Why Reputation Management is Important to Small Businesses

How can a small business know what customers are saying about them? It requires forming a reputation management plan. Owners need a strategy explaining the "when's, where's, and why's" behind managing reviews.

Employees must understand and practice the business's reputation strategy. Each needs to know the process of reading, responding, and influencing customer reviews. Companies need to learn why reputation management is essential to the company.

Small businesses can use online reviews to turn customers into brand advocates. They can also shift negative experiences into positive ones. Resolving issues helps strengthen relationships and the brand's reputation.

Control The Conversation

Learn of the positive and negative conversations about your brand. Constant management helps businesses see how shoppers perceive their service, products, and brand. Online reviews can tell a business a lot about its brand. They provide insights companies can use to improve their quality.

Responding to customer reviews is vital in taking control of the conversation. Prospects look at reviews to make buying decisions. Buyers also look for business replies, which also impacts whether they will buy from you.

Owners should reply with words that encourage reviewers to take the conversation elsewhere. The goal should be to go from public to private. This process lets businesses deal with buyers and issues on a one-on-one basis. It puts the company in control of the conversation.

Understanding Reputation Management 

Customer reviews impact buyers' decision-making, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), and search engine results. 

Shoppers rely on customer reviews to decide whether to buy. Google uses them to rank the business in Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs).

Positive reviews send signals to search engines about the business. They tell them the company has authority and influence. 

Search engines want to provide searchers with the best results. Thus, the more positive reviews a company has, the better.

A similar scenario happens with negative reviews and search engines. Yet, instead of sending positive signals, they create the opposite reaction. Search engines, like Google, will not put businesses with a poor reputation at the top of SERPs. 

When companies reply to positive and negative reviews, it shows they are listening. It proves to buyers that the small business cares about them. 

Responding to reviews helps shoppers to build trust with the company. It can even turn negative commenters into positive reviewers.

Develop a Reputation Management Plan

A reputation management plan needs room for flexibility, uniqueness, and careful wording. Without a reputation management strategy, reviews can destroy a brand. 

1. Respond to All Reviews

Whether customers write a bad or good comment, a company should reply to all reviews. Provide positive reviewers with a "thank you" and show appreciation for their business.

With negative reviews, companies should give customers a contact name and number. It lets them continue talks with the business offline. 

When responding, express an understanding and empathy of their situation. During the call, explore the issue with the reviewer and resolve any problems.

Once the customer receives a resolution, ask if they can follow up their negative comment with a good one. 

2. Keep Responses Unique

Each customer review is different, and so should be the response from the company. Although you may provide the same contact name and phone number, keep replies unique. 

Avoid generic replies. Customers will pick up on general responses and consider them disrespectful. Buyers will look at repetitive company responses as disregarding their feelings and unsympathetic.

Unique replies show buyers the company cares about each customer and their situation. It lets shoppers know you treat them and their circumstances individually. Not "clumping" customers together in how you reply can make all the difference.

3. Follow up With Customers.

Ask customers if it is okay if you follow up with them. You want to make sure all issues are not still outstanding and are happy with your services. 

Companies can use the "follow-up" method as a prevention tactic. It helps with preventing any further negative reviews from the customer. 

4. Check Social Media Platforms and Review Sites.

Check the business's online social accounts and review websites for customer reviews. With the digital age, reputation management is a 24/7 process. Set up notifications for each site. Have them tell you when a new comment appears. 

When the business receives a notice, it can respond quickly to customer reviews. Reviewers expect a reply from a company within a 24 to 48-hour period. Yet, the faster the response, the better. 

5. Analyze and Configure Your Reputation Management Plan

After you develop a plan, observe and analyze it. The business also needs to check if the strategy works. Companies need to track whether customers are using the contact name and number left on reviews. 

Also, look at whether customers respond to the replies you leave on positive reviews. Keep the conversation going to show the companies personality and care towards customers.

If customer issues are not going from a public to private space, change the plan. 

As the company expands, the plan may need changing to keep up with reviews.

Remain flexible, as the plan is not in stone. Yet, the company needs to outline who can alter the strategy. It helps to ensure owners do not receive any unwanted surprises. Choose an employee or a third party that knows how to handle online reviews. It may mean the company needs to provide training. 

Conclusion

Every business wants its reputation to flourish and to avoid any tarnishing. When companies show gratitude and provide resolutions, customers will be more receptive.

Owners with a rep management plan are more in control of the conversation than ones without it. Responding to customers shows you are listening and want to correct any problems.

Having a strategy prepares the company for all reviews. A plan shows the business is thorough and thoughtful when responding to reviews. 

Reputation management is essential to the success of small businesses. It helps with generating brand awareness, SEO, and buyer recommendations.

Businesses that talk with reviewers can turn bad experiences into positive ones.