19 March 2013

Social Media

Managing Online Reputation

Today, the internet is recognised as the world’s biggest marketplace, with many potential clients and partners just a click of a button away. With this fact in mind, I cannot stress the importance of online reputation management and how it should be included in every business’s website marketing method.

Why is it so important?

Having a good online reputation can be difference between having a successful business in 2013 and failing. First thing first, ask yourself what you want your potential customers to come across when they type your company into a search engine. See what comes up when you type your business into Google; if you come across bad reviews then you definitely have not been paying enough attention to your online reputation and it’s about time that something is done about it!

Being so accessible in nature, people can easily share their views and opinions via the internet with only a few clicks of a mouse button. It doesn’t matter if an individual’s opinion is incorrect with no evidence to support it, it can still be posted.

Many, if not all, first-time-buyers base their decision on the feedback that a particular product has received. Obviously this is not the only factor but a pretty important one! Unfortunately, this buyer will be put off if there is associated negative feedback.

It’s not just about sales. Unemployed individuals who used to look in the jobs section in a newspaper first, are now turning to the internet and job websites. Even if an individual primary used the paper to search for jobs they are now turning to the internet in order to research more about the company, before going through the application process. If this person sees negative comments about your company, the chances are they will look elsewhere for other opportunities.

Potential investors will only commit if they feel confident about your brand, if they go on the internet and find bad comments about the performance and quality of your service/product, they will be hardly willing to part with their money.

Don’t panic!

It is inevitable that not everyone will be happy with your product/service, but by managing your online reputation you have control of what potential clients and customers see when they type in your business into Google. It also allows you that precious time for damage control, meaning that you can sort out a negative campaign associated with your business before it comes viral.

If you are coming towards the end of this blog and thinking; I haven’t given much thought about my online reputation, then I would highly recommend that the next thing you do is see how your business’s reputation is doing online. You may find that there are not negative posts about your business, but don’t get comfortable, this can change in an instant!

If I was you, I would set aside time out of your busy schedule to sit down and check your business’s online reputation. If you prefer, you can get hold of professionals who can help to advise you on what to do next, if there is negative content out there. Be proactive about this, know your business better than anyone else, and be in control of your online reputation!

Written By Sarah