Your Online Reputation

Your Business Reputation Explained by Web Hosting Provider

If you run a store in your hometown, locals know about you or your business. They may know the quality of your products, your level of customer service, and your return policy. They've learned about you from experience and from word of mouth.

You've worked hard to build your reputation. People choose you — or don't choose you — based on what they know. Online, some of the ways that you build your reputation and that people find out about it are different, but the effects are the same. If you run an e-commerce site, you gain, keep, and lose customers in part because of your reputation - web hosting provider explains.

Online and offline reputations

A good business reputation is important online and offline. A few key differences between online and offline reputations:

• Not everyone who shops at bricks-and-mortar stores has Internet access or researches online before shopping offline.
• Reputations are easier to share and read about online. Consumers often have the opportunity to rate their providers, and reviews are posted at review sites, in forums, and in blogs. Enter a company name into a search engine, and chances are that comments that help build or destroy reputations will appear in the search results.
• Offline, consumers may give negative feedback about a company less weight when a positive experience or story overrides it for them. Online, records of customer experiences can stay there forever. What's more, if the review, post, or page isn't dated, readers won't know if the experience was three months ago or three years ago.
• Consumers tend to be more careful online than when shopping in person. If they order something at a local department store and it isn't delivered, they know how to find recourse. Buying online, on the other hand, is generally perceived to be riskier. Trust and reputation thus gain more importance.

Reputation factors

There is no one set of criteria for what people look for in an online reputation. In feedback for eBay sellers, for example, typical comments are "shipped quickly," "easy transaction," and "product as described." Consumers making large purchases or planning to do ongoing business with a company may look for other company qualities, such as social and environmental responsibility. While quality products and service are on most people's lists, in some situations, pricing may be more important. But everyone wants to know that the company will meet their needs.

How to build a good online reputation

Start fresh

If someone else owned the company or domain before you, make it public knowledge that the company is under new ownership. Introduce yourself at your site, send out press releases, and let current customers know of the ownership change.

These steps are particularly important if the company or domain had a bad reputation in the past. People who read complaints about the company online need to be able to separate those complaints from you.

Create a good first impression

Each initial contact you make, via direct contact or via your website, creates a first impression.

• Keep your website current and professional-looking. Be sure that it loads fast, doesn't have any errors, and is easy to navigate. Keep in mind that every page is a potential landing page.
• Include your full name, mailing address, and phone number in your contact information along with your email address or a contact form. Provide some background information about yourself and possibly your employees.
• Publish customer testimonials with URLs or other contact information to give them credibility.
• Always be polite, and train your staff on being polite in every situation.

Provide excellent customer service

Treat all of your customers as though they'll be posting a review of your services afterwards. Be personable, be helpful, provide prompt and friendly service, go the extra step whenever you can, work as a team, and strive for excellence overall.

Share your knowledge

You can build your online reputation by sharing what you know. Write informative articles in your niche area and get them published at relevant sites with your name and a link back to your site. Take part in forums, wikis, and blogs, where you can have a profile page and perhaps a signature with a link to your site. Use your full name and your company name in your profile and signature.

Aim for quality over quantity, and don't post just to get your name online. Fluff posts will harm your reputation instead. When your contributions are relevant, thought-out, detailed, and helpful, you'll become known for your knowledge and areas of service.

Help people remember you

Opt-in newsletters are good. So are blogs, autoresponders, and press releases. Work to keep your name in the minds of your customers if they choose to use the communication methods that you offer.

Do damage control

Problems happen. Having a solid online reputation can help cushion their effects, as will how you respond to those problems. If you or someone in your company made a mistake, take responsibility, and rectify the situation to the extent that you can. A refund, a partial refund, or credit toward another purchase will help alleviate any bad feelings caused by the problem.

Everyone makes mistakes. How you respond afterwards makes or breaks your reputation.

Track and manage your reputation

Reputation management has sprung up as an online industry. You can hire a reputation management firm, or you can use Google alerts to be emailed whenever your company name is published online. When you know about complaints or praises, you can respond to them.

Related blog articles

• Maintain and Manage Your Online Reputation
• Bad Web Press: Can It Be Fixed?
• How to Become a Known Niche Authority
• Using Client Testimonials
• Customer Service Online
• How Do Your Landing Pages Work?
• What Are Landing Pages and Why Are They Important?
• Branding Your Website

Web Hosting Provider Blog

Visit our web hosting blog again soon for more webmaster tips and articles.