How to master your online reputation

A study by Harvard Business Review found that a difference of one star in the average rating in a typical online business profile, can lead to a five to nine per cent difference in revenue. But how can you influence customer feedback and proactively manage your online reputation?

1. Listen to Your Customers

Your customers are your best resource for discovering how to make improvements to your business. So establish a system to genuinely listen to, and engage with, what your customers are saying about you.

2. Target Relevant Review Websites

You can refine your monitoring process by focusing on the review websites that matter most to your target audience. Knowing which review sites are most influential will help you plan an appropriate reputation management process.

3. Gather Customer Feedback

Don’t leave the review process to chance. Request customer feedback from both online and offline customer touch points. Be creative, be polite and be direct.

4. Share Your Customer Feedback

Positive customer reviews make excellent marketing content, so make sure to publicly thank customers for their time and their comments. Your social media profiles are an ideal place to share your customers’ praise.

5. Learn and Improve

Be ready to learn from negative feedback and make improvements. Remember to respond quickly and positively to bad reviews and your reputation will be enhanced rather than damaged by the poor review.

Online review sites are growing in popularity as customer feedback has become a key factor in consumers’ buying decisions. You can either leave it to chance or take steps to manage your online reputation and gain the marketing advantage.

If you’d like help to establish a process to listen, gather and share reviews to improve your online reputation, then give us a call on 01323 724159 or email [email protected] or 01323 724159.