What You Should Know Before You
Hire a Reputation Management
Company
In order to be a successful business in the Age of Information, you must keep up with a techno-centric market. Ninety percent of today’s consumers use the Internet to find and research businesses before they proceed with a purchase. You might be amazed at what the average web surfer can dig up on your business with just a few keystrokes. Do you know what people see when they search for YOUR business? If not, then you need to stop for a moment to consider your online reputation.
Just as businesses are becoming increasingly aware of their need to focus their marketing efforts on the world-wide web, they are also beginning to recognize a need for cultivating and protecting their online reputations. As this awareness increases, and as consumers grow more and more savvy when it comes to learning as much as they can about where they choose to spend their money, an industry is springing up to meet the needs of business owners who want to stay on top of their own line reputation. Reputation management companies are your answer to overseeing your online business persona.
If you are not currently proactively managing your business’ online reputation, then you need to start – and as soon as possible. If you don’t have the time, energy, or know-how to manage your online reputation effectively, then you should consider hiring a reputation management company. Fortunately for you, there is a lot of information available to help you make that decision, and this is the perfect place to start.
Forty-two percent of U.S. adults online who look someone up do so before doing business with him or her. Forty-five percent said they have found something in an online search that made them decide not to do business with the person, and 56 percent have found something that solidified their decision to do business with that person. (Source Cited Here)
There are a number of avenues that allow for the perpetuation of ideas and information that affect your business’ online reputation. Consider the following:
Perhaps the most important thing you can take from this is the fact that your online reputation will exist, whether or not you choose to participate in creating it. Why is that? Because people talk. You can expect that both your satisfied and your disgruntled customers will want to spread the word about your business. You can also expect that there is no possible way you will ever be able to make 100 percent of your customers happy, 100 percent of the time. What does that mean for you? That means it is inevitable that there will be some negative information floating around about your business, and that it WILL find its home on the Internet.
Where does reputation management come in? You can look at it this way: if you choose not to get involved in managing your online reputation, then you can rest assured that your online reputation will be formed by other people. Can you afford to put such a huge determinant of your business’ success into the hands of other people – people who may not want the best for your business? The answer is a resounding, “no.” Therefore, it is quite simple: reputation management is important because, as a business, YOU want to control your reputation, rather than handing that responsibility over to the ill-informed masses.
There are a number of things you can do yourself to protect your online reputation. Just keep in mind that managing your online reputation takes a lot of time, thought, and action. Here are some steps you can take to keep your online reputation clean:
It is inevitable that at some point someone will post a negative review about your business in an online forum. Negative reviews are often a main concern when it comes to reputation management, and are the topic of much discussion. Your response to negative reviews can go a long way in either adding to or detracting from your business’ online image. While it is only natural to recoil in horror at the first sight of a negative review, or even to want to strike out in defense, it is important that you know that there is a definite right and wrong way to handle negative online reviews. When it comes to handling negative reviews, follow these pointers:
It is inevitable that at some point someone will post a negative review about your business in an online forum. Negative reviews are often a main concern when it comes to reputation management, and are the topic of much discussion. Your response to negative reviews can go a long way in either adding to or detracting from your business’ online image. While it is only natural to recoil in horror at the first sight of a negative review, or even to want to strike out in defense, it is important that you know that there is a definite right and wrong way to handle negative online reviews. When it comes to handling negative reviews, follow these pointers:
Call (631) 259-7714 or email david@applepiebusinessconsulting.com us today so we can start helping you with your online reputation management. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
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