Your Business’ Online Reputation

Many local small business owners believe having nice website means their “Online Reputation” is intact.  However, there is so much more to online visibility than just a nice website.

There are many ways for local consumers and business owners to interact online to create the reputation of a business online.

In today’s online market place most of your online reputation is built outside of your website.  For example

• Social Media – Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn
• Review Sites
• Blogs

… just to name a few.

Are you beginning to understand the various ways your business’ online reputation can be influenced good or bad without involving your website.

Since I mentioned your website, let’s talk about a few practices that can build good reputation management.

These same practices go for any other web properties you may have as well such as Facebook Fanpage, Twitter page, or blog.

You can also utilize these practices with other web applications like Facebook Timeline, Twitter or your blog.

• Your business website is not your personal webpage – It should be managed professionally and kept business-related.
• Be polite in your public posts and responses. Never argue with a customer or reply with rude comments.
• ALWAYS comment on responses made by your customers and your potential customers – never ignore them. One of the best things you can do is to stay in communication with your audience and keep it as professional as possible.

Keep in mind to maintain your current customers and to win new ones is your goal.  You are online not to make friends or enemies.  Make sure you stay professional and keep your composure even when it can be very challenging.

Want to know how others view your business online…

Related articles

• REPUTATION MANAGEMENT ALERT: Online Review Sites Spell Big Trouble for Small Businesses (prweb.com)
• EnemyGraph: Making the Destruction of an Online Reputation Easier (soshable.com)

 

Social Media Success Guide

I came across this great social media success guide.   It gives a great overview of the many steps that goes into a social media campaign.

For local small business owners it lets you know that social media is a detailed process and why social media managers are so vital to the success of this type of internet marketing.

GET COMPLIMENTARY EVALUATION

LAB Small Business Services online complimentary evaluation will reveal how past, current and future consumers view your business online.

 

Friday Basics – Managing Your Reputation Online

Reputation management for local small businesses may not have been a big issue in the past, but, today the internet has drastically changed the rules. If you are a small business owner managing your reputation online is definitely something that cannot be ignored.

Online reputation management is simply a process of monitoring and addressing anything that is written about your business online. The actual “managing” of your reputation involves using strategic online techniques to promote positive and neutral content about your business.

Just about EVERYONE uses the Internet to research local businesses these days, but it doesn’t stop there. They are also using the Internet to voice their opinions about your products and services.

The growth of various avenues – such as forums, blogs, and social networking – has created an instant way for consumers to share their opinions about the businesses and services. While some people do provide “positive” feedback online, more and more people are using the Internet to voice “negative” feedback as well.

Therefore, as a local business owner it’s in your best interest to start monitoring what is being said about you online. It’s one thing to KNOW and do something about it… but it’s another thing to not even know what’s being said.

GET COMPLIMENTARY EVALUATION

LAB Small Business Services online complimentary evaluation will reveal how past, current and future consumers view your business online.

 

When To Engage With Your Customers Online

Check out the graph above from Argyle Social sharing the best time for a business to engage with their customers online.  This information is priceless if you are a local small business owner building your image online. And the winner is:  WEEKENDS!

As a small business owners offering a local service or product engaging customers online today is not an option any longer it’s a necessity.  If you are not communicating with your customers online someone else will and that’s not good for your business.

This is great news for you, the small business owner, because it gives you a place to begin and my job is to help you build your online presence using this priceless information.

It’s time to get started…..

Get your FREE Consultation Today!

Related articles

• The value of social media to small businesses (marketing.yell.com)
• Small Business Marketing Strategy Online (lorriebrown.wordpress.com)

 

Social Media ~ Powerful Marketing Tool

I came across a post by One Lily on the “Current State of Social Media“.  Social Media is powerful marketing tool for small business owners.  As a business owner if you are not using this form of media to communicate with your local consumers, you can bet your competition is or will be in the near future.

The following infographic is all the proof you need to begin taking steps toward building your social media plan for your business.

These results mean that the opportunity in social media for your business is endless.  Don’t wait!  Schedule your FREE Consultation today.