In today’s world, local business can’t afford to ignore reputation management until there is a online crisis. Before someone’s Facebook or Twitter rant about your business has gone viral, local business can take control of their reputation. It’s easier with these Reputation Management tips for local business.
By taking control of your hard earned business reputation now, you can prevent future crises. Minimise the bad things customers discover and even prevent it falling into your competitor’s hands.
Whilst up to 95% of shoppers read online reviews before making a purchase; Up to 88% of consumer’s buying decisions are influenced by online reviews. At it’s worst, this could mean that business would lose 88 out of every 100 potential sales your business was about to make if you have a negative or bad online reputation.
The Top 5 Reputation Management Tips for Local Business Owners are:
- Take time to monitor customer feedback on all review sites and mentions on social media platforms.
- Respond constructively and non-defensively to all your negative reviews. They will happen.
- Apologise for their experience and move further responses offline by encouraging them to phone or email your business support department directly.
- View these as opportunities to fix something which went wrong and a way to show potential customers how you will pro-actively fix things when they do go wrong.
- Turn happy customers into brand advocates by encouraging them to leave reviews. Usually all you have to do is ask.
People are more likely to share negative experiences without prompting. Many often don’t think about sharing their good experiences but will happily leave glowing 5 star reviews if you just ask them.
Even negative reviewers will often go back and revise or edit their original Social Media post once you have resolved their complaint. When they are asked to.
Control Your Online Reputation
Another way you can control the narrative about what information is being put out there about your business. Using an Online Visibility for promotion and publicity campaigns you can get massive powerful exposure.
Google loves to rank these types of content highly. This can be a powerful way to drown out negativity with high ranking, authority exposures. Especially with ongoing campaigns over the following weeks and months. It’s one of the best ways to get a business exposure.
When done in combination with the top 5 reputation management tips for local businesses. This unique publishing and content sharing secret sauce will can stack authority and recognition to bring a steady stream of traffic to your website. While uniquely growing their credibility and online reputation.