Online reputation management is not a new concept, but for some reason there has been an insane demand for it in the past decade. Reputation management and repair is similar to the processes involved in public relations, just catered more towards a company’s online presence rather than just the overall public perception.
If public relations and rep management has been around for so long, why the recent increase in need for it? More and more companies are investing in their reputations than ever before, and here’s why.
Social Media Has Taken Over the World
OK, so this might be a bit of an extreme statement. But you can’t deny that social media has become a major aspect of people’s daily lives around the world. Maybe you even just heard a ding on your iPhone and noticed that you have a Facebook notification. A statistic from last year showed that teens are spending an average of 9 HOURS A DAY on social media platforms, and 30% of all online activity is spent on social media.
This is kind of a sad reality, but facts are facts. Businesses have started to take advantage or people’s addiction to social media through advertising and also just staying relevant in a world filled with competition. Your social media presence can make or break your reputation, meaning the demand for reputation management on social media platforms has increased dramatically.
One Bad Review Can Make a Difference
There are so many online platforms where your customers can leave reviews on what you’re company is all about. Chances are most of these reviews will be positive and raving about your product, but it isn’t uncommon for a few bad reviews to also slip in. Some people are just difficult to please, but unfortunately these people are still allowed to leave their honest opinions about you.
A scathing review could put a huge dent in your reputation, no matter how hard you’ve worked to get where you are or how many positive reviews you have. Online reputation management plays a huge role in monitoring reviews. You should assign a team member or rep management agent to monitor reviews on all platforms such as search engines and social media and respond to the negative ones as quickly as possible. This will hopefully placate the difficult-to-please customer.
The User Experience Has Dramatically Changed
User experience refers to your customer’s entire experience with your online product. Everything from how your website looks to how the shopping process feels is the user experience – or UX for short. Needless to say, the UX has changed immensely throughout time with so many technological advancements being introduced by the day.
The expectations for websites and mobile apps have changed and the bar has been raised. Shopping is no longer done in a store, but instead it can be done from your smartphone while you lounge around on the couch. For this reason, companies are putting a focus on their online presence. If it is lacking in any way, the UX will be affected and your reputation will take a hit.
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