If you own or manage a small business, then you know how important it is to build a positive reputation. Though there are many ways to do this, here are a couple of the most prominent methods to getting those five-star ratings:
Develop a Web Presence
The first thing that you need to do is develop your presence on the internet. It’s vital that customers searching for your company find the information that they want. Start by making sure that your company has a website where customers can easily find your contact information and your most important policies. Then, claim your Google My Business account. Keep this account updated regularly with photos that represent your business. You should also claim any review sites that apply to your business. Make sure that your company name, address, and phone number are consistent across the internet.
Get Reviews
The next thing that you need to concentrate on is getting reviews from your customers. Ask customers to leave a review when they are likely to be most happy with your company. Suggest that customers post their reviews directly to Google. You may also want to use software to transfer these reviews to your website. In fact, 84 percent of people trust online reviews just as much as a personal recommendation. Therefore, they are essential to building your reputation. After someone leaves a review, thank them for it. Even if the review is less than stellar, you should act professionally and answer each review. Your potential customers are smart, so they do not expect every review to be top-notch because you cannot please all of the people all of the time.
Become an Industry Expert
Customers love to deal with those that they see as experts in their field.
– Participate with meaningful conversations about your field/industry.
– Make sure that you create an about us page on your website.
– Connect with others in similar niches and share information with them.
– Contact the local media and offer your expertise. You may even want to suggest stories to the local media that will affect customers in your geographical area.
– If your business depends on the local market, then join community groups and offer to make presentations that would be interesting to their members about your industry.
There are many ways to build a positive reputation. Start by making your presence known across the internet. Then, after offering a great product and outstanding customer service ask for reviews. Spend the energy needed to become an expert in your field. Then, contribute to discussions in meaningful ways.
There are so many ways of building up a positive reputation for your business. One method is through social media. Click here to learn how you can find success through social media.