Infographic: Managing your online reputation
By Ian Messinger |
You know what a stellar reputation can do for your small business…and the risks you run with anything less than a stellar reputation.
This quick guide to managing your reputation online can help you position yourself as a trusted provider to local consumers.
Facts + Feedback = Your Digital First Impression
Take control of your digital foundation
When it comes to your business, first impressions are everything — and believe it or not, the first thing a potential customer sees regarding your business is rarely your website.
It’s far more likely that a prospect’s first impression of you online will be the FACTS they see in search results and/or the FEEDBACK posted in customer reviews.
The Facts: Your Digital Listings
You may not realize it, but your business information is listed all over the web. Potential customers can find your business listed in dozens of places online, including:
- Search engines like Google, Yahoo! and Bing
- Social media pages like Facebook and Twitter
- Local services like Yelp and Apple Maps
- A.I. assistants like Alexa and Siri
Even your most important business information can be wrong in your online listings
71% of businesses are either missing a phone number or have an incorrect phone number across all listings
72% of businesses are either missing an address or have an incorrect address across all listings
The Feedback: Your Customer Reviews
Online review for your business are everywhere your customers are looking today — and if yours aren’t positive, or aren’t showing up at all, you may have a hard time convincing prospects to choose you.
What your online reviews reveal to your customers
79% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations
52% of consumers won’t consider using a business with less than 4 stars
Take Control of Your Online Reputation
Correcting your business information and sharing positive reviews is key to “reputation management” online — the cornerstone of your digital foundation and the first step in succeeding online.
- Monitor all your listings and reviews — Actively look for your business’ listings and reviews. Check the major sites like Yelp and Facebook, or just search for your business using a search engine like Google.
- Reach out and respond to customers…especially unhappy ones — Work to generate new positive reviews and share them wherever you can. The more positive reviews you can gather and share, the more out of place any negative reviews will seem.
- Compare your reputation to your competitors’ — Track your ratings to see how your reputation stacks up against your competition, and research average business ratings in your industry and area.
