As a business, your reputation is everything. Word of mouth can be a big help or an even bigger hindrance when it comes to promoting your business and getting new customers. Now that it’s so easy to share our opinions of businesses online, managing your reputation has become even more important.

Why is online reputation management so important?

It’s so easy to go online now and get information about a business, a product, or a service. And it really shows in the way that people shop and browse. Statistics show that 97% of people look at online reviews before choosing a local business. This means that it’s so important for businesses to stay on top of what’s being said about them online.

Especially if you target the younger age ranges – among people aged 18-34, 91% of people trust online reviews more than or as much as they trust personal recommendations. So, a couple of bad reviews or comments on social media could really damage your brand’s reputation.

How to manage your reputation online

The first step of managing your online reputation is to monitor it. Know what people are saying about you, and where. You can start by typing your business name into Google. What are the first results that come up? Is it your website, social profiles, and various flattering news stories? Or is it bad Yelp reviews and a scandalous news story? You can also use social listening tools like Mention to see what people are saying about you on social media.

Once you know what people are saying, you can get an idea of what needs to be done. One important part of online reputation management is review generation. If so many people are checking reviews before they buy from you, then you need to make sure there are plenty of positive reviews for them to see.

Hallen Media’s online reputation software allows you to easily solicit new reviews from your existing customers, contacting them through text or email. Once someone leaves a review, the software will automatically post it to Facebook and Google Reviews, as long as they are four or five-star reviews. You can also reply to customer reviews using our software, thanking customers for their positive feedback or aiming to resolve the problems of disgruntled customers. Often, responding to negative feedback in the right way is an effective way of gaining a new loyal customer.

Hallen Media can help you take control of your online reputation. Contact us for our help in generating new reviews for your business.