Does Your Online Reputation Really Matter?
Does Your Online Reputation Really Matter?
If you are working with a good web design and Internet marketing team, then the chances are good that you’ve been hearing quite a bit about online reputation management lately. But is this something you really need to worry about as a business owner, or is it just another buzzword that doesn’t have much of an impact on your bottom line?
As it turns out, online reputation management isn’t just critical, but perhaps one of the biggest factors to your success (or failure) in the digital age. To understand why, there are a few things you have to know…
What Your Online Reputation Is
Your online reputation is really just the sum of all of the things customers, vendors, and even employees have been posting about you and your business on the Internet. It amounts to what people see when they Google your business name, or look for you on a social media site. It’s comprised of reviews, testimonials, videos, and any other information that’s floating around in cyberspace concerning your company.
Why Your Reputation Influences Sales
The Internet has made it convenient to buy products and services, but it’s also made it easier to choose the wrong service or vendor to work with. As a result, potential customers have gotten to be more skeptical than they used to be. They are likely to look up your business on a search engine, or to find some online reviews on a site like Yelp or TripAdvisor before they ever pick up the phone or visit you in person.
What they find when they conduct this kind of research is critically important. If previous customers say nothing but good things about you and your business, they can move forward confidently knowing they are very likely to get good service and value. But, if what they see scares them, they are likely to take their time and money to one of your competitors.
How To Find (And Fix) Reputation Problems
Finding out about your online reputation is easy. It just takes a trip through Google, Facebook, YouTube, and other related sites. Depending on what you see, the next steps could be very simple, or tedious and time-consuming.
Chances are, if you’ve been in business for a while, there will probably be one or two items in your online reputation that are less-than-helpful. Depending on the severity (and truthfulness) of the reviews in question, you can either ignore them, dispute them, or add your own point of view. No matter which road you take, it’s important to keep things professional and avoid making personal attacks.
Beyond that, your best move is to simply ask your best customers to leave positive reviews for you in places where other customers are likely to find them. The more you have people saying good things about your company, the less a past mistake or issue is going to stand out.
Online reputation management isn’t difficult, but it does take a bit of time and attention. Luckily, we can help. Why not call our team today to set up a free consultation and see how easy it is to get our creative minds working for you?