Reputation Management: What Are People Saying About Your Business?

Data from a recent survey from the Society of New Communications Research stated, “74% (of consumers) choose companies / brands based on others’ customer care experiences shared online.” In today’s world of Facebook, Twitter, online reviews, testimonials and news, a company’s reputation online can be made or destroyed in minutes. Just one or two negative reviews or complaints on the first page of Google can cause your company to  lose potential customers. It is vital that your business maintains a positive online reputation. Here are our suggestions for reputation management, and what to do when someone posts bad things online about you or your company.

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Reputation Management is a relatively new public relations specialty that focuses on managing brand, product, or personal perceptions through an active, near real-time program of conscious engagement in social media outlets, along with monitoring and managing online reviews.
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When it comes to building positive awareness about your company, it takes a lot of time and effort to build and maintain your online reputation. Your business reputation should be protected and enhanced to help your business thrive. Reputations sway public opinion, positively or negatively affect careers and have tangible impact on the success of any business. Without Reputation Management, negative posts, reviews, and comments create a damaged perception of your company for your potential consumers online.
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First impressions are known to affect our opinions for a long time. A potential customer’s  first impression of your business may be the only chance  your company will have to affect that individual’s opinion of you. The question now being, what will they see and is their first impression positive or negative?
The Internet provides countless opportunities for people to share their views with the rest of the World, and the fact that they can do so anonymously presents a unique set of problems. What do you do when someone posts a derogatory comment about your company?
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Your reputation can be destroyed in a matter of minutes on the Internet by anyone. Search engines and literally thousands of local directory style websites and specialized “review-centric” websites promote reviews  with the intention of informing and protecting the public. When monitoring your online reputation, a proactive approach is necessary. Even the best businesses will eventually have a negative comment posted on Google, Yahoo!, etc. Was it a competitor? A disgruntled employee? A real customer who wasn’t treated exactly the way they expected? Potential customers searching online for your company will see that review, and whether you feel it is justified or not, right or wrong, it is there for the World to see. Take a proactive approach to managing the review process for your business and  brand before there’s a problem. Protect your business by soliciting positive reviews about your products and services and your staff’s customer service attitude!
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The Web Guys utilize a service called ‘Customer Lobby’ for our own reputation management. Customer Lobby is a great way to solicit real, quality reviews from our valued customers.  Customer reviews are proven to increase the conversion from a visitor to a  web site by 20-50%. Customer reviews produce both credibility and positive results for your business.  The simple gesture of inviting your customers to provide feedback about your company says “we care what you think” and often may predispose them to make positive comments.
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Customer reviews that are hosted by a 3rd party like Customer Lobby and solicited and documented in a credible manner create great, consumer-trusted results. If testimonials are only provided by your own company, readers could sometimes assume that the testimonials are “cherry-picked,” or that they are made-up comments from some time in the past that are not representative of your current customers’ views. Also, since we all wear dozens of hats as business owners and managers, soliciting reviews may not be getting the attention it deserves. Consider outsourcing it, and watch the results (and the positive reviews about your company) grow! The Web Guys are resellers of Customer Lobby’s great service, so call us to learn more at 317-805-4933.
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Along with taking a proactive approach by soliciting quality reviews through Customer Lobby, creating official online profiles is very important. We provide a different aspect of reputation management by creating and claiming your business profile on several powerful directories like Merchant Circle, Manta, HotFrog, etc. Because we complete your profile with the correct information, you are ensured potential customers have the correct phone number, address, and other important company details. Now Google yourself. Search <your company name reviews>. For example, we search “The Web Guys Reviews” quite frequently. We also search that term for our Customer Lobby clients frequently as well. It’s the simplest and fastest way to find out where you or your company’s online reputation stands online. See what kind of results pop up first and if they aren’t what you’d like them to be, you have some reputation management to do. Call The Web Guys Phone Number today to discuss your reputation management approach at (317) 805 – 4933.