Business Reputation Matters
Your business’s reputation has never been more important. Maintaining a positive reputation is important because consumers are increasingly dependent on online reviews, ratings and feedback. Central Geelong Marketing and Tourism Greater Geelong & The Bellarine hosted a recent training session titled “Your Business Reputation matters.” The session was led by Dr. Jurgen Struss from Innovabiz and offered valuable insight into the world online reviews and how they affect your business.
It was made clear that your reputation is crucial to the long-term success of your business, online and off. How can you use online reviews in your favor? What are the steps you should take to build the best reputation possible for your business and how do you go about doing that? We’ll dive in to the main takeaways and discuss practical strategies you can use today.
Business Reputation Matters
Why Reviews Matter
There’s no denying that word of mouth has played an important role in the reputation of a business. In today’s connected world, both reviews and recommendations are now digital. Recent statistics presented during the session show that online reviews are a major influencer of consumer behavior.
- 90% of consumers believe recommendations made by people they trust.
- 89% of people trust reviews posted online by strangers.
- Positive reviews influence 87% of consumers.
Consumers are 12 times more likely to trust the reviews of customers than the description provided by manufacturers.
These figures paint a picture of how powerful customer reviews can be. They can establish credibility, build trust and influence customers who have never interacted before with your business. Positive reviews can be a powerful tool for converting prospects into customers.
Reviews Increase Your Online Visibility
Reviews are not only important for influencing consumer decisions but also to boost your visibility in search engines. Google considers reviews and ratings when determining its search engine rankings. More reviews and higher ratings can lead to a better ranking on Google. This will in turn increase traffic to your store and website.
Positive reviews can have a significant impact on your ranking, helping your business to appear prominently in the local search results. You’re losing out on new business opportunities if your reviews are non-existent or lacking.
Steps for Building and Managing your Business Reputation
It may be overwhelming to manage your online reputation at first. But breaking it down into small, manageable steps will make the task much easier. Here are five actions you can take to control your online reputation and ensure your brand’s success.
1. The foundation of good reviews is to provide remarkable service
A positive review is most likely to be earned by providing a superior customer experience. You can earn positive reviews by providing service that is above and beyond customer expectations.
Consider this: If a customer feels appreciated and satisfied with their experience or purchase, they will be more likely to write a positive review. A good word of mouth might get them into the store, but an outstanding experience will make sure they come back and tell others about their experience.
Actionable tip: Ask your customers for feedback after a successful interaction or transaction. Do not be afraid! It can take a simple request to get someone to write a positive review.
2. Create and claim ownership of your online accounts
It’s important to be present on the key platforms online where your customers will likely search for you. Google My Business (GMB )**.) is one of the best tools to manage your online reputation. A GMB account that is active allows you to have your business appear in local searches, Google Maps and even Google Reviews.
You should set up accounts for other platforms such as:
- TripAdvisor – (for accommodation, restaurants, tourist attractions).
- Yelp
- UrbanSpoon (for restaurants)
- Facebook Reviews
Make sure that these accounts are optimized with accurate contact information, hours of operation, and compelling descriptions for your products or service. By being active and present on several review platforms, you can increase the visibility of your business and reach a wider audience.
Actionable tip Take a few moments each week to update the information about your business, add photos and respond to reviews on these platforms. Proactively engaging with customers shows you value their feedback and are engaged.
3. Assess and tune up your current reputation
Now is the perfect time to evaluate your online reputation if you haven’t done so. Begin by Googling the name of your business, and then review any feedback left by previous customers. What do people say? What do people say? Do you have any complaints or suggestions that are repeated?
Don’t panic if you receive negative reviews. Take this as a chance to grow and learn. Offer to resolve any issues and address any concerns. By responding to negative feedback with calmness and a constructive attitude, you can improve your reputation and show future customers that service is important to you and that it’s worth fixing.
4. Set up Reputation Management Software
The use of reputation management tools makes it easier to track and respond to reviews. These tools allow you to monitor your online presence on various platforms so that you can identify a new review quickly. You can also track your ratings and see if they improve over time.
Popular tools for reputation management include:
- Reputology
- ReviewTrackers
- Podium
You can receive alerts when a new review appears, giving you a chance to respond quickly, whether it is positive or not.
Actionable tip: Select a reputation management software that suits your business size and needs. Software can help you save time and keep you in the loop about customer feedback.
5. Ask every customer to rate their experience
You may fall into the trap that assumes that customers will leave reviews on their own, but in reality they need to be asked. Ask every customer for a review as part of your regular customer service. You can ask them to leave a review in person, by email or text. Provide direct links to the review platforms.
Actionable tip: Determine how many reviews per month you would like to get. You’ll see positive reviews if you ask for feedback from enough customers.
Business Reputation
Tips on how to manage reviews
After you have mastered the basics, there are some extra things to consider when managing your online image:
It’s important to be professional when responding to reviews. Even if you feel the review is unfair, avoid getting defensive. Acknowledge any mistakes and thank customers for providing feedback. If necessary, offer a solution.
- Acknowledge positive feedback: Positive feedback should also be acknowledged. Say thank you to the customer and express your gratitude for their feedback.
- Don’t offer incentives. While it may be tempting to reward customers for writing reviews, doing so can appear as if you are “buying” goodwill. Focus on delivering great service instead and let your reviews do the talking.
- Treat customer reviews as a tool for learning: Take the opportunity to grow by using feedback from customers. Reviews can provide you with valuable information, whether it is a compliment or complaint.
The Value of a Reputation Over the Long Term
Warren Buffett said once, It only takes five minutes to ruin a reputation. It takes 20 years to establish a good one. ” This statement is true, especially in the digital age, where information spreads quickly. Once your reputation is built, it will last a lifetime. It pays to take the time today to properly manage your reputation.
You can improve the visibility of your business and build trust with customers by following these steps. Positive online reputations can lead to increased business, higher profits and long-term growth. Take control of your online reputation and you will be on the road to success!
