What is Online Reputation, and How Do You Influence It?

Have you checked your reputation lately? You might be ranking in search results for the wrong reasons. Do you care enough about what people think of you? Your public persona may not be what you assume it to be.

What is online reputation? It’s how people perceive your brand and products. Also, it’s the general belief or opinion held about you or your business. Honestly, the word “online” is misleading because your image transcends the internet.

Your online reputation can increase customer confidence and drive sales up. You can’t control it, but you can certainly influence how people think about your business.  News about your brand instantly spreads far and wide. Once a customer posts a comment or review, it pretty well becomes a permanent part of the web.

In a survey, 79% of respondents said they trust online reviews as much as recommendations from family and friends. These influence their buying behavior as they are more likely to buy a product with mostly positive reviews.         

It’s the negative feedback you need to be concerned about. Most of these are reversible when you resolve problems. But, no matter what you do, there will still be unhappy customers. Search for your favorite products on Amazon. Heck, search for some of the most widely praised and beloved YouTube videos … there will always be dislikes. You’ll see what I mean. Bestsellers have their share of negative feedback.

You can certainly have an excellent reputation despite bad reviews. In fact, you WANT a couple bad reviews, since people will expect this in real life … nothing is perfect (and if it looks like it is, most people will naturally assume it’s fake. A thousand new perfect 5-star reviews for an unknown product on Amazon is definitely suspect.)

However, you certainly want mainly glowing reviews. I’ll share how you can achieve this and how to deal with challenging situations. Also, I’ll give you tips on how to detect and call out fake reviewers. They are definitely a problem as well. The bottom line is that you have a rep to protect and don’t need an expert to manage it.  So, let’s begin. 

What You Sell Reflects On You

Sell quality items whether you’re into dropshipping, wholesaling or affiliate marketing. All your efforts driving traffic to your website will amount to nothing if your products are of low quality. Your business is an extension of your suppliers. If they get hit with negative feedback, you could get affected too. So, choose your business partners wisely.

Conversely, you have complete control when you make your products. Ensuring high quality can also mean selling for a higher price. You can tell customers that you use A-rated raw materials and comply with safety standards. Both of these could be your selling points. Keep in mind that the brand that sells products at a lower price point is often perceived as lower value … too low a price, and your online reputation becomes “This brand sucks, but their products are cheap so I expect that.”

The only way companies can escape this poor-quality reputation is to modify their name … think the 1990’s bargain-basement brand “Lucky Goldstar” transforming into the world-class company “LG“. (And, conversely, the once-mighty RCA turning into an el cheapo no-brand.)

If you are selling high quality products (with premium prices), make sure you provide customers value for their money. Add features at no extra cost when you can. Promote your uniqueness, which can include free upgrades, discounts on shipping or advance orders. Remember, your products and your services say everything about your brand. 

Provide Excellent Customer Care

Do you employ chatbots to respond to customers 24/7? There’s nothing wrong with automating replies to inquiries or complaints. It’s when businesses don’t promptly reply that annoys people.

Excellent care means putting people first. It also means treating each customer as an individual with needs different from others. It doesn’t take much effort to acknowledge you received a complaint. You can follow up later with more specific answers to problems.

Don’t forget that a phone call can be better than an online response. Your customers might find it more helpful and comforting if they hear a human voice from your end of the line. Practice your conversational skills. You can also outsource this if you aren’t comfortable with handling phone calls.

Ask For Reviews And Feedback … And Learn From Them

Most satisfied customers don’t bother to post feedback. From the same survey, seven out of ten people will leave a review if asked. So, what’s the best way of asking online?

• Use pop-ups to ask customers to rate their online experience before they leave your website.
• Send them an e-mail after their visit or received their order.
• Use social media like Facebook for feedback.
• Include a feedback request in receipts.
• Ask through thank you notes included with your products.
• Send text messages.

When reading reviews, customers prefer those that are three months old or less. Also, most people read ten at the most. Now keep this in mind – Post all reviews, both positive and negative. This is a way of telling customers you are honest.  When you only show good comments, people become suspicious.

Lastly, thank people when they leave feedback.

Remain Present On Social Media

Some businesses don’t update their social media accounts, which is a big mistake. It’s easier to remain connected to your customers through Facebook or Twitter. You can be less formal and engage a more significant number of people. Also, you can reply to comments directly or through various apps.

You still drive traffic to your website, which remains the primary source of your conversions. But, many customers now hang out on social media. They inquire on Twitter and Facebook because it’s more convenient. They expect a response on the same platforms.

