In this article we are going to go over some of the mitigating factors that influence your online reputation.

Bad Press

Bad press has more of a likelihood of going viral over good press.  This is an unfair truth to running a business.  One digruntled ex employee or customer can tarnish years of hard work with a social media post.  

While most small businesses don’t need to worry about the local newspaper writing up negative articles, it does happen from time to time.  The more likely situation is someone bashing your business on Social Media. 

Usually this is just someone ranting about how the waitress made them wait too long for a drink.  Usually it’s not a big deal. Sometimes a simple photo could scare people away from ever using your business again.

Reviews

One of the first thing that anyone looks at before they make a buying decision is your reviews. While it is impossible to keep everyone happy, having a mostly positive review profile will help your business. People base a good amount of their decisions on the feedback that other people leave about your business.

If you are like my wife, then you trust reviews more than you trust carefully written sales copy about a service or product. Sites like Yelp, Amazon, Facebook, Houzz and Angie’s List are just a few examples of where people can leave a review about your business.

Since Google is placing more importance on reviews, it is crucial that you are actively working on your online reputation. Businesses with great reviews get more calls and generate more money.

Engagement and Marketing

Having an active social profile can help your business. Certain platforms are better for different businesses. Restaurants and bars can promote events on Facebook to people in their general vicinity. Businesses that cater to other businesses would probably find a better audience on LinkedIn.

Even if your restaurant only posts pictures of your daily specials online, it’s better than not posting at all. A good looking picture of a meal can attract hungry clients for the new lunch special.

Does Online Reputation Matter?

No matter what kind of business you run, the answer is YES. People are always going to choose a place that they trust over an unknown. Trust is built with reputation management.

Businesses that struggle with reviews will always come in second place to businesses that show great social proof.

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