The internet is typically your customers’ first stop. In an era where word-of-mouth is driven by customer reviews, shares on social media, and how your brand is mentioned online, your online reputation also dictates how customers see your credibility and quality.

Why Online Reputation Matters

Customer trust – Good online reputation all around your brand inspires trust, with 79 percent of individuals believing published online reviews as much as personal recommendations.

Drives purchase behavior: It’s a fact that good reviews and ratings drive purchase decisions, so much that the average buyer reads 10 reviews before feeling able to trust a business.

Affects recruitment: Your company’s reputation not only influences what customers think of you, it also translates into how potential employees think about working for you. Job-search candidates will Google employer ratings on sites such as Glassdoor before applying.

Competitive advantage: A well-managed reputation can make you stand out from your competitors, especially in a saturated market.

Because if you aren’t doing this to manage your online reputation proactively, your brand is being left behind.

Measuring Your Online Reputation

You’ve got to know where it is before you can fix your reputation. The quantification of who you are online is made up of several mini-measures across channels.

Check Your Ratings and Reviews

Begin by searching platforms where your average customer shares feedback:

• Track your average star rating and number of reviews on review sites like Google My Business, Yelp, and Trustpilot.
• Online reviews on e-commerce platforms such as Amazon or on your website ultimately give insight into whether your customers are satisfied with your products or services.
• Industry-specific platforms (like TripAdvisor for hospitality and G2 for software) provide industry-specific feedback.

Assess Social Media Sentiment

Keep tabs on what is being said about your business on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Analyze:

• Audio: Levels of discussions concerning your brand (from positive, to neutral…qrstuvwxyz123_RET_NOT_DELETED 0 words on total).
• “Impressions” means engagements on your posts, such as likes, comments, and shares.
• Apps like Hootsuite Insights or Brandwatch simplify the process of real-time brand sentiment monitoring.

Audit Your Search Engine Profile

Your Google search results are the doorway for new customers:

• Do a Google search of your brand. Are the first displayed content and reviews positive, or negative mentions and complaints?
• Monitor the SEO effect: see how your website’s position is against the competition.

Monitor Media Coverage

Review how your brand is being covered by online news, blogs or trade publications. You can use Google Alerts to monitor references in real time.

Leverage Tools for Reputation Management

For a proper analysis, use one of the good tools:

• Reputology for reviews on various sites.
• Note to track what is being said about your brand.
• Sprout Social for social listening and engagement reports.

With these stats in your pocket, you know where your reputation is good and where you need to close gaps.

Ways to Strengthen Your Online Presence

Who now will need you, now that you know how to measure your reputation? Leverage these tested tactics to establish credibility on the web.

Encourage and Manage Reviews

• Ask satisfied customers for reviews in an email or at the end of a service.
• Engage with existing reviews. Thank customers who leave you positive reviews, and if you do see negative reviews, address the issues that those customers raise.
• Pro tip: Don’t ever buy fake reviews. They can harm trust and result in penalties from platforms such as Google.

Provide Outstanding Customer Service

• Reply quickly to people who reach out to you on social media.
• Respond professionally and promptly to customers’ complaints; a professional reaction to a complaint can easily disarm negative posters before they tarnish your reputation.

Share Definitive, Optimized Content with SEO Value

An effective content strategy increases the visibility of your brand and strengthens your position:

• Develop blog posts, videos, and infographics to cover customer pain points or answer common questions.
• Post things that show how good you are. Stuff like case studies and customer success stories.
• SEO tip: Incorporate popular keywords so this content will surface on search engine results pages (SERPs).

Be Social – Stay Active on Social Media

On social media such as Twitter and Instagram:

• So, keep pestering them with regular posts on your social channels to keep yourself top of mind.
• Engage with followers by responding to comments or resharing UGC.
• Leverage trending hashtags correctly to extend your reach.

Use Success Stories and Examples of How You Helped Clients

Customer testimonials and case studies give you credibility:

• Feature some shiny testimonials on your website, particularly the home and landing pages.
• Develop case studies that you can point to specific results that you have delivered to clients.

Build Strong Partnerships

Partnering with trusted influencers or businesses in your niche can help take your brand to the next level. These collaborations introduce you to new audiences and let some of their followers fall in love with your brand.

Address Crises Effectively

Bad news doesn’t have to spell long-term disaster.

• Respond quickly to PR crises.
• Be transparent about mistakes, and describe the actions you’re taking to correct them.
• Maintain lines of communication and let customers know how important they are to you.

Foster a Sense of Community

Empower your customers to engage with and share your brand’s story through:

• Referral or loyalty programs
• Special deals for the fans on social media
• Virtual or in-person events

Next Level – Building Your Brand’s Digital Future

It’s important to remember that your online presence is something you must maintain, not something you can just set and forget. To be competitive in our connected world, it’s essential to proactively measure, enhance and safeguard the reputation of your brand.

For now, grade yourself with the tips presented in this blog. Work to address negative sentiment where possible and use positive sentiment as a building block to long-term audience trust.

Need Help?

Would you like help to manage you online reputation? Contact us today to learn more about the tools and actionable solutions you need. What we’ll do together: We will work with you to help your brand leave a lasting positive digital footprint.