Your online reputation is becoming increasingly important. Customers will often root around for info on your company before making a purchase. Potential employees will check you out, too – so it is is vital that you are making sure your online reputation is sound.
If you are struggling to get to grips with your company’s online persona, read through the reputation management process advised by an online reputation management agency. The process includes removing Google search results permanently, suppressing negative search results, boosting positive results, monitoring new issues, raising alerts and more. In addition, be sure to read customer reviews on the company you want to consult for service.
We’re going to reveal several of the best tips for laying the initial groundwork.
Stay on top of your reputation
First of all, it is vital that you are aware of what people are saying about you. Thorough research is important to understand where your problems are lying. Simple Google searches for your company name are a good start – and don’t forget to search for images, too. You can set up Google Alerts, which will notify you via email when someone mentions you online. It might be worth working with a technology pr firm; for example, if you run a tech company to help you monitor all instances of your brand is mentioned to improve your customer relations and ensure you are developing an effective strategy that will work for your company going forward.
Improve your website
Of course, not everyone forming an impression of your business is creating articles about you. In fact, the vast majority are not – but they are still making judgments of your company. It is vital, then, that you make an excellent first impression. And, when it comes to your online reputation, it’s your website that will be the most important thing to address. Make sure it is slick, trustworthy, and offers an excellent user experience. Get help with your WordPress web design – or whatever platform you use – and ensure that everything works. You have somewhere between 3-8 seconds to make a good first impression to the average visitor. Fail to do so, and you will lose out on a large volume of business.
Be consistent
Next, it is important to have a consistent voice throughout your online portfolio. Your website, social media channels, emails – they should all have the same tone of voice and be consistent, at all times. It helps to strengthen your brand and allows customers to see who they are dealing with.
Be aware of social media
If you have social media profiles, it isn’t good enough to just leave them alone. Just like your back garden, if you don’t tend to social media it can become an unruly mess. Be careful, too – there have been some high-profile social media disasters in the past. Make sure your staff have had the right training and be quick to act on anything that questions your reputation. While many companies can be afraid of social media, you should see it as a chance to prove your worth. If you can respond to complaints in a dignified manner, for example, you will come off well to other customers.
Create better content
Too many companies create content for the sake of it, without understanding the damage it can cause. Everything you publish on the web is a representation of your business. If it is poor quality, rushed, or the same as any other content on the internet, how do you think that’s going to look?
We hope these ideas have helped you get a grasp of how to manage your online reputation. Let us know how you get on!