Answers to the Reputation Management Questions We Hear Most

Here at Skoshe, we specialize in helping small businesses grow with effective online marketing strategies, and an important ingredient for any successful online marketing plan is having a positive online reputation. That’s where reputation management services come in. Though reputation management is an incredibly useful tool, not many businesses fully understand what it can do. In this article, we’ve collected answers to some of the questions we commonly receive to help you understand how reputation management can help your business succeed.

Why does reputation management matter?

These days, a brand’s online reputation is everything since customers are constantly using the internet to find and research new products and services. A positive online reputation indicates to potential customers that your business is trustworthy, ethical, and popular—it also means that your goods or services are of high quality. Everything from online reviews to media publications and your personal social media content informs an individual’s first impression of your brand.

What kinds of businesses can benefit from reputation management?

If your company has a presence on the internet, then it can benefit from reputation management. Even if your small business has glowing reviews, positive coverage, and engaged customers on social media, reputation management strategies can help you ensure that it stays that way.

A positive online reputation is most critical for customer-facing businesses such as restaurants, hotels, services, and e-commerce.

How do I learn about my business’s reputation?

Understanding your business’s current online reputation is important before determining a game plan. You can get an idea of your business’s reputation by searching its name and looking at the pages that feature prominently in the search results, comments on social media, and reviews on websites such as Google, Yelp, and Facebook. Do the positive reviews heavily outweigh the negative reviews? If not, it may be time to implement some targeted reputation management strategies.

How long does it take to improve my business’s reputation?

There isn’t an easy or standardized answer to this question since each business is different. Factors like online presence, age of reviews, prior reputation, and platform focus all affect how quickly reputation management efforts can make an impact. It may be relatively quick to solicit some positive reviews from customers on Facebook but longer to change what articles come up in a Google search of your company’s name.

What are reputation management best practices?

Reputation management can be complex, but the online reputation management experts here at Skoshe can help you identify the strategies that are right for your small business. In general, it’s best practice to actively monitor your social media and engage with customers on the web. Staying engaged with your social media followers will increase your reach, so aim to respond to all comments and messages within 48 hours. Keep an eye on your reviews as well—if you receive a positive note, thank the reviewer. If you receive a negative review, respond kindly, apologize for the negative experience, and take action to rectify the situation if possible.

You should also make it easy for customers to leave reviews for your business. You want to make it as simple as possible for your customers to spread the word about the excellent service or high-quality products they received. Ensure you have a clear and informative profile on Facebook, Google, Yelp, and other review platforms, and remind visitors to leave a review.

Reputation Management Made Simple

A business’s reputation is complicated, but reputation management doesn’t have to be confusing. If you have any other questions about reputation management or want to begin using it to improve your company’s reputation, contact Skoshe today.

Skoshe has been providing small businesses across the country with personalized and effective online marketing solutions since 1998. Our in-house team of marketing professionals can craft a customized strategy for your business that will help you reach more customers and increase profits. Contact us today to get started.