Reputation management is not just about keeping up appearances, but rather being cognizant of your online presence and understanding what people are saying about your brand. Reputation management is establishing healthy, lucrative relationships and continually building brand quality for the end-user, your customers, all while providing top-notch service and high caliber products.

We have all experienced a time when service or quality has been subpar, and it is modern practice to Yelp about it, share the experience with negative reviews on Google or take to other social media sites such as Facebook or Twitter. As business owners, it is imperative we show our customers they are being heard and we are receptive to their feedback. Doing this builds trust and reassures future customers, one bad experience does not define your reputation.

Yelp and Google are two of the biggest review platforms and both can highly influence the success, or demise, of your business. Every one-star increase in a Yelp rating means a 5 to 9% increase in revenue. (2016). Which likely means, an unmanaged online reputation is losing out on potential profit. In addition, Google returns search results based on a number of factors, including but not limited to, keywords, quality content and what people say about your business through reviews. In fact, Google places its trust in customers, not your business!

It is equally important to acknowledge the positive recognitions of a satisfied customer too! This expressed gratitude for the customers’ patronage of your business and for the time they took to share their experience will foster the desire to be a repeat customer!

Did you know, partnering with an agency is a reputation management strategy that many companies adopt? While managing your reputation in-house is definitely possible, it is not ideal and oftentimes, not effective. Reputation management is a science that requires a skill, honed in by unique individuals who can embrace an abundance of negativity, craft personalized effective responses that address the reviewers concerns in an unbiased way and oftentimes acts as a liaison between the establishment and the customer. When all of these factors work together an effective reputation can be built, repaired or maintained. Resulting in a trusted brand and boosted revenue, ultimately driving profits.

Are you ready to turn your reviews into revenue? Click here to learn more and design your reputation management strategy today!