Today, if a company isn’t online, they are considered to be behind the times and don’t get as much exposure as other businesses that are already online. Business needs to stay well informed and on-trend to make sure their reputation isn’t tarnished online without them knowing. Unfortunately, all internet or social media newcomers that own a business, most content cannot be erased from the web, so posters beware.
Why Should A Business Worry About Reputation Management?
Millions of people have felt the wrath of the internet’s ugliness, whether it comes from a regrettable image or content on social media, a comment taken out of context, or a negative review that millions of people have seen. Without managing your online reputation, all of the above mentioned could happen to businesses – or more. Reputation management isn’t a way to promote your business products or services; it is a way to influence potential customers to perceive your persona or professional brand. So, if the internet can be so ugly, how do businesses keep up an excellent reputation?
If this article were being written back 10 or 20 years ago, online reviews wouldn’t be as relevant as they are now. Today, 74% of people consult Yelp when looking for a service provider and 86% of people pay more for a business with higher ratings and reviews. What does this mean for business owners? It means, the big way to keep your business reputation up is to manage your company’s online reputation more than you ever had to in the past. A business that has a well-maintained web presence lets customers compare you to the competition and allows them to know everything about the service your company provides. It also gives the added bonuses of brand management and building up customer trust.
How Businesses Improve Their Online Reputation
If you are new to owning a business or have had a business for a while and are new to online reputation management, here is a general guide that can help you and your company gets started.
Creating General Sites
The best way to begin your journey down the rabbit hole of reputation management is to create a business profile on review sites such as Yelp and the Better Business Bureau. They help host reviews of many businesses and are city-specific, which means it connects with customers in your area.
Creating Service Specific Sites
Go the extra mile and look up sites that will help customers rate your business that reviews just your field of business. You can find these sites by searching for “enter your field of service” review sites and add your business to the list!
Use Local Forums
Using local forums can get your business online, locally and is a great way to reach customers in your businesses area and establish your business as the best in that field in your city. You’ll also be able to adjust your business plans to market because firms will enable you to see what trends your customers are talking about.