In our current world of connectivity, a business's reputation is shaped online and through the user's experience, rather than through word of mouth. The user's experience provides a user with a sense of how they are being perceived in your brand's eyes, giving it a unique weight on the user's buying decision, and ultimately your company's growth.

At SDGM Technologies, we know that one unresponsive review, answer to a comment, or old social profile can let all your credibility either be questioned or, worse, disappear. That is why you need to practice proactive Online Reputation Management (ORM) to ensure that your future business operations remain prosperous.

This is a step-by-step guide to help you curate your reputation online.

1. Regularly track your online presence

The first step for ORM is to know what is being said about you. You can use time-saving tools such as:

• Google Alerts - Notifications for mentions of your business name.
• Social Mention - Real-time mentions on social media.
• Brandwatch or Hootsuite - for tracking sentiment on your brand across platforms.

Regular tracking will help you be aware of what is being said about your business and give you a chance to address any potential issues before they become a bigger issue.

2. Act Quickly and Professionally

Whenever customers leave feedback, either positive or negative, you need to respond quickly.

• Positive Reviews - Thank them for their support and loyalty.
• Negative Reviews - Stay calm, acknowledge the issue, then provide options.

We all know that a timely and courteous response increases customer satisfaction and can turn a disappointed customer into a habitual customer.

3. Solicit Positive Reviews

Having a steady stream of organic and positive reviews can help obliterate any occasional negative reviews. You can:

• Ask for reviews from satisfied clients on Google, Facebook, or your trade-specific websites.
• Email them afterwards, thanking them for their purchase, and ask if they can leave feedback.
• Offer incentives, such as discounts or loyalty points (while adhering to each site's regulations).

4. Keep Online Profiles Consistent and Up to Date

Your website, Google Business Profile, and social media profiles should have:

• Your correct business information.
• Your accurate contact information.
• Professional profile picture and cover image.
• Proper keywords in the description.

When everything is consistent, it builds trust and increases how high you rank in search results.

5. Develop High-Quality, Valuable Content

Content marketing is a major contributor to the perceptions formed about your business. To keep content marketing top of mind, you should put out:

• Blog posts that show your expertise.
• Case studies about the work you do.
• Video and infographics that are educational, but still engaging.

The more helpful content you provide, the higher the chance that people will connect your brand with reliability and authority.

6. Respond Promptly to Negative Coverage or Misinformation

If inaccurate information is posted online or in a newspaper, then contact the website, publish a clarification, and post positive stories to outweigh the bad search engine results. Whatever you choose to do, do not sit back and coast because that could cost you significantly. 7. Be Socially Active

The last thing that you want is for your social media profile to become inactive. You want social media to be as consistent as possible by:

• Posting news or information from your industry.
• Posting related behind-the-scenes materials.
• Engaging with your followers through polls, Q and A, or replies.

Having an active presence on social media increases your chances for visibility and establishes your reputation as a social media authority.

8. Work with an Online Reputation Management Professional

Managing your online reputation is time-consuming! Working with a company like SDGM Technologies ensures you have:

• Continuous brand reputation follow-up
• Review monitoring
• The best position in the search engine
• Content on your reputation

9. Be Transparent and Authentic

Customers want honesty. When you make a mistake, admit it and apologize, and let them know how you plan to fix it. Transparency = long-term trust.

Final Thoughts

Your online reputation is one of your most valuable business assets. A strong and positive online reputation will help you attract new customers and keep your current customers. You can build and protect your online reputation today through active management, quality content, and working with a professional such as SDGM Technologies.

Don't wait for a crisis to occur—start building your online reputation today!