Expert Tips in Protecting Your Online Reputation

When trying to manage a business, especially a startup in a competitive industry, there are plenty of factors that go toward success. First and foremost is the company’s reputation, as a negative reputation can easily cause a business to go on a downward spiral. It’s the kind of thing that will be especially damaging to startups, which is why it is priority number one to ensure that online reputation management (ORM) is considered early on.

That said, wanting to take care of the company’s online reputation and taking preventive measures are two different things. New company owners might not know the best way to get the job done, and so it would be ideal to use white label reputation management software. To help ensure that the company is ready for anything, here are some expert tips in protecting one’s online reputation.

The foundation

First and foremost would be developing the foundation for a company’s online reputation. It might be somewhat of a strange notion, but it is not necessarily the social media profile that will be the basis for a company’s online reputation. The foundation is typically found on the company website, and it is the one thing that often gets neglected.

It’s a shame, as the company website is where most online users end up when they look into the business. A few tips to help optimize the website includes:

  • The header. Keeping things simple would be the best way to keep online users from leaving. It would be ideal for letting people know the goals of the business and the products available in as few words as possible.
  • The content. For the content, keeping things short and sweet is always a good idea. When dealing with blogs and articles, long-form content is often the most popular. Keeping things short outside of blogs and articles is the way to go.
  • The extras. As much as possible, keep the extras to a minimum. Widgets and site accessories only cause a company website to load slower, which will only cause more people to leave as soon as they enter the site.
  • The images. While quality is great, there is such a thing as going for too much quality. Keep in mind that websites do not need images with such a high quality that it starts slowing things down. Look into the best possible resolutions for the images of your website.
  • The platform. Most people would prefer to go for the browser platform as it’s the easiest. However, most of the successful companies have a quality mobile platform for their site. With so many users utilizing phones, it would be best to focus on the mobile platform.

The use of white label reputation management software

Reputation management software is never a bad idea for any business, especially startups that cannot afford too many mistakes without going under. The best thing to do would be to go for reputation management services that offer quality software to help the company. Even better, white label services are such that it can be rebranded to your service. The reason why white label services are so great is the fact that it can make your company seem that much more competent without crediting other companies. It is integral for businesses trying to compete with the very best, and is a good first step for startups that want to get the best possible start.

Reliability and competence, even just the illusion of such, can help elevate a company well beyond its means. It’s something that will undoubtedly push businesses forward, and in this particular case, it is all about protecting a company’s online reputation.

How to make sure negative reviews are handled

Negative reviews are the kind of thing that can’t be avoided. Sometimes, it’s a competitor’s doing that causes the negative reviews to occur. Other times, it is a disgruntled customer that is unhappy for one reason or another. While it might be unavoidable at times, it is how you react to the negative reviews that will determine how your company is perceived moving forward.

The first thing to do is to address the negative reviewer’s concerns. If it’s not something that can be easily done, respond anyway and ask how you can help them further. If they don’t respond, it’s just as well, as the fact that your company is responding to negative reviews and offering compensation is the perfect way of turning negative press around.

The bottom line

If the company owner wants to protect their online reputation, the first thing to do would be to focus on the website. Next would be to look into answering negative reviews. The use of white label reputation management software ensures that the company owner can focus on managing the business without having to worry about online reputation management too much. Learning how to respond to negative reviews can also soften the blow.