The Monsters Of Reputation Management

It’s Creepy and It’s Kooky, It’s Altogether Spooky: Reputation Management

Happy spooky month! In the spirit of the month, we thought we’d give you some tips to keep your online reputation less than spooky. Online reviews can be scary business if you don’t know what you’re doing. There are so many different spooky situations that can arise, you’d think you were in the middle of a Goosebumps book. From competitors attacking your reputation to poorly crafted listings, negative reviews, and beyond, the thought of managing your business’ reputation can be haunting. However, with the right tools at your disposal, you can slay any creepy crawly, ghoul, or ghost that comes your way — At least when it comes to making your business look good online.  

The Werewolves Are Attacking

Your business is thriving. Your online reputation has never been better. But, when the full moon rises, the werewolves come out. Suddenly, all of your listings are under attack! Bad reviews everywhere, from people you’ve never even met. Chances are, your competitors were bit by jealousy and unfortunately, they are now werewolves, trying to come after your business’ hard-earned online reputation when the moon of your success is full. They’re running full-fledged attacks on your online reputation and it’s time for you to act.

The only surefire way to fix this is to double down on your reputation management efforts. You need to be strong enough to fight off the werewolf. That means you need to ask for reviews, getting your online listings sorted out, and utilize Top Rated Local. It is absolutely vital that you focus on reputation as a major part of your business’ online marketing strategy. If your online reputation is impenetrable, the werewolves will have to walk away with their tails between their legs.

 Your Listings Look Like Frankenstein’s Monster

“IT’S ALIVE!” Except not, because an ugly listing is as good as dead. Chances are, if your listings on online review sites look bad, you’re not getting any conversions from them. Think of your poorly cultivated listing as Frankenstein’s monster, the only difference being that the townspeople run away from it instead of toward it. The good news is, you don’t have to be a mad scientist to give it a bit of a facelift. 

A few simple steps can make your listing look clean and professional. First, make sure your address and all other contact information is uniform and accurate throughout all of your online listings. Professional-looking, attractive photos that showcase your business are a great next step. These will not only draw the eye of your potential customers, but it will give them information that will help them to determine whether or not your business is the right fit for their needs — not only drawing in more sales, but better sales.

A Disgruntled Former Employee Turns Into A Zombie

It’s a dark and stormy night. Suddenly, a hand bursts out from underground. It starts typing furiously. Is it…? Could it be…? Yes! It’s an angry former employee posting all over the internet about how terrible they think your company is! Thankfully, this isn’t an apocalyptic situation. You know exactly how to handle this. 

If a disgruntled former employee is posting about you all over employer review sites, you need to focus hard on your employer reputation. The first thing you should do is respond politely and with the genuine intention to accept and grow from feedback. Understand that your former employees likely hold no ill will toward you, and they aren’t actually trying to eat your brains. And even if they are, responding correctly will help you show current and potential customers and employees that your team really does care.

You’re Being Haunted By A Bad Review

If you feel a sudden chill and hear things go bump in the night, you know there’s something strange in your neighborhood. But, don’t call Ghostbusters quite yet! It’s probably just a bad review on one of your review sites. As spooky as this may seem, you can pretty easily turn this scary apparition into Casper, The Friendly Ghost with a little bit of work and some old fashioned customer service. 

If you’ve ever seen a horror movie, you know that ignoring your ghost problem won’t make it go away. You need to do like Jennifer Love Hewitt and work with the ghosts to reach a resolution. Reply to the review with an apology and try to move the conversation off of a public review site and move it to some form of one-on-one communication as soon as possible. Pro-tip: for this conversation, avoid ouija boards and stick to email.

A Vampire Got a Hold of Your Online Reputation

Uh oh, your reputation got bit by a vampire, and now it sucks. No one thing is particularly bad, it’s just… not great. That’s okay, though. It can be fixed — no garlic or wooden stakes necessary. Making reputation management a fundamental part of your business’ online marketing strategy is the only truly effective way to solve this problem. Think of comprehensive reputation management as your silver bullet.

Making sure your listing looks good, asking for reviews, and being proactive about responding to reviews are all excellent ways to keep your online reputation in tip-top shape. Review your online listings often. In other words, make sure to check your reflection in the mirror often. Do these things and restrategize when necessary if you don’t want to end up as a character in Twilight.


Try Top Rated Local®

By using Top Rated Local, you can master your online reputation. With our unique proprietary Rating Score® system and data from tons of verified review sites, you can get a good look into what exactly your business’ online reputation looks like, without having to manually find all of your listings. Beyond that, Top Rated local has a groundbreaking awards program that offers awards to the best of the best in more than 60 industries. Sign up today and see what Top Rated Local can do for you.

 

Share this article!