Online Reputation Management for Small Businesses

Every small business has an internet presence nowadays—but online reputation management is an essential tool to capitalize on that presence. 

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Whether you’re actively managing it or not, your online reputation is one of your most valuable assets. According to some studies, nearly all consumers report reading at least some online reviews before making a purchase. Thus, what people say about your business online can make or break your success. 

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If you’re new to the world of online reputation management—or looking to leverage it to grow your business—you’re in the right place. In this article, we’ll walk you through the benefits, the basics, and even some best practices. With all these combined, you’ll be well on your way to boosting your business with the resources you already have. 

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The Importance of Online Reputation Management

So what is online reputation management (ORM) anyway? Simply put, ORM is the process of monitoring and influencing your business’s online presence—anywhere and everywhere on the internet. 

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When you first set up your business’s online presence, there are a lot of recommended boxes to check. There’s your company’s website to build. Then, there are the business and social media profiles. After that, people will start to interact with your business online and begin talking about you… which can be both good and bad. Soon enough, your company will be all over the place! 

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Before your online presence becomes an unruly, many-headed monster, utilizing a keen reputation management strategy can keep things on track. It ensures your potential customers see the best version of your business—and also builds trust and credibility. In fact, some strategies can even be leveraged to bring in more business. Certainly, having some kind of proactive ORM in place is more prudent than letting this beast run wild without you. 

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Online Reputation Management Benefits for Small Businesses

While ORM can be especially beneficial for small businesses, these benefits apply to every company with an online presence: 

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1. Make First Impressions Count: As we’ve seen, your online presence is often the first impression a potential customer gets. Therefore, a professional online presence and a good balance of positive reviews builds credibility. On the other hand, a glaringly negative review right at the top of the page can drive away tons of business if it’s not handled in a timely and correct manner. 

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2. Do Proactive Crisis Control: Speaking of negative reviews, many unhappy customers will go straight to the comment section if there is some kind of major customer experience issue with your business. With proactive online reputation management, you’ll be able to identify, rectify, and resolve the issue first. (Often, this resolution of negative online reviews will actually reinforce your reputation.) 

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3. Boost Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Online reviews directly impact how you rank on Google and other search sites. If you want to optimize your presence on search engine results pages (SERPs), online reputation management is a great place to start. This is especially true for local searches like “best coffee shop near me.” 

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Ultimately, all of these will contribute to the overall power of your online reputation to influence the buying decisions of your potential customers. Of course, it makes sense that businesses with generally higher ratings attract more customers. By managing your presence online, you will directly improve your bottom line. 

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The 5 Basics of Online Reputation Management

With these benefits, it’s easy to see how important online reputation management is, especially for small and growing businesses. So if you’re looking to start or boost your ORM strategies, here are five of the main pillars of this powerful strategy. 

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1 - Claim Your Business Listings

We weren’t kidding when we said “basic”—but this aspect does sometimes get overlooked. To start your online reputation management, make sure your business is listed on key platforms like these: 

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• Google Business
• Yelp and other review pages
• Common and audience-relevant social media platforms
• Other industry-specific resources for consumers

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You’ll also want to make sure that the information you supply on these sites is consistent and accurate. Whenever you make changes, it’s vital to go through and update everything. That way, potential new customers won’t get confused—like going to the wrong location to find you. Also, include updated, professional, attractive photos and branding wherever applicable. 

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2 - Monitor Your Reviews Regularly

Social proof is essential to the modern consumer. Good reviews will inspire business, and negative reviews can give potential customers pause. Therefore, frequently monitoring reviews is an important element of online reputation management. 

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Thankfully, there are plenty of resources available to help businesses stay abreast of what’s being said about them online. Set up notifications, using tools like Google Alerts, to monitor when someone mentions your business. This allows you to address feedback in real time, implement improvements, and follow up with customers. 

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3 - Respond to Reviews

This is the big one. But if responding to reviews keeps you up at night, it’s time to stop stressing so much. While glowing comments are always a boost—and complaints can feel like the end of the world—both negative and positive reviews can contribute positively to your business.

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It’s also relatively simple (on paper, at least) to integrate a review response protocol into your online reputation management program. This is the system that most businesses follow with great success: 

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• Positive Reviews: Take the time to thank customers for their kind words. It shows you value their feedback, as well as the time and effort they took. Your response can be straightforward and relatively formulaic, but personalize it where you can. 

