Reputation is directly proportional to credibility and brand success. That’s why businesses need to have a convincing online reputation. This blog tells you 9 effective ways to improve and strengthen your online reputation to gain customer trust and propel your brand success.
Managing a digital image in today’s competition-driven market has become pivotal for brands of all shapes and sizes. Having an online business presence with a great reputation is a must.
Why?
An online brand reputation serves as a trust signal, determining whether prospects will do business with you or not. One poor review or mismanaged publicity piece can drastically impact your brand.
That said, making an online reputation requires consistent effort; however, it only takes a few negative reviews to break it. A poor brand image can significantly hurt your ROI and growth potential. Unhappy customers often spread about your brand to others, and before you understand what’s happening, your online brand reputation is at stake.
The key to diminishing the impact of negative reviews is to have some tried and tested online reputation management strategies in place. For that, you need a leading growth digital agency that is skilled in online reputation management, building a positive digital presence for your business.
Let’s dive in and see the ways to improve online reputation. But first, let’s define what we are going to discuss. Let’s understand the nitty-gritty of online reputation management and why it’s so important.
What Is Online Reputation Management, Exactly?
Online Reputation Management (ORM) focuses on creating a positive online brand reputation via digital mediums. Though traditional forms of media, such as TV, press, and newspapers, can also be used for ORM strategy, the internet and mainly social media can strengthen your online reputation.
ORM’s techniques and strategies ensure that people find the right and positive stuff when they look for you online. The purpose of online reputation management is to create balance, counteract misleading trends, and allow businesses to put their best foot forward.
Why Should You Care About Your Online Company’s Reputation?
Today, consumers influence the buying cycle more than ever before. That said, businesses are focusing on making a convincing online reputation. There are so many benefits of having a strong online reputation, including more credibility with customers, higher ranking, and ultimately better revenue.
Around 84% of consumers trust online reviews as much as friends’ recommendations. Besides, nearly 3 out of 4 consumers trust a company more if it has positive reviews. Conversely, 60% of consumers say that negative reviews made them not want to use a business.
These stats make it crystal clear why having a compelling online reputation is crucial for your business to succeed.
Top 9 Most Effective Ways to Improve Company’s (Lost) Online Reputation
Audit Your Online Reputation
Assessing and auditing your current online reputation is the first step towards improving your online reputation. Conducting an extensive online reputation audit will help you see what to work on and in which direction you want to work. You can begin the audit by doing some basic brand monitoring via an incognito browser window and see what appears on the top SERPs while searching for your brand name. Pay heed to ratings, comments, and reviews.
Make Good Use of Social Media Platforms
Social media is a great tool to amplify your brand. Leverage Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other social media platforms to broaden your online presence. Determine which social media platforms your target audience proactively use, how much time they spend on the platforms, and other information. This can help you establish a presence before someone damages your name. Similarly, B2B can leverage LinkedIn for a better presence.
Develop and Maintain Your Brand Identity
This is one of the most crucial (yet overlooked) tips while strengthening the online reputation. Ensure that everyone (who is involved) with your online business understands the core values of your brand identity. Be a bit systematic in developing and maintaining a brand identity. Once you incorporate all your understanding into the customer experience (CX), you tend to create a good brand identity.
Engage with Your Audience (Regularly)
Engaging with your audience regularly is a great way to manage your reputation. The best, easiest, and most cost-effective medium in today’s time is to leverage social media platforms. Any business can use it to engage with its target audience. This way, you (as a brand) can build a stronger relationship with your audience. Respond to their comments, thank them, send them a personalized message, etc.
Proactively Respond to Reviews
Whether negative or positive reviews, respond to all. Ignoring negative reviews will make you appear unprofessional in your customers’ eyes. Thank positive reviewers and let them know you’re hearing. Similarly, interact with bad reviewers, try to find the reasons why they put bad reviews, send apologies for their bad experience, take their concerns forward, and try to resolve as much as you can. This way, you will earn your customers’ respect.
Focus on Building Customer Loyalty
Customer loyalty can take your business to unimaginable heights. That said, creating customer loyalty is a great way to improve online reputation. Customer loyalty is priceless. Focus on gaining more loyal customers as they shout at superiors’ products/services and outstanding customer service.
Maintain Transparency and Honesty
Being transparent and honest with your customers is vital. The constant transparency and honesty with everything is the key to a successful online brand reputation. Do not run after incorporating fake reviews to make your brand appear good and reputable in front of your audience. Today’s audience is smart, and if they catch your fishy practice, they will not even believe your genuineness. So be transparent and honest to excel.
Get Help from an Expert
Taking the help of an expert is always advisable. Do your research and scout the best digital marketing expert that will scrutinize your current reputation thoroughly, gauge the website, and prepare a well-thought-out strategy to improve your online reputation. From social media to every other platform, an effective brand consultant can help you with strengthening your brand reputation.
Monitor the Progress
You shouldn’t stop applying the strategies because your competitors are not stopping at all. Improving online reputation is a never-ending thing. That said, monitor your progress regularly and change/modify your approach according to the market and audience needs. Meanwhile, do not forget to keep an eye on your competitors. Observe them as well to see what your customers are saying about your competitors.
In Conclusion
Is your ruined online brand reputation halting your success and costing you customers? Don’t fret! Implement these nine (proven to work) tips to improve your online reputation and put your business in a stronger position. If you don’t have time to manage everything all by yourself, taking the help of a professional is always advisable.
So are you ready to polish your online reputation and accomplish all the paused goals? Start now, then!
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