Your Online Reputation Matters More Than You Think

Why Does It Matter?

Go ahead and google Paypal: you’ll find that paypalsucks.com often appears in the search results. What does this mean for your brand and why should you care?

In Shielding Your Online Reputation, Jeff Bullas argues: “If an issue concerns your customer, it should concern you.” The fact is you can spend a bundle on online marketing in an effort to pitch your brand, but if you aren’t monitoring and responding to what your customers are saying about you, you might be wasting a good deal of ad dollars.

Contrary to conventional wisdom, it’s not only the negative reviews that can hurt your reputation. Your brand can suffer from unanswered questions just as much as those negative comments. According to New York University, as many as 90 percent of your customers will be less likely to buy from you if you leave unanswered queries on your blog or website. 90%?!  Those unanswered questions left floating in the digital world give the appearance that your brand doesn’t care about its customer.

One of our best examples of excellent online reputation is Kamm McKenzie OBGYN in Raleigh, North Carolina. This booming practice leverages the power of social media to amplify its message and monitor its online reputation. They are quick to respond to all comments – both the postive and the (rare) negative on their social media and blog. The result? A highly engaged group of new moms who love to tell others about their OBGYN. Kamm McKenzie communicates how important their patients are by being attentive both in the office and outside the office where their patients are congregating and sharing reviews: online.