Guest Blog – 5 Do’s & Don’ts of Managing Your Online Reputation

23 Jan Guest Blog – 5 Do’s & Don’ts of Managing Your Online Reputation

Ladies, having a positive reputation online can often mean the difference between winning the job, or losing the customer.

Below, our friends at Oneflare take you through the best practices of online reputation management and exactly how you can make your review forums work in your favour.

1. Include the good, the bad and the brutally honest. A page full of glowing reviews is usually a red flag for prospective customers (fake alert!). Each comment is a useful insight into how your business is performing, so always listen and aim to do better! It is, after all, a valuable learning experience. The aim is to collect as many positive reviews as you can and turn each negative experience into a positive one.

2. Never reply to a negative review when you’re frustrated.Just like the old adage of never going to bed angry, resist the urge to bite back when you’re upset. Take a breath and take the time to process the comment before responding, you might find you’ll learn some valuable feedback. If you’re certain you’re not in the wrong, make sure to describe what you did to resolve the situation before the review was posted publicly.

3. Resist the urge to say, ‘I’m sorry you had a bad experience’. Instead, kill ‘em with kindness.Empathise and get on the front foot byshowing prospective customers that you are a professional business willing to fix genuine mistakes and rectify the situation if required. Promptly offering an appropriate solution to their problem will likely eventuate in a return customer.

4. Avoid using emotion or sarcasm.Because no one likes a keyboard warrior, and sarcasm and tone don’t necessarily translate well online. As an attentive service provider, you’ll need to give the customer the benefit of the doubt, while remaining rational, cool and factual at all times.

5. Act fast. A negative review is a ticking time bomb, so ensure you address the complaint respectfully and appropriately in a timely manner. Leaving the review unanswered can turn away potential clients so make sure to prioritise a response.

Interested in learning more? As part of NSW Small Business Month, the Oneflare HQ industry leaders in sales, marketing and SEO recently discussed best practises, new technology and how to build trust with potential customers online. Check out their video here.

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