What Is Your Online Reputation?

Online reputation is the sum of your online presence. It's a snapshot of how the Internet perceives you at large. It includes everything from social media profiles to websites you've mentioned in blog posts, articles and videos. Whether or not you realize it, your online reputation impacts all areas of your life, including job prospects and personal connections.

How Does Online Reputation Management Work?

Regarding your online reputation, the most important thing to remember is that there is no such thing as "permanence." The Internet is forever. Once something has been posted and published online, it will be there for anyone who wants to find it. If you're not careful with your output, people will find it anytime they search for your business.

While most people might think you can control the content on your blogs or social media pages, you must understand that those things reflect you as an individual.

If something bad happens online on these mediums, no matter how much you try not to let people know about them or delete them from those places, it is easy for someone somewhere to spot them.

So how do you manage your reputation? Online reputation management involves monitoring, managing and improving your online reputation. It focuses on the positive aspects of your business, products and services. You can also take advantage of online reputation management to combat negative comments or reviews.

Online reputation management is a cost-effective way to improve your search engine results by:

• Making sure that the content on the sites is important; those with content relevant to what you do reflect positively on your organization;
• Increasing positive links from authoritative sites;
• Improving positive mentions in social media;
• Enhancing positive references from existing customers;

Since it's challenging to keep up with all the different social media platforms, forums and review websites, online reputation management professionals like BusySeed Reviews work with companies to monitor their online presence. They respond quickly if something negative pops up and try to get it removed or change its tone. They also research how customers feel about their brand in general so that they can improve it over time.

Why Should You Care?

Your online reputation is your first impression, which is why it's so important to manage it. It helps you stay on the edge, build trust with potential clients, and promote your business.

An Online Reputation Can Make or Break You 

Your online reputation can make or break your business. Customers who see negative comments about your business will be less likely to do business with you. A company known for its poor customer service or unreliable products will get few repeat customers and, therefore, will see little growth in sales.

On the other hand, a good reputation can help attract new customers and retain existing ones who care about quality service and good products. If people talk positively about your brand on social media platforms, others will be more inclined to try out what you offer. If they're happy with their experience or at least not dissatisfied enough to share their displeasure, they'll return and hopefully recommend it to others.

More People are turning to the Internet for Reviews

The Internet is a great place to get reviews. Whether you're a small business or an international corporation, people will always turn first to the Internet for reviews. Why? Because most people tend to trust online reviews. A survey from BrightLocal found that 93% of consumers use more than a minute in studies before deciding where to buy from. And those who use ten minutes or more? That figure reduces to 43%. 

Prevents Negative Reviews Spread Wild

Suppose you have just finished an amazing meal at the new restaurant in town and are thinking about posting a review on Yelp. However, before you post the review, you realize that this restaurant has received three negative reviews in the past week. The reviews might need to be clarified. They don't even mention your experience, which negatively affects your perception of the business.

These reviews get posted because someone feels entitled to voice their opinion online because there is no accountability for what they say. In that case, you need to manage your online reputation. This is because it can be easy for people with malicious intentions to post false or misleading information about your company and ruin it for clients that need nothing more than a positive experience with your brand.

Boosts web traffic

The reason why BusySeed Reviews strives in creative and innovative positive reviews is to drive customers to your business. The higher your Google rankings and the more positive mentions of your company on social media sites, the greater the likelihood that people will click on your website and purchase.

Increases Your Brands' Word of Mouth Marketing

Managing your online reputation is a great way to increase your word-of-mouth marketing. People trust what their friends and family say, so if you can work your online presence to promote yourself in a positive light, you'll be able to reach more people with greater ease.

Also, if you regularly post about your employees' accomplishments and highlight them positively, your employees will feel valued and be more engaged with their work.

When you show your employees how much you value them, they'll want to do the same and like to share their experiences with others.

This helps you build up your online word of mouth, leading to more sales and customers.

Better Customer Service

When it comes to customer service, the saying the customer is always right doesn't always hold. It's not about bending over backwards for every person who wants something from you; it's about making sure that your company and its employees follow a set of standards that consider your reputation.

This is especially important in an online world where people can easily spread the word about bad experiences with companies through social media. A poorly handled customer service issue could be a public relation disaster for your brand if you don't handle it correctly.

This can lead to a loss of trust between the business and its customers. 

While BusySeed Reviews build trust with customers, business owners and merchants should ensure their employees are well-trained on how to tackle any situation that arises during this time. 

How Can You Manage Your Online Reputation?

• Use Online Reputation Management Services. Both free and paid services can help you manage your online reputation. These services assist you in responding to bad reviews, monitoring your brand, and creating a positive online presence. You should do some research as there are many options available, but here are some of our favourites:
• Respond to negative reviews. Everyone has a bad day, but customers can't expect you always to be perfect. If a reviewer is taking issue with something that you have already addressed, try responding with an apology for the error and a promise to fix it as soon as possible.
• Respond to positive reviews. Don't hesitate to respond with appreciation and encouragement, even if something goes right. Your customer may not realize how much their words mean to you, but they will know if you take the time out of your day just because they said something nice about your business.
• Be consistent in your response style. BusySeed Reviews ensures each response is tailored toward each reviewer's complaint or compliment. However, there's nothing wrong with having some common elements among all of them. Thank them for their consideration of your business, even if they're critical. Then address the issue head-on or express gratitude for whatever praise they gave. Those sorts of things can help impact how people perceive both sides of every interaction you're your company.

Conclusion

If you are looking to succeed in any industry, you must start managing your online reputation. It doesn't matter if your company is big or small; even a negative review can seriously damage you. By being proactive and monitoring what people are saying about you on social media platforms and in search engines, you will be able to spot potential problems before they escalate into full-blown crises. 

While this may seem time-consuming, it doesn't have to be. At BusySeed Reviews Services, we help small businesses your online reputation so that you can focus on what matters. Contact us today.