Your online reputation

Your business's online reputation is increasingly important and is becoming a major factor in whether consumers will choose you or even see you when they are looking for businesses like yours online.

Online Reputation refers to the combined reputation of your business across your online presences and is influences by things like:

• Reviews
• Ratings
• Photos and Videos
• Social Media Channels
• Articles and Blog Posts
• Mentions of your Business
• The Quality of your Online Presence

Everyone has heard of social media disasters that have affected many larger public companies, but the same thing can happen to small businesses.

Your reputation however is more likely to be dictated by Reviews, Ratings and the Media that is posted online.

Consumers (and especially younger consumers) are becoming accustomed to checking ratings and reviews before deciding on a business.  If there is something they don't like or a competitor has better reviews or a better rating consumers are likely to patronise the other business.

Media (Photos and Videos) are also increasingly important with the rise of services like Instagram and the images posted from your business by consumers may win or lose you customers or the images posted by your competitors businesses may influence them away from your business.

Getting the most from your Online Reputation:

1. Monitor and Respond to Reviews.  You should be aware of all of your reviews and respond to all the reviews you are able to .. good or bad.  You should also take reviews on board as a valuable feedback tool.
2. Check your Ratings against your Competitors.  If you ratings are below your closest competitors on major services you will be losing business to them.  Your business will either never be displayed as an option or you may be on a page other than one, or consumers will choose your competitor with the higher rating.
3. Check Media (Photos and Videos) posted by Consumers.  When a consumer posts media about your business it will influence many other consumers opinion of your business.  You should ensure that the images posted promote your business as much as possible.
4. Track Articles about or mentioning your Business.  You should be aware of all the places online where someone has written about your business so that you know how it affects your reputation and take the opportunity to have your say where needed.

myPresences can help you manage each of the above quickly and easily.  See other articles in the Help Section for more information.