Why Online Reputation Matters for Businesses

In the previous age of marketing, people would hear about businesses solely through word-of-mouth or through reviews in physical publications, such as newspapers or magazines. However, as marketing has shifted into the digital age, so has the culture of reviews, and ease of access to reviews has especially been impactful. Now more than ever, reputation management on the digital forefront is critical for businesses, especially smaller and newer ones trying to get their foothold in the market. If this is something you’ve never given second thought to or considered as important, we’ll break down why online reputation matters for businesses and how to get started with implementing social media customer care.

Potential customers are paying attention to what others have to say about your business online, so you should, too. According to Forbes, 97% of customers use the internet to find a local business. Reviews are prominently featured at the top of search results, right underneath business details like hours and location, and when a consumer is searching “restaurants near me,” they’ll likely choose to visit the bistro with five stars over the café with three. In fact, 93% of consumers ages 18-34 use online reviews and ratings to inform their purchase decisions. You want your business to be that five star rated company that potential customers choose over lower ranking competitors.

Futhermore, a good online reputation not only helps attract customers, but also potential employees. Job searchers lean toward applying to higher rated businesses, too. This can help to widen your applicant pool and, in the grand scheme of things, improve your business even more from the inside out.

In contrast with higher ratings attracting more business, low ratings can have a starkly negative impact. Half of consumers say negative reviews make them question the quality of a business. With that being said, you can run the risk of losing 22% of business when potential customers find a negative article on their first page of results. That number doubles to losing 44% of potential business with two negative articles, and nearly triples to 59% with three.

What’s the solution in order to take control of your digital narrative? Implement a strategy of online reputation management. If you’re just starting off, do an initial sweep of your content by going through the first few pages of search results relating to your business and remove what you can, such as outdated photos. Next, check up on the reviews customers have left you on platforms such as Google, Facebook, Yelp, or TripAdvisor.

If you find negative reviews for your business, don’t fret – here’s where social media customer care comes into play. Besides using ratings to inform their decisions, 30% of consumers also pay attention to whether or not businesses are responding to reviews. Implement a strategy of not only thanking customers for sharing their positive experiences, but also responding thoughtfully to critical reviews. Make sure you acknowledge the customer’s negative experience and offer your contact information so that the customer may speak further about their experience. Win that customer back by providing exceptional customer service, while simultaneously showing potential clients that you truly care for your customers and their experience with your business.

Of course, you may still have trouble implementing these practices or even finding time to monitor your business’ online presence. Working with a digital marketing agency like Bright Age that has expert knowledge in reputation management can help you focus on the day-to-day tasks of running your business smoothly.