Are you aware of how your customers perceive your business online? Surprisingly, most business owners have no idea how they're being perceived on the internet. While it's impossible to satisfy every customer, you need to pay close attention to your online reputation if you want to avoid losing tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales each year.

So, what exactly is reputation management? It's the process of identifying what people are saying or feeling about you or your business and taking steps to ensure that the general consensus is in line with your goals.

Reputation management is especially important for small businesses. Did you know that 95% of shoppers read reviews before making a purchase decision, and 88% say those reviews influence their decision on who to buy from? By prioritizing your online reputation, you can improve brand awareness, build authority and trust with your customers, foster stronger relationships, attract better employees, generate traffic to your website, and drive more sales.

You may be wondering, "How can I manage my online reputation?" Here are some tips:

1.  Monitor your online reviews. It's crucial to know where your audience is learning about your service, whether it's Google, Facebook, or trade-specific sites. Claim your listing if it's already there or create one if it isn't. Many of these sites have high authority with Google, so just having a listing with a link to your website will increase your website authority.

2.  Ensure that your business category is correct. Many businesses move or change numbers and forget to update the information on all review sites. Having conflicting information can damage your authority and ranking with Google. Tools are available to simplify this process of keeping your listings accurate and up-to-date.

3.  Filter your mentions. Many customers won't leave a review, but they will mention you in their posts. Acknowledge both good and bad mentions. Thank positive mentions and invite negative ones to take the conversation offline to address any issues they had.

4.  Take feedback constructively. It's natural to want to defend your business, but responding emotionally can make things worse. Type out your response to negative reviews and wait 24 hours before sending it. Remove all emotion and make it factual. If your company dropped the ball, admit it and explain how you're taking steps to resolve the situation. Keep in mind that your response is for future customers more than the customer who left the review.

5.  Automate the process. There are great software platforms available that help automate the process. At Lead Innovations, we offer tools that enable you to manage your entire online reputation by ensuring your listings are current, accurate, and up-to-date.

Managing your online reputation might seem complicated, but it's something you can do yourself with the right tools. At Lead Innovations, we have partners in all major markets that can help you manage your online reputation.


If your business is looking to stand out from your competition, then our mobile digital billboards might be the right fit to help you get noticed and known in your local community. Visit www.LeadInnovations.com to learn more.