Before a customer ever steps foot through the doors of your business or calls you to discuss the services you offer, they are certainly going to type your business’ name into the search bar of their browser. After all, the internet is the first place they go to research… everything. Knowing this, there’s no option but to take hold of the reputation you present online and assure it is the best, most accurate representation out there.
Building trust starts with a solid foundation of knowledge of who you are. If you are credible and trustworthy, the likelihood of a prospect becoming an actual customer is greater. So, where do you begin to get customers to really know who you are?
Do They Know You?
When was the last time you opened the browser on your phone or computer to look up a local business for information on who they are and what they are all about? If you are anything like the majority of the world, it’s probably been today! Our world is focused on having all of the information we need at our fingertips, so it only makes sense that we need to pay attention to how we are viewed online.
You know exactly what it is that makes you a customer of your favored companies. It might be their style, their motto, what they stand for, who they represent, how proactive they are, etcetera. Regardless of what it is, you know them because of something that stands out or aligns with your way of thinking; you resonate!
If you can identify easily what it is that makes you a customer, then it should be a no-brainer for you to realize the importance of building a strong online presence. Like you, others will feel confident about who you are once they get to know and see you online.
Get Them To Like You
How do you get customers to like who you are? It’s as simple as being your authentic self twenty-four seven and showing up online in various ways. The more relatable and true you are, the more people are going to like and want to know more about you.
The best way to get customers to like who you are is to be actively engaged in conversations surrounding your business. Taking the time to respond and engage with others online not only shows you care about what’s being said about your business, but you also create opportunities to find out information that can help you create a better impression.
Google reviews, social media platforms, blogs about your business, and reviews & comments on your site, all provide opportunities to build connections with your customers. You can provide knowledge, resolutions, and positive responses which help build rapport. This in turn becomes an easy trust and relationship-building opportunity.
How Can You Get Them To Trust You?
Building trust begins with being truthful. Sticking to the facts and providing the knowledge and details a customer needs to make an educated decision on doing business with you is a must.
Treating every online interaction with a consumer as a trust-building PR opportunity is one of the best ways to gain a stronger brand-to-consumer relationship. When potential customers can see that you mean what you say, find solutions to their problems, and provide relatable conversation back and forth, they tend to build their level of trust and likeness to your business.
One of the most heavily emphasized online “platforms” customers glean from to decide how trustworthy a business is are online reviews. The higher the quality of the reviews being posted, the more likely customers are going to trust and want to experience your business because of the credibility provided by the community. Making sure you check reviews daily, respond, and actively engage with both positive and negative reviews allows you to stay ahead of the conversation and show positive action is being taken by your company to address what’s stated.
In hindsight, if you are to ignore conversations, reviews, or accusations made about your business online, you are losing the opportunity to connect with your customers and redirect the conversation being had. The foundation for building trust is broken and you likely will be missing out on key moments that can build a long-standing relationship. That’s why it is so important to actively account for everything happening around your business online each day.
The Building Blocks of an Online Reputation Summed Up
As we’ve outlined above, building a trustworthy online reputation can be done in several ways. To create a foundational positive online reputation, we recommend creating, maintaining, and building credibility through various brand management tools. Tools that can help you establish and maintain an effective online presence. Marketing, public relations, SEO, and legal strategies, are all strategies to promote, protect, and defend your online image and brand’s reputation.
Start Showing the World Who You Are With Our Help
At Reputation Rhino, we help businesses build and maintain online reputations that outshine the competition while creating long-lasting relationships with customers in the online space. Everything from helping remove bad reviews, to building strong SEO-driven content, and gaining positive feedback from current customers, Reputation Rhino is the company to help achieve your PR and online reputation goals through our strategic approach to online reputation management.
Online reputation management encompasses a wide range of online brand management tools to boost a business’s reputation with the online community. Choosing a fast, efficient, and effective business that specializes in all of this will in turn increase your business’ likeness and trust levels with customers as well as boost your overall profits.
We believe every business must carefully curate its online image with the same intentionality as how it (should) treat its best customers or clients. This includes ensuring business profiles are accurate and complete, with a correct address, phone number, hours of operation, etc., proactively seeking reviews, responding to reviews promptly, and taking action based on customer feedback.
We are a solution-driven organization helping to increase visibility for businesses in a wide category of industries. We do this by effectively strategizing and implementing the best practices proven to produce optimal results through the steps and actions referred to above. If you are ready to get customers to know, like, and trust your business, reach out to Reputation Rhino today for online reputation management services.