Many companies are hesitant to put in place an online review system due to the fear of a bad review. However, the reality is that customers are going to review your business online whether or not you want them to. Plus, online reviews are a great way to get new customers! Therefore, we recommend that you take a more proactive stance by following 4 steps. Today’s blog post will go over the two steps: 1) monitor and listen to what is being said about you online and 2) claim your business listings.
Monitor the Online Conversation About Your Company
An essential part of online reputation management is being aware of what is being said about your company as it is being written, not days after. Actively read and monitor blogs, online review sites, and the search engines. Google Alerts is a great free tool that sends notifications to your email box when anything appears only about your specified topics. To sign up, go to www.google.com/alerts.
Claim Your Business Listings
Claim your listing on local search and review sites such as Yelp, Google Places, and Local.com. Make sure your company’s address, hours, and phone number are correct. If more information can be added, like photos and a profile of the business owner, the general rule is: the more informative the listing, the better.
Stay tuned for next week’s blog post which will cover the final two steps in effectively managing your company’s online reputation.
Want help managing your business’ online reputation? Shoot us an email and we would be happy to assist you.