Do you know what your website says about your online business? Your website can be thought of as an employee of your business, how they present themselves and the image of your company is important. But how do your customers view your website, is your website portraying the image you want it to?
Do you know what's being said about you online? No matter what your business, tracking and managing your online reputation is vital, simply because it often provides an opportunity for you. If what's being said isn't accurate, you can put your side of the story.
Managing your online reputation starts with discovering what's being said.
What Are They Saying and Who's Saying It?
There are many ways to track what's being said about you online. Google Alerts are free, and they're simple to set up. Just create a search, and save it as an alert. You can choose a news search, or a comprehensive search.
If you've recently launched a new product, or have been in the news, you can search social media sites like Twitter for your company's or product's name too, as well as blog search sites like Technorati.
In addition, there are several sites which will monitor mentions of your name on many sources; some are require payment, and others are free.
Now You Know, You Can Control the Message
Once you know what's being said, you can respond if you want to. If the mentions send you kudos, you can communicate with the people giving you the boosts and thank them.
On the other hand, if mentions are negative, it's time to put your side of the story. Usually you'll respond to negative mentions on your blog. You can also put out a news release, if the matter is important.
If your reputation is being trashed on a blog or in blog comments, go right to the source, and defend yourself there.
In every area of reputation management, it's essential that you're open, and relaxed, and not defensive. Be calm, polite and professional at all times. You're getting mentions, and you can turn the mentions into great publicity -- nothing is worse than being ignored. You can find many opportunities when you manage your online reputation. Word of mouth is the best publicity, and although you can't control the conversation, you can put your side of the story. In addition, by using tools like blogs, you can respond to customer's cheers and boos quickly and effectively.
If you want to make your website work for you and essentially become the 24/7 salesperson it should be contact WebDynamic, who specialize in website design & development, search engine optimization and much more. Speak to a friendly WebDynamic consultant today!
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