Why is Reputation Management important?:

Did you know that 91% of people trust reviews as much as a personal recommendation?  More customers are moving to the 'digital door.'  We live in a digital world where over 90% of buyers are more likely to purchase after reading a review, and less than 15% of people will buy from a business with a 1- to 2-star rating. Today it is more important than ever to maintain accurate listings with an abundance of positive reviews. Google has become the one-stop shop for just about anyone in need of services or products near them. The accuracy of your listings and your reviews have a huge effect on your visibility which is based on how Google's algorithm determines your ranking. 

So, what does this mean for your business? This means that your listings need to be accurate and your reviews need to be positive.  As a local business, part of your Google ranking is determined by Google My Business (GMB).  A well maintained GMB profile gets 5x more views than an incomplete profile.  An optimized GMB listing includes physical address, hours, phone number, category, attributes and photos.  Aside from the accuracy of the information you have listed, another key factor of your Google ranking is determined by Google reviews.  Google looks at several attributes including quantity of reviews, ratings of reviews, if reviews receive a response and even the keywords in reviews and searches.

How can you build trust, credibility and loyalty? 

Bad reviews and online comments are inevitable.  While a bad review can hurt your chances of winning a potential customer, not showing you care about what others are saying can be even worse.  What sets many businesses apart from the rest of the pack is their ability to recover from a negative experience.  Not only will responding let new searchers know you care, but it may also give you the opportunity to make things right with your upset customers and sometimes earn an updated review as well!  

Analyzing your customers reviews can also help you understand what your customers like and dislike the most about your business.  Tracking review trends allows you to refine your business and provide the best service possible.  Keeping an open mind and a digital ear to the wind will help boost your bottom line and simultaneously show people that your business is adaptable and innovative.  Customers will feel important and valued as they see you making adjustments based on their comments.  Perhaps more so than a good review, making these active adjustments will build your brands loyalty and rapport with both existing and new customers.

How to Improve Your Digital Footprint and Online Reputation

By now you have a decent understanding of what Reputation Management is and why it's important.  So, what are some ways that you can ensure a successful, strong, positive online presence?  Let’s talk about 3 ways you can improve your online reputation:

1.    Creating Content and Citations

Blogs are a great way of adding searchable content and increasing your online visibility.  Creating Content about trending industry topics or updates with your business can help engage potential readers and motivate them to share it.  Free marketing is the best marketing! 

As we discussed earlier, having your name, address, phone number, etc. on your website and Google listing is very important, but your work doesn’t stop there.  It is also extremely important that you have accurate information distributed across popular directories such as Yelp, Facebook, Bing, Yahoo, and many more.  On average there are about 80 listings a business should potentially have for optimum exposure based on your specific industry.  Making sure your information is distributed across as many directories as possible makes it easier for customers to contact you and will help increase your ranking on search engines such as Google. 

2.    Consistency is Key

These days it is very common for businesses to go by different names, have multiple phone numbers, and even addresses.  This is not recommended for best SEO practices.  Make sure that you have consistent information across all search engines, directories, review platforms, and websites.  Google rewards consistency with a boost in your organic rankings and it will help make sure your customers are going to the right place.

3.    Promote Positive Online Reviews

Unfortunately, consumers are more likely to naturally speak out about a negative customer experience than a positive one.  The best way to battle this trend is by encouraging your happy customers to share their positive experiences by leaving 5-star reviews on platforms such as Google, Yelp, and Facebook.  These reviews can then be shared on other platforms and even displayed directly on your website.  Showcasing these positive customer experiences will show potential customers that you provide a great service and motivate them to contact you and possibly become a customer themselves.  

Gain Positive Reviews for Your Business!

So how can you make sure that your listings across over 80 popular online listing directories are showing correct data?  How can you get more 5-star reviews for your business?  How can you make sure to respond to every review your business receives?  FIOHS offers reputation management, listing distribution, and review acquisition services to ensure that your online presence is at its optimal performance and visibility!  We will make sure that all of your listings are distributed, your information is up to date, help you generate more 5-star reviews for your business and help you respond to your online reviews so that all you have to worry about are your clients and providing a great service!  

Do you have an online reputation management strategy? Contact FIOHS today for a free audit of your online reputation and find out how we can help increase your sales today!