There has been a lot of press lately about embarrassing online mistakes that have cost individuals and businesses significantly in reputation and credibility.
The internet has brought an incredible amount of transparency to business dealings, meaning small business owners can no longer afford to ignore what’s going on and what people are saying about them. Whether you pay attention or not, there are conversations happening about you and your business online. Have you taken the steps to protect its online reputation?
Here are 5 basic steps to protect your small business reputation on the web…
1. Give Your Customers a (Great) Place to Go
Make sure you have a well designed website; it’s the foundation of all your online communications. A poorly designed or unpleasant website experience can really tarnish your reputation. Customers are becoming more web savvy and will make a decision about the credibility of your business upon first glance at your website.
Your website should be a place that welcomes customer feedback and interaction. Ask customers for their opinion: and respond. Provide your customers with different ways to get in touch with you: a contact form, an email address, a phone number. And make sure that this contact information is easy to find.
If you make it hard to be contacted or don’t answer, you run the risk of an angry customer publicly commenting on their experience.
2. Own Your Online Real Estate
Have you claimed your business on major online directories, such as Google Places, Trip Advisor, OpenTable and Yelp? As mentioned inGoogle Places Update: What it Means for Small Business, 93 per cent of consumers look to the web to find a local business, therefore if you’re not listed it might be a red flag that you’re not a credible business.
Don’t get confused if you are already listed in a directory. Many directories grab information from business websites to create a basic listing without you knowing it. Even if you are already listed in this way, take time to check that the information is correct, that it is complete and that there are no negative reviews which customers can see that you have not responded to.
Once you have listed yourself on these directories, make a careful note of their locations and details and be sure to check back regularly to respond to any comments, positive or negative.
