Competitive Online Reputation Mangement by Webcide.com

 

Lots of enterprises have discovered what happens when a reputation goes bad. Poor customer service cannot be kept a secret. This article has tips to help you build your reputation and your customers.

 

In terms of fielding negative comments, you should always stay proactive. Make sure there are many positive comments about your brand so they will drown out whatever negative comments pop up. Continually post new content that is positive, resulting in any negative comments slipping in search engine listings.

 

Try to have a great personality online. Posting tweets and status updates will not work unless you actively communicate with your followers. Answer questions and respond to comments in a timely manner. If you don’t have an answer to a particular question, let the follower know you’re looking into it.

 

Make sure all customers are satisfied. Turning negative experiences into good ones can show customers that you do care. Do this online, as well. Other people will see you responding positively to the concerns of customers and are more likely to give you their business too.

 

To improve the online reputation of your business, optimize your pages online with your key search phrase. This will usually be the name you have given your company. Google likes authoritative content, as do other search engines. When they consider you an authority, they’ll be more willing to move up your site in search results.

Stay up to date on news and information pertaining to your product or service. Doing so enables you to offer cutting edge and useful information to your clients. Spend 5 or 10 minutes each day searching online for the newest info on the industry you’re in.

 

Pay close attention to how you are perceived online. You can’t tell when you’re going to get a search engine result that’s negative because someone has something bad to say about your business, even if it’s for no reason. Monitoring search results yourself will help keep you on top of the situation and thus able to put out little fires as they pop up. Try doing this a couple of times each month.

 

If you own your own business, be sure you’re treating employees with some respect. A lot of people don’t do this as much as they should be, and this can have some consequences. If word gets around about how you treat employees, customers may not do business with you.

 

Make yourself present where customers can be found. Go to any restaurant or other establishment where customers may be. If you are present and visible, you will seem more approachable. People tend to express themselves more freely in a social environment, and that is where you can get to them know them on a personal level.

 

Customer interaction will increase as your company grows. Complaints will show up here and there, so you must address them. Not only that, you need to know how to deal with it in the most appropriate way that is agreeable to all parties involved.

 

Follow up with customers several times after they make a purchase from you. Usually, issues aren’t known right away or they will wait before they use something new. Your concern gives them the opportunity to voice any complaints they may have.

 

Stay wary of what gets shared online. Anything online can be used at anytime. Even if you only have a small number of people visiting your social media sites, you still should be careful.

 

You may see that certain competitors are using fake reviews to beef up their reputation. Do not give in and join them. Not only is it a bad way to do business, in some states it can be a criminal offense.

 

Be sure to check on your search results monthly. Google your company name and browse the results very carefully. Take special note of anything negative posted about you. Stay aware of the source feeding your negative comments. Take any necessary action to mitigate them.

 

Do not act in anger and damage your own reputation. Do not use social media as a venue for an “attack.” If a problem escalates and the customer crosses the line, it is better to ignore them than to appear unprofessional by getting into a written shouting match.

 

If you get hired to work for someone, be sure you try and find out what you can do extra for them. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to add a special touch. They and their friends are likely to become regulars.

Learn about your customers. They love to feel like they have a personal connection to your business. Try to figure out how to improve the product that you offer. The fact that you provide great service will give you a much better reputation.

 

If you wish to have a good reputation with your business, be sure you’re monitoring what people say about things online. Do frequent searches, check relative forums, and take a peek at social media. Whatever the discussions are about, you’re able to join in with them. Everyone involved will be appreciative that you tried to contribute, and sometimes you can even set people straight on certain facts.

 

Accept constrictive criticism in your reputation management strategy. Your company should address any issues that come up. Never avoid or ignore problems, because solving them will improve the reputation of your company and be better for your business anyway.

 

A website is a key part of managing a business reputation online. Incorporate your business name onto every page. When the search engines crawl your site, they need to be able to find your company as the authority related to your name and brand. Make sure that your company name is within the headers, URL and title tag of each page.

 

Keeping a tight reputation is key to success in business. It may take a while to build a good reputation, but the tips here can provide a lot of help. Go forth in a proactive way, and get things taken care of quickly so they don’t get out of control. This will help you keep a great reputation and be more profitable.

 

Contact us for a free consultation .

 

It’s more important than ever to balance managing your online reputation with also protecting your online privacy. Data brokers and other companies are selling and sharing your private information online, including your email, age, address, relatives, marital status, and more. This leaves you vulnerable to identity theft, spam, robo calls, stalkers and hackers. Fortunately, you can opt out of these data broker sites and request your information be removed from both their website and database. Each website has its own opt-out process that will require you to submit requests individually. It’s also important to note that even if you initially opt out of a site, it’s common for information to re-exposed later down the road. That’s why it’s important to monitor what’s out there about you on the web and be proactive about protecting your online privacy.

 

Building out a positive personal brand will also help to better safeguard your privacy online because you have control over the narrative of what people find when looking you up online. 

 

You spend a lot of time building your reputation—you work hard, treat others well, follow through on duties and show up on time. Now it's time to apply that same discipline to your online presence. The rest of this series will cover everything from the basics to advanced tactics for controlling your search results.

 

Defamation damages can be divided into four specific types:

 

• Presumed

• Special

• Actual

• Punitive

 

Presumed Damages & Defamation Per Se

Presumed damages are associated with defamation per se and libel per se due to the fact that plaintiffs need not prove they suffered actual damages.

As the nature of the statement(s) in question is so inherently (unchastity, loathsome disease, crime, & profession) defamatory (per se), damages will be presumed.

Note that the Supreme Court has seemingly eliminated the recovery of such damages in libel per se and defamation per se actions against media defendants. Gertz v. Robert Welch, Inc.

 

Special Damages & Defamation Per Quod

While presumed damages are associated with libel per se and defamation per se, special damages are associated with defamation per quod and libel per quod due to the necessity for a plaintiff to prove they suffered a special harm.

The need to prove special damages exists in cases where the harm or damage done isn’t as obvious, and plaintiffs will be required to produce supporting and extrinsic evidence to prove the harm suffered.

 

What are Actual Damages in the USA?

Commonly referred to as “compensatory damages,” actual damages are true to their name, and are damages sought for the actual and tangible harm suffered by them due to a libelous, slanderous, or defamatory statement.

Some courts have ruled mental anguish and personal humiliation to satisfy actual damages, as they can both be considered tangible effects of defamatory and false statements.

 

Punitive Damages: When Should Defendants Be Punished For Their Behavior?

Also known as “exemplary damages,” punitive damages are awarded to libel plaintiffs in order punish a defendant who has acted egregiously or in a wanton and malicious manner when communicating a libelous or defamatory statement.

Punitive damages are commonly awarded in situations where compensatory damages are seen as inadequate and may be used in cases of undercompensation. Note that punitive damages are only awarded in special cases, and each state’s level of what constitutes malice, reckless disregard, and other wanton conduct varies, so we highly recommend you consult an experienced defamation attorney if you’re unsure of whether a defendant’s conduct rises to such a level.