What is Online Reputation?
Online reputation is the same as any type of reputation and it needs managed. It is what people are saying about you on the Internet – consisting of reviews, comments, write-ups, etc., from people who talk, share, or comment on you or your business. How are you and your business treated online? Do you have a good reputation online? If someone searches for your name or your company name online, will they find good reviews and comments? This is where online reputation management comes in.
Does Online Reputation Matter?
Yes, imagine you are ready to sign up with a company, which you don’t know well, how will you find out if that company will fulfill your needs? Search online The Web has got the huge potential of finding out information. By doing a simple search you will end up seeing all the activities online about that company by reading things like testimonials and customer reviews – these will give you a better idea of how good or bad that company is.
So how do you find out if you or your company has got a good online reputation ? Again do a search, if you come up empty handed, it is the right time to develop an online reputation….but how? Well, asking your customers to write a honest review about their opinion. For example, if you have a blog, write useful information that answers your clients, now if they find it useful and if answered their question, even without you asking them they might leave a comment saying, it was helpful. But to do that you have to make it easy for them to give a review and invite them to do so. Many social bookmarking sites have these tools, use those tools in your site. By having a simple, “thumbs up” or “thumbs down” sign in your site or blog you make it easier for them to give a honest opinion.
How to Keep Track if you have a Review?
Search engines have tools which can help you track when someone talks about you or your company. Google has a tool called Google Alerts where you type in a query (you or your company name) and it alerts you of when and where you or your company shows up online. You can customize the alert once a day, weekly or monthly. So when someone talks or posts about you or your company, Google will send you an email with the link, where you or your company was discussed, a simple but effective way to keep track of your mentions.
How to Deal with Negative Comments?
Can anyone post a comment about your business? Yes, can they review your business? Yes they can, but what to do when you receive a negative comment or a comment which might not be true? Treat it the same way as you treat any other PR related issues. Find out who commented and why by doing a little bit of research. Once you’ve identified the problem, try solving it yourself. If you can’t, then address it to the right person or send an email to them explaining the situation. You can also refute the comment by responding for others to see, explaining why it is not true or credible, you can also flag it as an inappropriate comment.
How to Write a Review in Google Maps?
- Search for the listing on Google Maps.
- Once you’ve found the business, click the More Info link next to the business name in the left panel. The information window will expand.
- You must be logged in to your Google Account to write a review.
- If you’re not logged in, you’ll be prompted to either sign in or create a Google Account. Also, your Google Account Nickname will appear next to all of your reviews. You can change your nickname by clicking Edit Nickname.
- Click the Write a Review link located above the address of the business.
- Give your review a Title and Rating.
- Click Save.
Reporting Inappropriate Reviews in Google
If you feel that a particular review of your business is inaccurate, you can also click the Flag as inappropriate link found under the review, and report it.
Reporting Inappropriate Reviews in Yahoo!
To report inappropriate comments or reviews, go to the review and click on the “Report Abuse” link at the bottom of the review. Submit the form with your email address and details about why the review should be removed. Yahoo! Local Customer Care will look at the review. Yahoo! Local is not allowed to post reviews about themselves or other listed businesses. Reviews normally appear within two to four business days.
Do you have an online reputation? Have you had any experiences you’d like to share or would you like to get more detailed information on online reputation, dealing with reviews/comments, etc. online? Share your thoughts or leave a comment here on our blog, we love to hear from you!
