Online reputation is now more critical than it ever has been. The reason is that people are trusting company’s less than they ever have. The reason is not due to anything other than our current situation. In a study performed by Canvas8, it showed that there is a global decline of 11% in trust of all companies.
As many as 30% of customers noted, they don’t trust brands these days. Many factors can play into this, but it is my opinion that it has to do with COVID-19.
With more and more people finding themselves out of work, the people who still are employed will do almost anything to continue working. This includes going to work sick. Add that to the uncertainty of people carrying the virus with no symptoms, and you have a recipe for disaster.
We all know that customers are likely to check ratings and reviews during the best of times. However, it has sharply increased since the outbreak in mid-March. Customers are checking everything before they do business with a company. It used to be they would check to see how the service and product were, but now they are checking to see if anyone has contracted the virus from doing business with a company.
All that being said, this is the perfect time for you or your company to invest in your online reputation. You can do this in many ways, but below, you will find my suggestions. Albeit, this is not a definitive list, but one that should be adhered to as much as humanly possible.
Building Trust and Credibility
As I stated previously, these difficult times have spread a certain level of uncertainty. If there already was a lack of trust between consumers and businesses, it is being amplified by the pandemic. I have witnessed an increase in both online reviews and third-party validation since the start of the outbreak. All you need to do is go to a review site of any company and look at the history of reviews. It has dramatically increased in just six short months. On sites that you can ask questions, there are more than there have ever been.
I am willing to bet that when the pandemic is all said and done, you will continue to see customers interacting with review and third-party sites at the same rate. The reason for this is they have seen the light. Review sites are possibly one of the best things to come out of the internet. The idea is that it keeps businesses honest. When you know that anywhere and anytime someone could be writing a review of your company, you will try harder to please your customers. This wasn’t the case just 25 years ago when lousy business reviews were limited to the local area. With the reach of the internet, more people can read about your gaffs.
Take this opportunity to connect with your customers and show them why they should do business with you. There are many ways you can do this, but the most straightforward ways are by talking with them on any platform you have access to. When you read a complaint, take the time to reach out to the customer and make it right. Above all else, make sure your workers are safe as well. If your workers feel unsafe, they can write reviews on you as well.
Invest in Your Reputation
If you are lucky enough to be one of the remaining businesses that are still open, you need to use that to your advantage. Once the restrictions begin to ease, more companies will be opening up. When they do, they will have a lot of work to do to play catch up. As long as your doors remain open, you need to be talking with your customers. They are the only ones keeping your business open during these trying times.
Start by coming up with a reputation management strategy that you can adhere to. There is a growing number of cropping up scams, and you need to be ahead of them. Part of your plan should include ways to be on the lookout for scams targeted at your company. When and if you happen to locate them, be sure not only to inform the proper authorities but also to inform your customers. There is a better than average chance they are following you on social media. Make a post that tells them of the scam and that you are not responsible. It would also be a good idea to have it as a message when customers call your customer service line.
Consumer Insights Help Increase Your Brand
Nearly 75% of shopping is done online these days. That is a sharp incline from the previous six months where it was just over 60%. Due to this, customers are relying more and more on customer reviews. Over 95% of customers admit to reading online reviews before deciding to choose a company. That hasn’t changed much, but the number of reviews they are reading has. It used to be that customers would only read a month or so of reviews. Now, they are reading reviews that are dated three months or older.
Read what your customers have to say. Interact with them. See what things they would like to see that will reassure them you are the right company to do business with. Take the time, and likely money, to ensure they feel safe when they are doing business with you.
Conclusion
Online reputation has been important for the better part of ten years now. However, since the pandemic, it has become even more critical. There are only a few businesses that remain open. If you expect to make it through these times, mostly unscathed, you will need to invest in your online reputation. There has never been a better time to make a name for yourself than right now. I wish you all the best an hope that you don’t have any bad reviews.