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• Negative Reviews: Take a breath on this one and remind yourself that negative reviews can generate positive results. Then, respond professionally and calmly. If necessary, apologize to the reviewer and offer to resolve the issue offline. For example, you can refund their purchase or give them a free appetizer if they return. 

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• Mixed Reviews: Does a reviewer give you some good, some bad? This is a clear opportunity to turn a lukewarm customer experience into a loyal, returning patron. Similar to the above strategies, offer your thanks for the time and effort involved in leaving feedback. Then, offer a little something extra or some resolution to the issues. Other readers will see that you value their customer experience and take strides to improve—and this is proven to inspire confidence and new purchases. 

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Couple these strategies with a consistent brand voice and a comprehensive online reputation management program, and you’re on your way to capitalizing on your internet presence. 

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4 - Generate Positive Reviews

While it’s always great to address all types of commenters that come your way, you still want to have more positive reviews than negative ones. (That’s basic math.) So part of your online reputation management should include encouraging satisfied customers to share their experiences online. 

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You can make this easier for customers in several ways. First, make sure that your staff is trained to prompt customers to leave a review. Next, make it easy for customers to actually leave reviews—using links, QR codes, and customer surveys. Additionally, you can send automatic follow-up emails prompting reviews and include direct links to review platforms. This can go a long way to boosting your online reputation. 

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5 - Create Positive Content

Drowning out the haters with good vibes is a surprisingly powerful strategy. Post regular updates, blog articles, or photos that highlight your business’s strengths. The frequency of updates will reassure users that your business is still alive and thriving—even if it’s not going viral every time. Plus, the more good content you create, the harder it is for negative information to stand out. 

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These five aspects constitute a strong, all-around online reputation management strategy. Ultimately, it not only makes your business look good online, but it also wins you more business. 

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Pro Tips for Small and Growing Businesses

Now that you have the fundamentals, here are a few final tips for online reputation management that are especially helpful for small and growing businesses: 

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• Be Authentic: Your business is unique and valuable—and you don’t need to pretend to be something you’re not. Consumers value honesty and transparency, so be yourself. And if your business makes a mistake, own up to it and focus on solving the issue. This can actually make you more money in the long run. 

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• Focus on Local Customers: While the internet makes it easier than ever to connect with people around the world, your reputation in your own community is still a crucial aspect of your business. Consider engaging with local influencers, sponsoring events, or networking with other businesses. This can help you carve out a space in your little corner of the world… and then you can work your way up from there. 

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• Track Progress: Optimization requires information, so make a concerted effort to track your online reputation. For example, see if your efforts are improving your numbers on ratings pages. If not, then you can pivot your strategies and continue your search. If a strategy does yield results, you can capitalize on that and boost your results even further. 

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In the end, you have to figure out how online reputation management will best work for your business. However, with genuine effort and a focus on customer satisfaction, you can make it work for you. 

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Keep Your Online Reputation Management In One Place

There are plenty of tools out there to assist with your online reputation management—but if you’re looking for help, consider using CustomerOptix. Our comprehensive solution puts every aspect of your ORM program into one user-friendly system: 

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• Manage Online Reviews
• Maintain Accurate Listings
• Build Trust Across Platforms

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You’ll get real-time alerts for new reviews and feedback, as well as analytics tools to monitor trends and identify improvement areas. Plus, when you pair it with mystery shopping and customer surveys, you’ll get a full-circle customer experience strategy that’s sure to bring you more business. 

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Learn how it works and get started today!

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Take Charge of Your Online Reputation to Boost Your Business

Managing your online reputation is no longer optional, especially for small businesses. It’s a critical part of building trust, attracting customers, and staying competitive in a digital-first world. By being proactive with your online reputation management, you can turn your internet presence into a powerful business asset. 

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Remember, your online reputation is an extension of your brand. How you manage it speaks volumes about your business. Respond to reviews in a timely, on-brand, and solution-oriented manner. Keep business listings current, professional, and accurate. Encourage more positive customer interactions and use data to continuously improve your customer experience. With these strategies and tools, your business will stand out for all the right reasons. 

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