Without a good reputation, your business has nothing.
Thanks to the nature of the internet. reputation is more important now than it has ever been for business.
Think about the last reasonable sized purchase you made online. It’s highly likely you’ll have researched the product and brand, ran through the reviews with a fine tooth comb and checked the star ratings with a watchful eye – and if they didn’t meet expectations – you didn’t make a purchase.
A good reputation is everything! This all said, we see businesses overlook managing their reputation time and time again. They don’t give it two thoughts and it comes back to bite them. So, with all this in mind, here are some great ways to manage that reputation and ensure people see a positive result when they search for you online.
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Claim Your Space
Staking your claim on the vast online space is similar to placing sandbags around your home to protect it against a potential flood. Every name you have out there as a domain, or on your profile will be linked to what you have to offer. As such, the name can be a shield that buffers against the negativity that may want to find is way on the first results page, which is where most searches stop.
For starters, you need to work on your online social input by opening an account on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, Tumblr, LinkedIn, and other trendy social media platforms. Similarly, you need to open social accounts for your business. You then will need to link them to your website and other professional networking sites such as the Better Business Bureau and Yelp.
The other thing is to pick a relevant domain name, something that can be easily associated with your name and brand. You should take your time and think ahead so that what you settle for is something that nobody else will have a claim to or control over. The domain names across your websites, blogs, and online profiles should echo the same meaning. You may not have immediate use of some of them, but having them in your possession will be a wise way of securing them for the future.
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Monitor Your Search Results Monthly
It is prudent that you google your business’ name once every month if you are a small company. However, it should be a bit more frequent if you are running a large enterprise. Set up Google alerts for the essential, relevant keywords and phrases, more so when new content regarding your business is made available online.
When you search for your company, do not settle for the results you get on the first page. Most users do not go further than the first search results page, but it is wise to check what the next two or three pages have to show. The idea is to fish for any negative content that may impact your ranking. Keep in mind that it is the posted material governs where your name and company will land on SERPs (search engine results pages).
Therefore, you should closely monitor the content on the first, second, third, and possibly the fourth results pages for any negative remarks. Keep a spreadsheet that you can use to track what you see; list down the URLs, the page titles, and the status on each page. Take a close interest in the sentiments to be their neutral, positive or negative, whether it is not content that you own, control, influence, or something shared by a third party.
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Reviews Are Crucial For Online Reputation Management
Reviews are the window through which digital world consumers can learn about companies that they find of interest. The reviews are a significant part of getting an idea of what customers have to say about you and your business. Statistics show that 70-90% of online users go through reviews and read different feedback from other users to help them decide if a company will meet their needs.
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Generate And Respond To Online Reviews
One of the effective ways of building up your brand and company name is by ensuring that it has a solid reputation in the eyes of your clients and customers. The Local Consumer Review Survey for 2018 showed that 86% of online users read reviews for brand, products, and services before doing any transaction. Given these facts, it is prudent to ask your clients and customers to give reviews about your company on Google My Business, Yelp, Better Business Bureau, and social platforms such as Facebook. It will help to generate a positive reputation for your business while also improving consumer trust.
The reputation management efforts regarding the influence of reviews will also depend on how you respond to what users have to say, even if there are less-than-stellar remarks. It is unwise to overlook the negative comments or have a combative approach when responding to them. The best thing is to be apologetic and attempt to offer a solution. It is possible for such a move to cause the reviewer to pull down the feedback or update it so that it is in a more positive light.
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Remember To Apologise
It may not be possible to meet all the demands of your customers and clients, but it is best to try. The same thing may apply for the complaints made, but it is prudent to try and mend them. Either way, such situations can harm your business’ reputation and soil your brand’s name. It thus goes to show that companies need to bend to make their clients and customers feel appreciated and happy.
Issuing apologies has become a mandatory thing for many companies that are keen on preserving excellent relations with their consumer base. Part of these efforts includes keeping things transparent so that they can avoid any chaos in the delivery of exceptional customer service. They do their best to avoid arguing; instead, they accept a mistake and promise to look into the matter. The use of unprofessional language is another thing that businesses do not condone when their employees address the clients or customers.
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Give Employees An Avenue To Share Content
It is not uncommon for news every other week of a company or employee who used social media for an ill-conceived comment or offensive post. Such remarks only hurt your business image and reputation. But the opposite of this will have a positive impact. When the workers have something wonderful to share about your business and feel welcome to do such a thing, then they are bound to show the company in a positive light. However, it should be within a clear set of rules with the management having an oversight role on what should be posted. Give your workforce and easy avenue to curate and share advocacy content on different online platforms.
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Empower Your Audience
Reverting to the need to check and leverage reviews; it is beneficial when you can encourage reviewers to post their remarks on top sites such as Yelp, AmpartmentRatings.com, Google My Business, Yellow Pages, and Facebook. The quantity of the reviews matters as much as the number of stars you get. According to statistics, a product or services with more than 50 reviews with a high star rating will see conversion rates increase by nearly 4.6%.
To bag as many reviews as possible, encourage your customers and clients to speak out about what you have to offer. Research shows that 74% of consumers can give feedback when asked, and 64% of these can leave a review.
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Get Blogging
Blogging is one of the arsenals found in any comprehensive SEO campaign. As such, it has is place in what matters regarding the ranking of a website based on keyword use. It can also be used to populate one’s social media accounts with interesting, valuable content.
Blogging, therefore, can be leveraged for reputation management purposes. It can give your name and brand a solid foundation that enables you to respond directly to any assertions made about you or your business.
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Sponsor Content, Including Reviews
Consider sponsoring some content somewhere; it can help you garner some positive coverage that can help bolster your online reputation. It can be material that you share with a local blog, on social media, or another website. And you can do this via an influencer. You should do this, starting with a localized approach where you fish for local opportunities.
For instance, you can approach a popular blog or a trendy social media profile for local businesses. As you look into this, you should also aim for greater things. Research the kind of sponsored content that your competition is using, even if it is reviews, and see how you can curate something that gets you in the game. Our branded outreach is perfect for this.
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Be Consistent
When customers see an array of different styles of online reviews and feedback, it will do not do any favors for your business. What matters, getting a consistent tone in the reviews, and how you respond to them. Injecting a bit of humor while also showing professionalism can help you connect with your clients or customers.
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Pay Attention To Your Wikipedia Page
Most Wikipedia entries rank within the top five slots in the first results pages. If your company has Wikipedia entries, then you should invest in knowing how it works. For instance, if you Google any of the globally-known companies such as Cisco, IBM, Microsoft, and Apple, you will not miss a Wikipedia entry for them on the top slots of the first page or the search results.
What you should understand is that anyone with the relevant qualifications can edit Wikipedia entries. Therefore, avoid having direct involvement in the articles you post so that there is no conflict of interest. If you find any incorrect or negative information on your business’ Wikipedia page, then reach out to the Wikipedia community for suggestions on how to correct the matter.
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Run Branded PPC Ads
Lastly, consider throwing in some PPC ads into your reputation management efforts. Keep in mind that PPC and SEO are a powerful combination when you want to grab some significant online attention. If you are keen on getting noticed online, then you should be concerned about having a solid reputation.
For this to work in your favor, you should come up with a branded ad campaign that you can use to control your business’ image on searches. It can be an inexpensive strategy, especially if your company name is not a competitive keyword. You get to say what you want about your business that can help you have top search ranking for your name and brand.
All of the above can help you with your reputation online and ensure things look good when people Google your brand or products.
