Are you losing out on customers and opportunities because of your digital reputation? 97% of customers search online before buying a product, and 60% of customers say that negative reviews stop them from using a business.
Your company will have an online reputation whether you manage it well or not. It’s something you need to take the reins on if you want your business to be perceived positively, and to continue to grow and scale.
A positive reputation makes your brand more trusted by consumers. This leads to more sales, and organic, word-of-mouth promotion by your audience online.
Your digital reputation matters, and here’s why.
What is Digital Reputation?
A digital reputation is your brand’s perception online. This is made up of not just the website and content your brand has created, but also online review sites, social media, and user-generated content such as blogs and articles.
As well as this, it’s impacted by any news or press that comes out about your brand.
Why Your Digital Reputation Matters
There’s no denying the fact that your digital reputation matters to customers. It affects not only how prospective customers view you, but also how future employees and stakeholders think of your business as well.
It Makes You Trusted and Credible
Your prospective customers will always trust other people more than they trust you. When new customers research your products and services, they don’t stop at your website alone.
Your whole digital brand reputation is a way for people to identify if you are a trusted and credible brand that they like and want to buy from in the future.
So if it’s believed that customers are more trustworthy than brands, what can you do? Try promoting and sharing user-generated content as well as branded content or advertisements.
Damaged Reputations Cause Major Problems
There’s a reason why most big companies have a reputation management strategy.
A damaged reputation can shatter a business and cause an immediate lack of trust. It’s possible to bounce back, but not every brand has been able to recover from reputational disasters, and prevention is better than cure.
Some brands have had to go as far as completely changing their name and packaging to fix their reputation.
Bad Reputation = Fewer Sales
Any negative perception of your brand online can cause people to change their minds when they are close to purchasing. This negates all of the efforts that have supported getting your customers through the marketing funnel when they fall out at the last minute due to your reputation.
These days, people have low attention spans when shopping online, and one bad review can be enough to put people off your brand. You can combat this by always commenting on your reviews to demonstrate the high level of customer service that you offer.
It Impacts the Hiring Process
Something important to consider is that it’s not just your customers who are sharing their experience with your brand. It’s your current and past employees as well.
Popular websites such as Glassdoor allow prospective employees to review and comment on all aspects of their job experience. This includes pay, how they were treated, and if they would recommend working with you.
When candidates look for jobs, they are checking things like this, and a negative digital reputation can cause you to lose out on good candidates. 11% of job seekers said they would decline an offer from a company with a bad reputation online.
Effect on Your Bottom Line
So if having a negative digital reputation affects your level of sales and your ability to recruit quality candidates, then it also negatively impacts your growth and your bottom line.
Your reputation can also damage your market share and cause you to become overwhelmed if your industry is competitive or heavily saturated.
Bad News Travels Fast
Have you ever heard the saying bad news travels fast? The same is true of your digital reputation.
News spreads and people talk. If one person has a bad experience with your product or service, they will tell people. If one person tells 3 people, and each of those people tells another person, it’s easy to see how this can have a trickle-down effect and spiral out of control.
You can manage this by having strong and responsive customer service that immediately tackles any issues before negative word of mouth can spread. Always have a strategy for following up with your customers after they’ve purchased. Make sure they’ve had a positive experience and can add to your positive digital reputation.
The Long-term Impact
Do you have a PR or communications strategy? Negative press or legal issues can have a substantial medium to long-term impact.
This doesn’t only affect your customer’s willingness to trust and buy from you. It also can cause you to lose the interest of valuable stakeholders and investors that could help you to grow your business.
When it comes to stakeholders, they will look at not just your reputation in terms of customer experiences. Things like the views on the sustainability and ethics of your business matter, too. Consistently research how your business is viewed, and manage your communications effectively to combat any issues.
What is Your Digital Reputation?
Your digital reputation affects how future customers, employees, and stakeholders view you, and it impacts your credibility, sales, and growth.
What does your brand’s digital reputation look like? Review yours consistently by looking at social media, search engine results, and review sites like Google Reviews and Yelp.
It’s important to remember that your reputation can change at any time. It only takes one customer or employee experience to have an effect, so your reputation is something you need to stay on top of over time.
To find out more about how Cadence Marketing can support you with digital reputation management, contact our experienced team directly today.
