We've all seen how fast word travels today, and nowhere is that more significant to your small business than in the realm of your online reputation. What took you years to build can be ruined in seconds. Just in case you're not up to speed on why exactly your online reputation matters so much, let's look at a few statistics. Cone Communications has found that a full 89 percent of consumers view online channels as trustworthy sources, and that 80 percent have actually changed their decision about purchasing after taking a look at a negative review. Not just that, but your own social media accounts is where the action is! The Society for Communications Research lets us know that another 72 percent report researching companies through their social channels prior to making purchasing decisions, and 59% use these same social sites to let the world know about their frustrations about you and your customer service.
5 Quick Suggestions to protect your online reputation
- Check your online reputation regularly – Google yourself and your company name at the very least once per month. Setup Google alerts to notify you when there are any mentions of your names or brand. Easy, free and necessary.
- Claim online real estate – If you dont own your company's domain name, or your personal one, make an effort to own these. A lot of damage can be carried out in your name if you don't.
- Be proactive on your social sites – Like your domain name, claim any Facebook, Google or LinkedIn pages that bear your name. And also, make an effort to use them regularly.
- Deal with negative content ASAP – Deal with negative postings and especially complaints right away. Do your very best to contact the person directly, preferably offline. Try to handle their issues, and whatever you do, don't get into a shouting match online.
- Be very careful what you put online – Those lovely pictures of you and the staff partying hard are not what you want to show up in a business context.
