A Google search for the term “Online Reputation” brings up more than 12 million results. These numbers make it quite clear that a lot of people are interested in either building or managing their (or their clients’) online reputation.
If you are running a business in today’s competitive space, it is imperative for you to have a good reputation on the internet. Wondering why?
Well here are some statistics to support this claim:
Close to 75% of people say that good online reviews builds their trust towards a business.
A massive 90% of all the users read online reviews before visiting a business.
Just imagine, if those readers get to read something negative about your business – what kind of bad impact it would create on not just the present but the future of your business as well.
How to build your online reputation
After reading all this, it should have become quite clear why you need to build a good online reputation. And, this is exactly what’s going to be our focus in this post.
We’ll outline a few simple, yet effective steps that can help to boost your business’s online reputation. So, without further ado…
Be relevant
The evolving technology trends have reduced people’s attention spans to the bare minimum.
According to one of the articles published on BBC, “human attention span online has been reduced to just 8 seconds.”
You can imagine how difficult it is to keep people hooked up to a business. And in such circumstance, you cannot feed people with irrelevant information. This would be a big turn-off and would scare them away!
This is where the power of relevance comes into the picture. By understanding the user’s intent and creating content based on this understanding, you can eventually keep the user hooked up and coming back for more.
And this is one of the biggest signs of having a good online reputation!
Stay aware
With more than 2 million blog posts published daily, there is no point in publishing and spreading content where it is not reaching your target audience.
This is where the power of being aware comes into the picture.
Technology has brought us to a stage where you can get to know about things in the blink of an eye. There are tools available that can help you track the sources where people from your niche are active. Using this information can make your presence felt on those specific platforms.
For instance, by helping people with advice on forums you can eventually establish yourself as an authority in the field.
In a similar way, you can make your presence felt on the right social media channels to establish a community and build a brand out of your regular business.
Respond, respond, respond.
One of the most important lessons that businesses fail to grasp is the fact that no matter good or bad, if someone has written something about you it must be acknowledged.
For instance, if someone has posted a negative review about you on some review site you must take time to acknowledge the fact. It is best to apologize for the concern, clarify what went wrong, and ensure that such things won’t happen in the future.
Similarly, if someone has written something good about you then take the time to thank them. Don’t forget to leverage this across your social media channels.
People are easily attracted towards businesses that garner praise from their peers, since we tend to trust like-minded people.
So don’t forget to respond to people who talk about your business. And, by responding we mean quick response, within 24 hours if possible.
Build relationships
We don’t mean build relationships with just your customers either!
You have to look at the bigger picture. Focus on the who’s who of your industry. Get in touch with them; follow them on social media channels and other online resources.
Let them know what you think of them, and ask for their valuable advice for your business and your products.
Once you have established a relationship with them you can ask them to vouch for your business as well.
Remember a small praise from an established authority could put your business name in the limelight. That’s how you leverage your social presence in today’s market.
Be human, stay human
It is true that AI is slowly, but surely, taking over the world and business are looking to automate processes wherever possible.
However, putting your business reputation on auto-response mode could be the biggest mistake you could make.
People don’t like talking to machines. They don’t like machines to respond to their queries. And they certainly don’t like businesses that run like machines.
There’s a reason why social media is named social media – because that’s where people can interact with real humans.
So, you need to talk to the people like real humans with real emotions.
This one thing could take your business’ online reputation to new heights!
After all, we humans are emotional begins, and striking the perfect chord with your customers could eventually help you win them over forever!
It’s all about patience and perseverance
On a concluding note, please remember that building a good online reputation requires time and sincere efforts over a long period of time. It is a marathon, not a sprint, and there are no shortcuts.
You can’t win over millions of people overnight. You have to persevere, try hard and connect with your audience from the ground up.
Businesses that are able to fight this battle are able to create excellent online presences. While the ones that give up in-between, or after a while, are left wondering what to do next.
If you want to take your business to the pinnacle of success and win your customers over, then follow the aforementioned steps. Before long, and with enough genuine work, your reputation should be a shining example of excellence.
Begin implementing them one point at a time, and see the kind of impact they deliver for your business. Once you are on the right track, people will start to come to you and ask for advice in your expert niche.
Social media is the way of the world these days, and if you’d love to reach out and ask us any questions, you can find us on Facebook or schedule a call.
We look forward to your questions and comments!
All the best!