Your Reputation Depends On It
The Importance of Reputation Management
Would the majority of your customers give you a standing ovation?
84% of people trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.
There is no doubt that info spreads faster than ever! Make sure you're putting your best face forward in your online presence.
In the day and age we are in, reputation management is without a doubt CRITICAL! One bad review can be the weight that brings your business down and damage your ratings. Ratings are pondered nearly every time a consumer's choice is made and a negative rating or review decreases the odds that the shopper will give you a shot when they were otherwise considering you. No review at all poses a different challenge. While you could be the best of the best, your inferior competitor may gain your potential customers simply by having reviews. Both negative and lack of reviews can give your competitors an advantage and the potential to win customers who are rightfully yours by propelling their ratings above yours. It is important to provide your customers with the service and products that will earn you that standing ovation the majority of the time, if not every time.
STAND OUT
Your company's reputation is how it's viewed by anyone considering doing business with you. Any & all of these factors can be influenced by one negative review, Tweet, FaceBook or Instagram post. If you don't have a strategy in place that includes someone promptly replying to these complaints as they come in (within 24 hours or less is ideal), your brand's image is at risk of being dragged through the mud in retweets, likes, shares and a long thread of comments. Looking like your customer's response is not important to the company is NEVER the message you want to convey.
Use reputation management to help put your company's best face forward. Be the company that is the go-to for your industry's problem solving and for the best service choice by managing reviews and replying to ALL of them!
BUILD TRUST
It will happen, the day will come when a keyboard cowboy (or cowgirl) will jump behind the keyboard and let your company have it in the form of an ugly review.
Unfavorable comments can sway the purchasing decisions of potential customers, but lack of response to these comments can make a larger impact.
People search now more than ever! If someone sees that you have a slew of unanswered complaints it will be a red flag and they will hesitate to do business with you.
Being able to recover from a negative review helps restore lost confidence in your company and helps regain trust with your audience. Showing your customers that you value their feedback and will take into consideration the concerns they express is paramount in regaining not only them as a customer but other potential customers as well.
UNDERSTAND THEM
The importance of analyzing the wants and needs of your customers should not be discounted. Looking over all of your reviews gives you valuable insight into what's working and what's not for your business. While customers are quick to point out what disappointed them, plenty of your customers will also be forthcoming and happy to tell all about what they can't get enough of from your business as well.
Consumers feel valued when they see you taking their feedback into consideration when making business decisions.
Knowing this and utilizing this will help you build your brand and good rapport amongst current and future customers!
LEAD BY EXAMPLE
It's important to touch on an often overlooked element of online reputation management. That element is the content produced by the company.
While a great deal of your online reputation may be defined by what others say about you, it's also defined by what you say as well. Be sure to take precautions to ensure that your content is relevant, relatable and reputable.