A good online reputation is crucial for any business that wishes to be successful in the industry. It creates a professional first impression among clients, generates more traffic, increases sales, and fosters customer loyalty.
Despite these, maintaining an excellent online reputation is an uphill task for most businesses; more so in the internet world where negative information travels at the speed of light.
On that account, these expert tips would help companies maintain a virtuous online footprint regardless of the challenges.
- Establish a solid reputation
An article posted on bplans.com suggests that businesses should first build an honorable reputation before they start looking for ways to maintain it. For that reason, businesses should strive to provide excellent customer services to their clients and prospects.
Additionally, they should encourage satisfied customers to leave a positive comment on their social media or any other online platform.
- Online presence
According to the Experian Business Assist, an active online presence could rank a business in the top search results as well as keep negative content or reviews at bay.
Companies that want to reap these benefits should replenish their site, blogs, and popular social media accounts with evergreen content about the products and/or services they offer. Moreover, they should always be available to address customer concerns on those online platforms.
- Monitor what people are saying
Business managers should monitor their online platforms to establish what people say about their company, products, and services. They could track this information by Googling their company name or using premium tools that would alert them whenever their company name is mentioned.
Regular monitoring helps them identify and respond to negative comments before things get out of hand. Moreover, it helps companies appreciate positive comments as well as to eliminate spammy links that could hurt their ranking on search engines.
- Respond to criticism
It is almost impossible for a business to go without an occasional customer criticism. In most cases, the criticism will feel like a personal attack, thereby prompting an emotional response from the business’ manager.
However, online reputation management experts say that two wrongs can’t make a right. As such, managers should respond to customer concerns calmly, amicably, and objectively. A fiery or unprofessional response could only escalate the situation.
- Hire an online reputation management firm
Hiring an online reputation management comes handy when businesses are too busy to manage their online reputation, or if the business is suffering from negative reviews that threaten its reputation.
These agencies work with a team of experts who will clear up negative reviews, listings, and content that harms a business’ reputation. Moreover, they will help businesses to create fresh content that would help them rank in the top searches.
The Bottom Line
Companies that wish to maintain a good reputation should establish an active online presence, monitor what people are saying about their company, and respond professionally to criticisms. In that way, they will be able to establish a good competitive advantage over their rivals.