Online reputation is one of the fastest-growing avenues of digital marketing and a critical part of brand identity. Brand identity is described as the logos, typography, colors, packaging, and messaging that existing customers of a business are accustomed to, while also attracting new customers. Read below to find out how to manage online reputation for a business to enhance brand identity.
Consult Company Guidelines
An important part of online reputation and brand identity is consistency. This includes using the same colors and fonts in visuals and using the same messaging across channels. If your company or brand does not have a brand style guide, create one! It is important to have a cheat sheet so there is no conflicting or confusing terminology between different departments of a company.
- Review and Validate Listings
Each company is often listed on multiple review sites, and it is important to claim and verify each of your listings. People usually look up a store online before they visit in person. Therefore, it is important that the information listed on these sites be accurate. It is also important for search engine optimization that listings are accurate because Google aggregates these sites in search results to provide the best experience for people searching. Those with inaccurate or missing information are less likely to appear, leading to missed opportunities for traffic.
- Review and Validate local citations
Citations are mentions of your company in online directories, articles, and more. They often include contact information for a business. They are part of many link-building campaigns and should be relevant to the location or category of business. The consistency of citations is as important as listings.
- Ask for Customer Feedback
Never underestimate the power of asking for customer feedback. It is one of the best ways to manage your online reputation. Do make it a practice to regularly ask for feedback through a personalized email. A business could avoid a negative review by simply asking for feedback and possibly settling the matter privately. Often in this situation, the customer will be so grateful that they will write a positive public review.
- Work on your company’s search engine optimization.
As mentioned before, having a good online reputation reinforces a company’s SEO strategy. Google is trying to deliver the best experience for all users, therefore if all your company’s listings are accurate and verified, it will show up in the top search results. Listings, citations, and links are all integral parts of SEO strategy as well as online reputation.
6. Ask for reviews
Perhaps the best indicator of online reputation is the reviews your company has on review sites. It is usually best to have many positive reviews to balance out any negative reviews. The best way to get more positive reviews is to provide excellent customer service and consistently ask for feedback.
One of the biggest mistakes with online reputation that many business owners make is to try to do everything themselves. The best way to effectively manage online reputation is through online reputation software, such as ReviewInc. ReviewInc can help with all the action items above. To learn more about ReviewInc, ask for a demo.