Deal With Negative Feedback Rationally

Customers express emotions when they post reviews. They are either happy, grateful, sad or angry about products and brands.  

But, when people use offensive language, it’s tempting to answer back in the same way. I’ve seen some emotional replies that were removed but not before many people have seen them. By then, the damage to a business’s reputation has been done.  

Some businesses ignore negative comments, which is a mistake too. They take these with a grain of salt. When you don’t respond to any feedback, you show you don’t care.  

But, before replying, empathize first by putting yourself in their shoes. Focus on the source of their dissatisfaction and not on their emotions. Once you’ve discovered the core problem, you can address this in a professional yet personal manner. You can turn a negative review into a positive by showing you care and satisfying the customer. Others will see this and feel more confident buying from you, knowing that you will take care of them if there is a problem.

Don’t be surprised if haters continue with their abuse. Eventually, this will backfire and followers of the discussion will stop sympathizing with them. Here’s an article about emotional intelligence that will help you deal with the inevitable online trolls.

Expose Fake Reviews

You can reply professionally to a fake reviewer by asking the right questions in public for everyone to read. First, ask for details and documentary evidence such as a receipt or photos of your product in their hands. If you don’t receive a reply, you probably can guess the reason why.  

Second, fake reviewers tend to use the same language in all their reviews. They’re generic, lacking in grammar and full of exclamation points for emphasis. Third, the reviewer’s account could provide clues. Many have no photos, use aliases and quickly post the same comments on different platforms.

A real customer wouldn’t hesitate to make suggestions when asked and return a product if they remain dissatisfied. A fake one will not do either. Answer fake reviews head-on, especially on social media.

Use Monitoring Tools

No one can keep up with everything people are saying about you and your products. You don’t have the time and resources to scan the internet for mention of your brand. Instead, you can use available tools. I list some of the more popular ones below. You will find more on the internet. Try the free ones first to get an idea of how these work.

• Web Browser. Searching on your favorite browser can provide you with a wealth of information.  Find out where your product ranks among your competitors. 
• Google Alerts. You’ll receive an e-mail every time your name, brand or product is mentioned. This is a free service.
• Social Mention. This tool lets you know if you are being mentioned in the dozens of social media platforms now. You get valuable statistics, including the ratio of your positive to negative mentions.
• BuzzSumo. If you’re using this platform, you might as well take advantage of its monitoring features. You can filter your searches and set a minimum engagement value before you receive alerts.
• Mention. This is a paid platform, but you can try it out for free. You can monitor conversations about your brand and your competitors. Also, you’re able to sort through both favorable and unfavorable comments, allowing you to respond to problems faster.

Keep Your Posts Clean

There is no line between your professional and personal reputation. People have lost jobs and opportunities because of an almost-forgotten tweet or comment. Monitor what you post because these remain on the web forever.

One wrong word can bring your business down. I’m not saying you can’t express your personal opinions. But, you can do so without resorting to profanity, questionable remarks and derogatory language.

Keep Your Eyes And Ears Open

Aside from your website, here are other sources of customer reviews:

• Amazon
• Google My Business
• Trustpilot
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Consumer Reports
• Consumer Affairs
• Yelp
• Yahoo
• Better Business Bureau

Not all is lost if you find negative reviews about your brand. Think of these as your wake-up call to improve or innovate. You should worry if you find nothing written about you. You have got a bigger problem in your hands. Maybe no one is talking about your brand. No news is bad news.

Always look for opportunities to publicize yourself and your brand, from negative and positive feedback. For instance, there was once a major news item about a hunter killing a bear with rare markings. The hunter had the same name as a marketing friend with a large online business, and so received a lot of negative comments.

He spun this around with a major advertising campaign, press releases and videos on “mistaken identity,” and did not condone the actions of the hunter. All this generated more press, and his sales, publicity and positive reputation skyrocketed.

Always Assume You’re On Camera

Like famous personalities, be careful of what you do or say in public. One example you may have heard of is an entrepreneur who lost her ties with her distributor because of comments she made to a person who stenciled BLM on his property. I’m sure you know of others who were caught on camera committing mistakes.

I know it’s like living under a microscope. You live in a world where your life can be made public in a matter of seconds. It’s the reality everyone must face today. There’s an upside, though. People who perform good deeds get rewarded in many ways. You’ll find several of them on YouTube too.

I’ve suggested steps and software to constantly monitor mentions of your business, so you don’t have to constantly worry about your online reputation. I always believe that the secret is treating customers well and going the extra mile. How about you? Which of the tips above resonate with you? Let us know in the comments section below. 

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