The e-reputation of a company corresponds to the image sent back by the web. When consumers seek information about your brand, they consult search engines and form an opinion using your digital footprint.
He will then decide if he likes what he sees and if he visits one of your points of sale. An excellent digital reputation is an essential factor in attracting customers to stores.
Did you know that 65% of people consider online research the most trusted source of business information? And that more than 25% of a company’s market value is directly attributable to its reputation.
Be visible to develop your online reputation
An excellent online reputation starts with consumers seeing you when they perform local searches.
You must occupy the virtual space by implementing a presence management strategy to do this. We advise you to create and update the Google My Business listing’s local pages on social networks and local online directories. Remember to do this for each of your establishments. It’s essential!
Concerning the content of your Google establishment files and local Facebook and Instagram pages, they must be completed precisely to optimize your visibility. Add your location and a complete description with local SEO keywords, categories, services, websites, or opening hours. The more detailed the information, the more quality it provides to consumers.
Thanks to your Google Business Profile, your establishments are also listed directly on Google Maps, where 86% of people search for the location of a business.
Thanks to presence management, your establishments appear at the top of Internet users’ searches or even in the Google local Pack. Good positioning in search results improves your digital reputation because it guarantees quality and seriousness for prospects.
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Take care of your customer reviews to control your e-reputation
Let’s start with a number: 88% of consumers look for online reviews before choosing a local service.
Managing your customer reviews is essential to control your e-reputation because it contributes to your brand’s image, which is reflected by the web and by consumers. Prospects place a lot of trust in the reviews of their peers. Positive online reviews influence 90% of consumers before purchasing. Therefore, having a good image that shines through in your customer reviews is essential.
To do this, you must implement a review management strategy focused on four main pillars:
- Collect as many customer reviews as possible: the more customer reviews you have, the more reliable your digital reputation will appear to Internet users. How? Automating the sending of emails and text messages after each visit or purchase to encourage your consumers to leave a comment online.
- Respond to absolutely all customer reviews in a caring manner. How? You can respond to customer reviews on all your Google My Business listings and social networks by setting up customer review monitoring.
- Propose a solution if the review is negative. How? Encourage the consumer to contact your customer service to study their request with them and propose a resolution.
- Highlight your customer reviews. How? By using them in your online advertisements but also in your print communication media.
With this method, you manage your e-reputation as best as possible!
Be active on social networks to fuel your digital reputation
We sometimes tend to forget them, but we know that social networks significantly impact a brand’s online reputation.
Indeed, social networks allow you to create a community of loyal followers who become ambassadors for your brand. That is to say, they talk about you defending your values, your services, or your products. And all this on their own without you asking them!
Of course, to achieve this result, an acquisition and animation strategy must be put in place. For this, we advise you to focus on proximity and locality. For example, you can offer personalized, fun content at the point of sale.
In the example below, the Decathlon store in Nantes Vertou broadcast a video on Facebook to encourage customers to bring back items to give them a second life. The video is filmed directly on the establishment’s shelves and features a store employee. Customers can thus recognize their point of sale and feel the personalization of the content. Decathlon is thus working on its local brand image and its online reputation!
Knowing that four out of five people say they have received advice via social media regarding a product or service to purchase, it is essential to develop your community of followers to fuel your e-reputation and generate in-store traffic!
Conclusion
To manage your online reputation, you must start by being visible, thanks to a presence management strategy. You must also take care of your customer review management to reflect a good image of your brand. Finally, you must invest in social networks to create a community of loyal followers who nourish and defend your digital reputation.
These strategies must be applied to each of your points of sale to be effective. This can represent considerable time for a network with many establishments. But rest assured, solutions exist to save you time and improve your performance.
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