If you own or operate a local business, you know how important it is to have a strong reputation when it comes to your online presence. When your business has a great reputation, plenty of 5 -star reviews, and positive customer experiences can bring in a flood of customers to your business because people trust local businesses that have strong online reputations. So what can you do to make sure that you have a strong online reputation? Here are a few online reputation management strategies that work for local businesses to build and keep a strong online reputation from your trusted online reputation experts, brainer!
Listen to Customer Feedback
One of the most important things that you can do as a business is listen to your customers. You’d be surprised at how much you can learn from the people who use your services and buy your products. These people can offer valuable insight into what works, what doesn’t work, and what processes can be improved. Additionally, looking for customer feedback allows you to respond to your customers and build a personal relationship with them. This way, when you come to your customers with announcements, asks, or promotional offers, they will be more likely to engage with you because you have built up a reputation with them.
Be the First to Break News on Sensitive Issues
Does your company have an external communications team? This could be a marketing department or it could be an employee who has access to your social media accounts. Another one of the online reputation management strategies is to communicate with your customers any time something important happens because you want to be transparent about the situation. Being quick to comment on sensitive information also allows you to control the narrative. This could be as simple as notifying customers that servers are down or that you will be closed on a specific day in the future.
Promote Customer Reviews and Testimonials
Customer testimonials are some of the most valuable and effective forms of advertising that you and your business can leverage. Word of mouth is a lead generator that costs your business $0.00. Use it!
At the end of every transaction, as your customer takes their receipt and walks out of your lobby, send them an automated text message or an email with a request to leave you an online review on Yelp!, Google, Facebook, or wherever you prefer! Even if not every single customer leaves you an online review, you will surely see the number of reviews grow quickly!
brainer Online Reputation Management Software
How would your business benefit from being able to automate the process of asking customers to leave online reviews and having them post instantly to the platforms of your choice? Would you make it a part of your checkout process to rack up the 5-star reviews while the purchase is still fresh in your customer’s mind? With brainer, you can! Our Online Reputation Management Software allows you to send your customers a link to your online review platform of choice to make the whole process as easy for them as possible. That means more online reviews for you and fewer steps for your customers. Now that’s what we call a no-brainer.