The perception that the public has of your company can make or break your success. Even if you have amazing customer service, a killer product, and a highly functional website, it doesn’t matter if the public sees you in a negative light. For this reason, online reputation repair is something that more companies are investing in than ever before.
You’ve probably already dabbled in building, managing, or repairing your reputation in some form or another. Making a relevant post to promote your product on social media is one example of this. Think about it, why did you make that post on your business account? Probably to reach out to your target audience and get your name out there, to build your reputation.
Consumers everywhere rely on reviews
The best thing you can do in order to build your rep is focus on reviews, reviews, reviews. When you are personally in the market for a new dishwasher, what’s the first thing you do? Probably do some research by reading what people have to say about the top dishwashers on the market. Consumers trust reviews because they are relevant, honest, and unbiased.
Positive reviews can lead to free advertising
Sure, reviews are important and having as many positive ones as possible leads to more customers. But did you also know it could also give you some free advertising? Maybe you’re paying thousands of dollars to advertise on Google or Facebook, but the best way to advertise is with your reviews! I
f you maintain a good reputation with your customers and deliver on your promises, they will only say good things about you on Yelp, Google, and social media, advertising for your brand without even knowing it.
Success is based on trust
Before you can become successful, you need to gain the trust of your target audience. This is what online reputation repair and management is all about – gaining trust and keeping it. Positive reviews aren’t the only way to gain trust from potential customers though.
You can also become more trustworthy by actively engaging with your customers online. Offer a chat option on your company website and try to be available for customer questions and concerns whenever you can. This is not just helpful, but also shows that you are there when needed (therefore trustworthy).
A good reputation can lead to business opportunities
Of course, your customers come first and it is important to be seen in a positive light by them. But you should not just be directing your efforts at customers, but also businesses. Sometimes it is necessary to partner with fellow business owners in order to accomplish goals. If you have a terrible reputation though, no businesses will ever want to partner with you.
If you want to impress potential business partners, definitely focus on impressing your customers first. An online reputation repair firm will help you do this by building your social media presence, responding to both positive and negative reviews, and reacting to negative publicity. Only after these things are done will fellow businesses start to take you seriously.
Leave a Reply