Today’s businesses rely heavily on their online reputations to protect their brand image. Companies have always relied on a good reputation to maintain success. However, it has become much harder to manage your image when you’re dealing with customer reviews about your brand. Other than ratings and testimonials on your own website, you have very little control over the way in which people talk about your company online. That being said, there are ways in which you can fix your brand perception if you’ve experienced any negativity. In this article, we’re going to talk about how to improve and maintain a good online reputation.
Remove Negative Reviews
Obviously, a trustworthy business needs to present a transparent and two-sided perspective of its brand. And if you’re a professional company that values customer service then most of your reviews will be favorable. You might receive the occasional bad review because you were late to deliver a product to a customer or you didn’t give them a refund, but such issues can usually be resolved and your reputation can be salvaged. Simply responding to reviews with honesty and integrity can go a long way to improve and maintain a good online reputation. Issues begin, however, when you face negative reviews that are entirely unreasonable. For example, some films on Amazon have bad reviews because customers might have received the DVD in poor condition, but that rating has nothing to do with the film itself. Additionally, some people might leave bad reviews for a company to purposefully tarnish its reputation.
You should do some research on getting web content removed if bad reviews have affected your overall rating on sites such as Yelp and Google. Not all bad content can be removed, but some of it can. Sites will be able to help you if they believe that your request is reasonable. Reviews can be removed if they violate the terms of service for the site in question, so you just need to do your research to see if you have viable grounds for removing content. But even if something negative about your brand can’t be removed, it can be buried. You just need to consider your options. The way in which your business appears on search engines has a big impact on whether or not you’re going to attract new customers.
Teach Your Employees Online Etiquette
If you want to improve and maintain a good online reputation then you need to focus on your team. The way in which your employees interact with customers has a huge impact on your company’s brand image. You need to make sure that your members of staff know how to deal with customer queries and complaints on your website and social media pages. Slow responses or a lack of professionalism online could massively harm your business’ reputation. When it comes to your brand, social media etiquette has a big impact on the way in which you are perceived by the target market. Make sure your employees are taught how to deliver fantastic customer service on social media and your company website so that your online reputation is protected.
Show Your Customers That They Are Valued
This applies to your offline reputation, of course. It’s always been the case that businesses have to value their customers if they want customers to value their brand. However, you need to appreciate the power of your existing customer base when it comes to growing your business on the internet. Building relationships by saying thank you can do so much for your overall reputation. You’d be surprised by the impact that small gestures of gratitude can have on people. Happy customers talk. And word-of-mouth marketing can carry your reputation a long way online. People’s voices are amplified on the internet; their words are available for everyone to see. Make sure your business goes out of its way to leave a lasting impression on its clients. Make your long-term customers feel valued by sending them discounts and freebies.
Remember, the smallest gestures can really show the target market that you care. Maybe you could even use the internet to your advantage by starting a competition on social media. You could promise to enter anyone who shares your social media posts in a prize draw. Or you could start a referral scheme to reward customers who tell their friends about you. That’ll really encourage customers to get the word out. Potential clients are more likely to listen to other customers when they’re weighing up a brand. If you want to boost your reputation then it isn’t enough for you and your employees to throw out pushy advertisements. Simply saying “our brand is amazing” won’t do the trick. If you want to improve and maintain your online reputation then you need customers to refer your business to their family and friends.
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