There are steps you can take and changes you can make that will improve your reputation online. Ask your customers to write reviews Right now, you may have some negative reviews online hurting your reputation. Even if you don’t currently have an account on a platform such as Yelp, customers can still leave reviews on those sites about your business. Don’t let this happen to you, and make sure your business is getting reviews on as many platforms as possible. Photos you take of your business will obviously be great and make your brand look good. The customer is always right. Share user-generated content As previously discussed, customer photos attached to a review are a great way to improve a brand’s reputation. Start sharing user-generated content on your social media platforms. For example, a third-party review website could write an unfavorable blog post about one of your products. Start prioritizing your blog A great way to get a better online reputation is by improving your domain authority.
Things happen. You made a mistake and did something that damaged your reputation.
Maybe you said something that people took as offensive. Or maybe your social media manager tweeted something inappropriate.
The delete button doesn’t erase things from someone’s memory.
Or maybe your company was the victim of a credit card breach that impacted your customers. In this case, it’ll be tough for you to get your customers to recommend your brand to others.
But just because you had a slip-up doesn’t mean your company is doomed forever.
There are steps you can take and changes you can make that will improve your reputation online.
That said, this guide isn’t just for brands with a bad reputation. Those of you who have a new company with no reputation will need help building your reputation from scratch.
Some of you have been in business for a while and don’t even realize your actions aren’t helping your reputation. Regardless of your situation, I’m confident you’ll benefit from this guide.
Research shows that 58% of business executives think they need to manage their reputation online. However, just 15% of these people actually do something about it.
Furthermore, 41% of brands that experienced an event that damaged their reputation said their revenue decreased as a result.
You don’t want to be one of these statistics. It’s time to do something about your online reputation.
Ask your customers to write reviews
Right now, you may have some negative reviews online hurting your reputation.
That’s bound to happen. It’s an unavoidable part of being in business because not everyone will have the best experience with your company.
But if you don’t have lots of reviews online, these negative ones will stand out more.
What about all your current customers happy with your business? You need them to review your brand.
How can you get them to do this? Just ask them.
Check out this email Sleefs sent out to its customers:
I know some of you are thinking this might be unethical, but that’s not so.
Look at this message a bit closer. It doesn’t say anywhere you need to write a positive review. It just invites you to write a review.
Its customers also have a couple of different options here. This will appeal to people who have different preferences.
If customers are willing to write a review and share it with their friends, they’ll get a free product. The people who just want to write a review will receive 15% off their next order.
Another great part about this message is the emoji at the bottom. You can learn how to improve your click-through rates with emojis.
If people do write positive reviews after receiving your encouragement, the good reviews will balance out the negative ones.
Plus, a mix of positive and negative reviews will show people your brand is authentic. If every review was positive, it may cause prospective customers think that some of the reviews are fake.
Nobody’s perfect, and people know that. So don’t let a few bad reviews bring you down.
Ask your current customers to write more reviews, and you’ll be just fine.
Expand your presence
Where can people find out more information about your business?
You can’t just rely on one platform for ratings and reviews. Your customers have different preferences for researching brands.
OK, so your business has a Facebook page. That’s great.
But that alone isn’t enough. Take a look at which review sites consumers trust the most:
As you can see, the answers are quite different. No single platform is that far ahead of the others.
- Yelp
- Trip Advisor
- Better Business Bureau
- Yellow Pages
You need to have a profile on all of these.
Here’s something else to consider. Even if you don’t currently have an account on a platform such as Yelp, customers can still leave reviews on those sites about your business.
It’s in your best interest to claim those business pages to make sure all your information is accurate.
I’m referring to information such as your website address, phone number, physical address, and store hours. If you don’t claim your pages and check them for accuracy, it could hurt your reputation even more.
Let’s say someone sees a bad review online but they still want to give you the benefit of the doubt. They call you to find out more information and get a disconnected line because your phone number was inaccurate.
You just lost your chance of getting that person’s business. Don’t let this happen to you, and make sure your business is getting reviews on as many platforms as possible.
Remove ads from your website
You may not realize it, but your website may be hurting your credibility.
There could be certain design choices or elements that are turning people away and making them think your business is untrustworthy. You need to correct this as soon as possible.
Identify the top elements adding credibility to your website, and compare them to those on your own site.
One of the first things you should do is get rid of any ads you’re currently running for other businesses.
Look at how many different types of ads consumers dislike seeing:
I know some of you may be selling ad space on your…
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