Controlling the narrative surrounding your business brand is something you should view as a priority. Showing potential customers that your business is both trustworthy and legitimate is crucial to winning them over. A recent study found that almost 90% of modern consumers look at online reviews of a business before investing in their products/services.
Many business owners fail to realize just how damaging bad online reviews can be. Instead of allowing negative reviews to take you off of your upward trajectory, you need to learn more about managing your online reputation. Read below to find out more about online reputation management and why it is important.
What is Online Reputation Management?
All of the actions taken by a business to monitor, analyze, and shape their online impression are referred to as online reputation management. One of the most crucial components of online reputation management is reacting to and tracking mentions of your brand across the internet. Some places to track mentions of your brand include the following:
- Press coverage
- Chatter on social media websites
- News sites and blogs
- Product review sites
Managing your online reputation is beneficial for a number of reasons we will discuss below.
A Great Way to Boost Customer Engagement
Monitoring digital touchpoints that your customers frequent is a good idea. The more of these digital channels you monitor, the easier it will be to improve customer engagement. Actively responding to the positive reviews or social media post comments your customers submit is a good way to show them you care.
Responding to these reviews and comments also keeps a customer invested in your brand. With the help of online reputation management, you can reduce customer turnover rates substantially. This is why investing time and money into your online reputation is a wise move.
Better Brand Credibility
Bad online reviews are something you should view as an inevitability. You are never going to be able to please everyone, which is why you need to avoid taking these bad reviews to heart. However, addressing them in a public way can help to improve your brand’s credibility.
Responding to negative comments and reviews gracefully shows customers how professional you are. Ideally, you want to respond by trying to make amends with the unsatisfied customer.
Improve Brand Recommendations
Did you know that 90% of people respond positively to brand recommendations from friends/family members? Finding ways to increase the number of recommendations you receive can help you grow your customer base.
If you want customers to recommend your company to their friends and family, being responsive and communicative online is vital. When customers see how responsive your company is, they will have no problem spreading the word about the products or services you offer.
As you can see, online reputation management is extremely important. With the help of marketing professionals, you can put your best foot forward online.
