negative comments the right way can also affect you positively because it will show that you are there for your clients and you are doing your best to become better.
Benefits of online reputation management
Your online reputation is something you should never take for granted. Invest in your online reputation management as it will give you a competitive edge. Below are some ways on how it can benefit your company.
- It increases sales. Ultimately, the reason for all you do in your business is to create sales at the end of the day. A good reputation online can help you achieve that. As mentioned, clients are more likely to do business with you if they found excellent feedback from other people who used your company. You will have a better opportunity in generating sales both from new and existing customers.
- It improves credibility. Positive words about your company will give you credibility, thus clients will see you as trustworthy and reliable. It will not only help you gain more clients, but it will keep your old clients loyal to you. The competition in various industries is tough, which is why it is also vital that you do not just win new customers but aim to maintain a good relationship with the clients you already have.
- It enhances brand image. You want to have a positive image of your brand, and negative content on the web can tarnish it. Managing your reputation on the web is one way to care for your brand. It will push the bad posts at the bottom, so users will see the positive ones, which will improve the image of your brand.
- It buries negative feedback. It may be difficult to completely remove negative posts and feedback about your business, but you can do something to move them to lower rankings on searches. Keep building your reputation so that the positive information will have higher rankings. Users are more likely to check those on the first page of the search result than those on the last page.
- It helps attract exceptional employees. Your employees are a vital part of the company. Having skilled, knowledgeable, talented, and hardworking staff will help your business succeed. A positive online reputation is not only for attracting customers but in getting the attention of the best employees. Job applicants often check the profile of the company on the web to know more about it. If what they see is bad, they may not want to become part of the company. However, if what they see is positive, they will be interested in working with you.
- It generates investments and partnerships. Potential partners and investors would also research your company to know it better. What they see online would affect their decision if they will do business with you or not. Managing your reputation can help you win new investments and partnerships that will help grow your business.
- It helps in SEO. Generating positive comments and regularly posting high-quality content on your site, and other authority sites are part of online reputation management. It is also helpful with your SEO or search engine optimization because more mentions and quality content are factors that aid in improving your search engine result ranking. You will get more organic traffic on your website because of it, thus, also improving the chance of converting these visitors into clients.
Your online reputation matters in the growth of your business. Make sure that you manage it properly to keep a positive image and maintain credibility, authority, respect, and trust.