So, your company’s rocking sales, customer service, and ROI? Nice! You don’t need to worry about brand reputation management, right?
Hold it right there! Did you know that 92% of consumers use reviews to make purchasing decisions? And 40 percent of consumers actually make buying decisions based on as few as three of those reviews?
Read on for five reasons your business needs to invest in online reputation management ASAP!
1. Claim Your Voice and Message
More than 90% of people get cold feet when doing business with a company that has less than a four-out-of-five star rating. And it only takes one to three negative reviews to turn most people away from your products.
Now don’t assume that since your company has little to no online presence, you’re immune to the negative chatter. Just because you’re not talking about your products and services doesn’t mean others aren’t. Why not get a seat at the table and actively cultivate your brand’s message and voice?
2. Earn Trust and More Business
When consumers purchase your products, they trust in your company to deliver on its promises. Trust drives consumer decisions to purchase goods. So, you want to do everything you can to build that trust through brand reputation management.
Interacting with your customers online and sharing more about your company’s vision and goals creates trust. This is further amplified by how you deal with customers online. For example, instead of ignoring bad reviews, handle them with grace and excellent customer service.
3. Gain Customer Insights
The Digital Age allows you to gain more insight than ever before about your customer’s interests, needs, and locations. And much of this information is free. Just take a look at the “Analytics” page of your social media channels.
There, you’ll see who your customers are by gender, interests, locations, and etc. This is invaluable information, and it’s all free to your company when you actively participate in social media. This information alone makes brand reputation management invaluable to your future marketing efforts.
4. Shape Customer Experience
Delivering a positive customer experience requires delivering high-quality services and products. It also means supporting your customer along every step of the buyer’s journey. So, you need content available to answer frequently asked questions.
It also means a great customer service presence to address problems and concerns. Finally, you need to follow up with customers. You need to make sure they’re enjoying the products and services you’ve provided to them.
By doing all of this online, you gain a much larger audience. You also support customers along every aspect of the buyer journey.
5. Get in Front of Negative Reviews
We’ve already mentioned this but it bears repeating. Do NOT ignore bad customer reviews and comments. Use them as opportunities to provide excellent customer service and learn more about your customers, their pain points, and their expectations.
The internet has brought us unprecedented access to information and resources. The world is quite literally at your fingertips. Why aren’t you using these resources for brand reputation management, to learn more about your customers, and to build a loyal following?
Get Help with Brand Reputation Management
In this age of information, you absolutely must pay attention to your company’s online reputation. It’s no longer optional, and it can mean the difference between repeat customers and stagnating sales.
From online reviews to customer experience, we’ve got you covered. Check out our blog for more handy advice about doing business in today’s tech-savvy marketplace. Or, contact us for all of your business reputation questions and concerns.2
