With nearly nine out of ten consumers reading reviews before ever making a purchase online, it can feel as if a bad online reputation is the death of the company.
Often, it’s something small that spirals out of control — an order gone wrong, or a poor choice of words from a social media agent.
If this has happened to your business and people are disparaging your company online, it’s time for some online reputation repair. Yes, it’s doable!
Set Up Google Alerts
When it comes to repairing your online reputation, the first thing you should make sure of is that you’re in control of the conversation. As stressful as it can be to read the comments, you need to make sure you’re aware of what people are saying.
Aside from keeping up with social media, you can do this by setting up Google Alerts. Google will send you an email when it detects new results based on the term you’ve set up an alert for (in this case, likely your business name).
You might feel that you don’t want to see what’s being said, but you need to be in the know.
Respond to Complaints
To repair your online reputation, you’ll have to respond to complaints.
If it’s something tiny that will blow over, you should ignore it — but if you already have a bad reputation from this issue, chances are, it’s not small. It’s already escalated into something larger.
When customers complain on social media or on your website, answer them. Be as empathetic as possible, and make them feel seen and heard.
Don’t automate the responses if possible, as customers can sense this a mile off and see it as insincere.
Be Transparent With the Solution
The best online reputation repair solutions are not only empathetic, but they’re transparent.
When responding to people, let them know how you intend to do better moving forward. Not only that, but you might want to make a social media statement about it.
It might seem like drawing unnecessary attention to the issue. But if everyone already knows and it’s damaging business, it’s the best way to go.
Display Testimonials and Positive Reviews
As you move forward, display testimonials on your website. Contact valued customers and ask for some great reviews to showcase on your website or ask them to post on Google. With time, the good can outweigh the bad, and you’ll appear more authentic than a business with a perfect 5.0 rating.
Show people that you’ve done some stellar work! At Pixaura, we help our clients generate and display testimonials from their customers – we can help you too.
Start Fixing Your Reputation Today
Online reputation repair might seem impossible, especially if the word has spread and sales are dipping. However, it’s possible even when things have gone so far that you feel helpless.
The important thing is to stay in control of the conversation and be involved in it. Talk to the unhappy customers, offer solutions, and work hard to repair your reputation. It will pay off in the long run.
Do you need help with online review generation or another service to improve your reputation? Contact us today for a free consultation at Pixaura Digital and see how we can help.