As the holiday season winds down, a lot of business owners will undoubtedly find themselves looking forward to 2019 and wondering what they should change in their businesses. In particular, many of you may find yourselves searching online marketing forums, looking for ways to get an edge in search engine optimization and social media.
Although you may have lots of different ideas, we would advise you to consider a move that’s timely, cost-effective, and beneficial to everything you do on the web. What’s this magic pill that boosts the results you get from your website? It’s simple online reputation management.
We live in an age where most people have a high-speed Internet connection with them at all times. It shouldn’t be surprising, then, that they tend to look you up before deciding to do business with you. They look at Google results, local reviews, and even social media profiles to see what others have to say about your business, your products and services, and even your reputation for pricing and customer care. When they see good things, they take the next step in buy from you. When they don’t, they take their business elsewhere without ever telling you why.
So, how can you improve your company’s online reputation for 2019? Here are a few simple steps you can follow…
Establish an Online Presence in All the Right Places
In order to help customers find all the good things people have to say about your business, it pays to establish profiles on the most popular platforms. These include Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google Business, and Yelp, not to mention local business directories. If you could use some assistance, talk to us about getting you registered for the services.
Do a Deep Search to See What People Are Saying about Your Business
Once you have established profiles, it’s time to dig deep into Google, Bing, Facebook, and elsewhere to see what customers, colleagues, and even past employees are saying about you and your company. Remember, these are the impressions customers will come across when deciding whether or not to work with you, so it’s important to know what’s already been written.
Fix Any Dents or Dings in Your Online Reputation
If those who have worked with you say nothing but great things about your service and value, then you’re in good shape. On the other hand, if there are some dings and dents to work out, then it’s time to go about repairing those relationships and seeing if you can get the reviews removed or amended. The last thing you want is for buyers to see negative information about your company spread all over the Internet.
Ask Your Best Customers to Say Good Things about You
In the same way, it’s a good idea to ask your best customers and colleagues whether they would be willing to write reviews for you. A few negative comments are okay as long as the majority of what’s posted about you on the web is positive. But, many people never think to leave you a glowing testimonial unless you asked them for one in the first place.
Your good name is your best asset, whether it’s online or off. If you want to make 2019 your best year ever, take steps to start improving your online reputation now. There’s no better way to get more out of search engine optimization, social media, and all the other tools you use to grow on the web.