Every business needs to pay attention to their online reputation. Connecting with your target audience in a digital age is all about building a trusted brand presence and most marketers even argue that it needs to be a business’ top priority.
4 Simple Reputation Management Mistakes To Avoid
1. Giving Users A Poor Experience
Google is heavily weighing user experience in their algorithm. With accessibility, page speed, navigation, and layout all being important user experience points, 5 out of 10 people will immediately city a website’s design as the main factor in deciding whether or not they should trust a business.
Maybe it’s time to evaluate at why your bounce rate is so high and implement some strategies to keeping people on your site once they are there.
2. Having a vague or ineffective Unique Selling Proposition
Your unique selling proposition (USP) is a marketing concept that states that such campaigns made unique propositions to customers that convinced them to switch brands.
In “Reality in Advertising” by Rosser Reeves, the unique selling proposition is defined as:
- Each advertisement must make a proposition to the consumer—not just words, product puffery, or show-window advertising. Each advertisement must say to each reader: “Buy this product, for this specific benefit.”
- The proposition must be one the competition cannot or does not offer. It must be unique—either in the brand or in a claim the rest of that particular advertising area does not make.
- The proposition must be strong enough to move the masses, i.e., attract new customers as well as potential customers.
Your USP is the dividing line between success and failure. Clearly communicating the benefits of your product or service will help customers know that yours is the superior one.
3. Procrastinating or Ignoring
Engagement is everything and if you wait days, or even worse, don’t engage at all, the customer will immediately write you off as an irresponsible, uninterested brand.
4. Fake Reviews
Web shoppers are getting more savvy about their buying experience and can see through planted reviews. If your business or service simply hasn’t received reviews yet, instead offer incentives to tastemakers and industry leaders to give an honest (good or bad) review that you can stand behind.
This only scratches the surface of online reputation management! Some companies have whole teams managing just their reviews and customer engagement and it can be an enormous undertaking managing the day-to-day of your business while trying to keep on top of your online presence. If you need guidance on how your business can better navigate or get it’s reputation management under control, don’t hesitate to reach out to us!
