What people say about you online, whether positive or negative, can have a very big effect on your business. In a world where information spreads very fast, it is must for companies, regardless of the size, to make sure that they have untarnished reputations online. A bad review can change the course immediately and you could easily lose thousands of customers in just an hour. The reputation which you have worked so hard for in years can easily be destroyed in minutes.
Technology today has changed how consumers purchase things or services. They often check online not only for the product but for the company which is offering the product. They have more access to information today and they are using this power to their advantage. Because they have ready access to company profiles and customer feedback, it is important for businesses everywhere to make extra efforts in making sure that they have an excellent reputation.
How should businesses go about it?
Make sure that your business is properly represented. One of the easiest ways to guarantee that your customers will keep coming back to you and attract new customers at the same time is by creating accurate profiles of your business on the Internet. There are many websites which allows you to do this and some of them are Citysearch and YellowPages.com. There are also mobile versions of these sites. After all, you should not ignore mobile users.
With these sites, you will be able to easily update your business’ name, address, website, store hours, so on and so forth. You can also post picture of the products or services you are offering. It is vital that changes be reflected on your profile as soon as it is made and that you make sure that all information is accurate.
Launch a website. Ignoring the Internet and the people who use it is detrimental to your business. You must have a website where you can showcase your services and products, as well as the company itself. Information on your website must be well-written, accurate and informative at the same time. One of the primary questions which you must answer is “what is in it for me”. Consumers do not want to know how good your company or product is. What they want to know is what they can get from paying for your product or service.
Harness the power of social networking sites. Social networking has become a part of modern life. So, you should use it. Some of the most popular networking sites today are Youtube, LinkedIn. Facebook and Twitter. These sites will allow you to communicate directly to the people using your product or people who wish to use or get it. This is a free line of direct communication with your customers.
Monitor and influence communication online about your business. Paying a small fee to establish an account is an investment which you must make. If there are complaints them, address them as soon as possible and take criticism as an opportunity for the company to grow. Apologize and whenever possible, think of something which can help ease the situation instead of making it worse.
Protect your online reputation and you will see many returns for your company for a long time.