On-line reputation management
According to Google, 83% of consumers will check out your business online before deciding whether to do business with you! Today, organizations and individuals are at the mercy of internet media sources that are available 24/7.
Unflattering news, reviews, pictures, and even outright lies can be posted instantaneously and spread throughout the online world very quickly resulting in lower search engine rankings. Managing your online reputation, it is not something you want to ignore.
Here are 3 challenges business owners face with their online reputation;
#1 Bad Press
Bad press includes a number of things, and they are the number one challenge in online reputation management. This is what it’s all about after all, trying to limit and eliminate all the bad press that’s out there. Any of these and more: squatted usernames (where someone else takes over the use of a company’s username); squatted domains; disgruntled employees or individuals impersonating the company or one of its staff; name
#2 Thinking the business does so well offline that no reputation management needs to be done online
This is something that a shocking number of business owners think. While major corporations may have a large and loyal customer base that will disregard bad reviews and the like, small businesses most likely do not. The capacity for small business to take a “few hits” is very limited resulting in a snowball effect where people start to pay attention to the
#3 Not knowing something can be done about it!
In my experience, many business owners are aware that there are negative reviews and bad online press out there about them. They may even know who published it and where to find it; but they don’t think there’s anything that can actually be done about it. Managing your online reputation is very similar to managing your offline reputation. I’m certain that you would never walk away from a customer if they had walked into your office and complained.
When you leave online questions unanswered and complaints ignored, that’s exactly what you’re doing. Your Takeaways
If you’re not already managing what people are saying about you and your business, the chances are good that someone else already is, to your detriment. And if you are not actively monitoring your online reputation you may be in for a shock. Reputation management should be a part of your corporate strategy and its values.remember that in good times or bad, your online reputation can make or break your business in a heartbeat. Need help keeping your reputation healthy? Call us, we can help.
Bob Milliken is a master marketer specializing in helping businesses achieve outrageous levels of success.
Bob can be reached by phone at 604.270.1730 or by email at thenaughtymarketer@rfmholdings.com