By Dmitry Malin, COO of Cloudike and Novakid.
A company’s online reputation can make or break its success. Today’s consumers are online for long periods of time, and as such, the success of a company can be largely determined by its online presence. The internet and social media have given customers a platform to voice their opinions about a company, and their feedback can be heard and seen by millions of people. One negative review or comment on social media can significantly damage a company’s reputation and deter potential customers from engaging with the business.
Customer reviews are both one of the stages of the sales funnel and a social net promoter score (NPS) or public feedback; thus, both these metrics can have a significant impact on a company’s cash flow. That’s where online reputation management (ORM) comes in. It allows businesses to track what customers are saying about them online, respond to negative comments and promote positive feedback.
As a business owner, safeguarding your brand’s image is essential in today’s digital landscape.
Monitor what people are saying about your company online.
Monitor and respond to what people are saying about your business or brand on social media platforms, app store reviews, customer review sites like Hellopeter and Trustpilot and comparison websites. When done properly and consistently, this can help you build trust with potential customers, who are increasingly looking to online sources for advice on their purchasing decisions.
Google Alerts is a great free tool for tracking what’s being said about your business online and monitoring mentions of your brand on blogs, news sites, etc. There are other monitoring services like Hootsuite or Meltwater that you can subscribe to for daily mention alerts and detailed analytics. Social media platforms notify you when your company is mentioned, and in turn, you can respond quickly whenever there is a customer query or problem.
Remember that customer reviews serve as a powerful tool. Through public feedback on your services and through your responses, you can influence the decision-making process of potential customers.
Quickly address problems and respond to negative reviews.
Note every negative review, and work proactively to address the cause and implement a solution. My team responds to negative reviews within two days. Because we know that potential customers read our responses, so we make sure that we showcase our friendly, problem-solving approach.
We start by using prepared responses for frequently asked questions and then personalizing and localizing the feedback in relation to the specific issue the customer has raised. This allows us to address their issue while also demonstrating our commitment to providing exceptional service.
Ask your customers for reviews.
Encourage your clients to leave reviews on key platforms and reward those who post reviews online. For example, our customer service team rewards customers who post reviews with two free lessons on our platform. We set monthly goals for the number of positive reviews, but it’s not just about the numbers. You can value every piece of feedback, regardless of its nature.
Consider how your location influences your approach.
ORM campaigns need to be tailored toward different countries as approaches to customer reviews differ. For example, in Europe, I’ve found it is more important to focus on customer reviews as they are a powerful way to build credibility and trust. While in the MENA region, I’ve noticed organic how-to articles or comparison websites have become increasingly popular due to their ability to provide unbiased information about a product or service.
When it comes to responding to reviews from customers, be mindful of local regulations and cultural sensitivities. Depending on the country, there might be restrictions on how businesses can respond to customer reviews online.
In Europe, customer reviews are heavily regulated, and businesses must comply with strict data protection laws. GDPR requires businesses to obtain consent from customers to use their personal data for marketing purposes. In the MENA region, social media is a dominant force, and many businesses focus on building their presence on platforms like Instagram and Twitter.
Keep track of reviews and use them to improve.
Look at your average rating across the platforms you are rated on and the percentage of negative reviews. This is how we measure the effectiveness of our customer review strategy. We understand that customers often check reviews before engaging in free trial lessons or purchasing subscriptions, so we strive to make every review count.
To track our progress, we manually digitize all reviews and monitor the number of reviews and the dynamics of our overall rating. This helps us stay focused on delivering the best possible experience for our customers. Our ultimate goal is to dominate the first page of Google search results with these glowing testimonials, amplifying our online presence and attracting new customers.
Track your online reviews and ratings over time and then make comparisons regarding the ratings. Also, monitor social media engagement and sentiment over time, and analyze website traffic.
Effective ORM can lead to increased customer retention and acquisition, which can be tracked on a regular basis, as customers are more likely to engage with businesses that have a positive online reputation. Lastly, a strong online reputation can lead to improved search engine rankings, which can drive more traffic to a business’s website.
ORM is an essential element of any business strategy in the digital age. By monitoring your online presence, responding quickly and effectively to customer reviews and creating content tailored to the different audiences or regions you work with, you can help ensure that your business maintains a good offline and online reputation.
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