Online Reputation Management

These days is easier than ever for customers to share their opinions online. Whether they are singing your praises or expressing their dissatisfaction, they have limitless opportunities to discuss their experience with your company. Online reputation management is incredibly important if you want your brand to be successful. If you have not given your online presence much thought, here are some ways you can start overcoming negative comments and cultivating positive reviews.

What Online Reputation Management Means:

Online reputation management includes tracking anything and everything pertaining to your business online. You are managing your online presence to make sure everything is running smoothly, and responding to people who have taken the time to review you. Remember that your relationship with your customers is one of the most important factors in running your business, so treat everyone with kindness and respect, even if you do not feel that their complaints are justified. Some customers will never be satisfied, no matter how great your products and customer service are, but you have to be willing to work towards a positive solution.

Getting Started:

If you are already established, check out each and every online page that you have. Look at comments that customers have left, and see what they’ve said about their experience with you. Do a Google search to see what 3^rd party websites you are being reviewed on, and what those customers have to say. Using a site like Mention can help you easily keep track of where you are being discussed around the internet. If you have not been keeping up with what reviewers have been saying about you, start by responding to those that have left a review in the last month. Those are still relevant situations that you can use to help build relationships and resolve issues.

Create A Plan For Future Reviews:

There are several simple steps you can take to make sure that you stay on top of your reviews. First, set up notifications for when someone mentions your company. This will help you stay on top of any comments you need to address or let you know when you get a glowing review. Keep your frequently asked questions accessible to customers to help avoid issues or an influx of the same question or comment. One of the most important preparation steps you can take is figuring out what to do if you get a bad review. This will help you avoid panicking and potentially mishandling the situation. Bad reviews are inevitable, so be prepared!

Prepare To Respond To New Mentions:

Set aside time each week to go through your mentions and reviews to make sure that you don’t miss anything important. If you get a negative review, handle it professionally and with care. Resist getting defensive and instead take the issue to a private conversation by asking the customer to send you an email or direct message. If you have good reviews from happy customers, use those to your advantage! Be sure to thank customers to leave you reviews, since they took time out of their day to give you feedback.

Monitoring your online reputation does take some time, but it is fairly easy to do. Having reviews (both good and bad) helps make your company more reputable to potential customers, and helps customers make the best purchasing decisions for themselves. Remember that your customers are the most important part of your business, so work on building positive relationships with them and remain respectful and professional.