The 5 Most Lucrative Ways to Improve Customer Reputation in 2023
Customer reputation has never been more important than it is today. In a world where online reviews can make or break a business, it is essential to have a strong online reputation.
Here are five ways to improve customer reputation in 2023.
1. Customer Reputation Starts on the Phone
We all judge a book by its cover. The same goes for businesses. Your potential customers judge your business based on their first interaction with you, and often that first interaction is on the phone.
You must ensure you give them the best possible impression of your business from the beginning.
Tips for Making Great First Impressions on the Phone
Answering the phone promptly and professionally may seem like a simple decision, but it might surprise you how many businesses don’t answer their phone.
If you can’t get to the phone immediately, at least have voicemail set up so that your customers know they’ve reached the right place.
And when you answer, sound confident and professional. Avoid saying “um” or “like,” and be careful not to speak too fast or too slow. You want to sound like someone who knows what you’re doing and that people can trust you.
How to Sound Confident and Professional
When you sound confident and professional, you will immediately give your customers a good impression of your business.
One way to sound more confident is to practice what you’ll say before picking up the phone. Have a script ready, so you know exactly what to say and how to say it so you won’t have to worry about stumbling over your words or forgetting what you want to say.
Another way to sound more confident is to use positive affirmations before your call. For example, tell yourself that you are an expert in your field and can handle anything that comes your way.
These simple techniques will help you sound more confident and professional on the phone, which will help improve your business reputation management.
What to Avoid Saying or Doing
There are also certain things you should avoid saying or doing if you want to make a good impression on customers.
One thing to avoid is putting them on hold for too long. If you need to put people on hold, let them know how long they can expect to wait, so they don’t get frustrated and hang up on your business altogether.
Another thing to avoid is sounding disinterested in what they say. Even if it’s just small talk, act like you’re interested in what the person is saying and be engaged in the conversation.
Finally, avoid using too much jargon or technical terms they might not understand. Remember, you want them to know what you’re saying so that they feel comfortable doing business with you.
Making a good first impression is essential for any business, but it’s vital for small businesses trying to build their reputation online.
Answering the phone is often people’s first interaction with your business, so you must take the time to do it right.
Be prompt, professional, and confident when you answer the phone, and avoid putting people on hold for too long or sounding disinterested in the conversation. By following these simple tips, you can help improve your business’s reputation from the very beginning.
2. Have a Clear and Concise Website
Your website is one of the essential tools to create and maintain a positive reputation for your business. However, many small businesses make the mistake of thinking there’s nothing to improve as long as they have a website.
Your website must be easy to understand, use precise language, and include simple contact information if you want to create a positive impression.
Is Your Website Easy to Understand?
Your website is one of the essential tools to create and maintain a positive reputation for your business. However, many small businesses make the mistake of thinking there’s nothing to improve as long as they have a website.
Your website must be easy to understand, use precise language, and include simple contact information if you want to create a positive impression.
Use Simple Language
It is also important to use language that your target audience will understand. Avoid industry jargon and buzzwords, and focus on using straightforward language that will be easy for everyone to read.
Have Multiple CTAs on Your Website
Make it easy for customers to contact you. Include your email address, phone number, and social media links prominently on your website.
The easier people get in touch with you, the more likely they will do business with you.
So don’t make them search high and low for your contact information — include it prominently on every page of your website.
It’s important to understand that your website is one of the essential tools for creating and maintaining a positive online reputation.
Ensure that your website is easy to understand, uses clear language, and includes easy-to-find contact information to ensure the best possible business impression.
3. Train Staff to Provide Top-Notch Customer Service
If you own or manage a small business, you know providing top-notch customer service is one of the most important things you can do to build and maintain a successful business.
After all, your customers keep your doors open and the money flowing in.
That’s why you must train your staff to provide fantastic customer service that will keep your customers returning for more.
Train Staff on the Importance of Customer Service
Your staff should know how important customer service is to the success of your business. Ensure they understand happy customers are loyal and that loyalty translates into repeat business and positive reviews.
Also, be sure to train your staff on how to handle unhappy customers. After all, it’s not always possible to please everyone, but it is possible to turn a negative situation into a positive one with the right attitude and empathy.
Train Staff to Listen
Your staff should know how to listen to your customers’ needs and understand active listening techniques, such as making eye contact, repeating what the customer has said, and using body language that shows they are paying attention.
Only by understanding what your customers want and need will your staff be able to give them the exceptional level of service they deserve.
Train Staff to Provide Exceptional Customer Service
Once you’ve got your team members on board with the importance of customer service and equipped them with listening skills, it’s time to teach them how to deliver exceptional service that will wow customers and leaves them wanting to come back for more.
Show your staff how to go above and beyond in every interaction, whether resolving an issue or offering a friendly smile. Help employees understand every customer deserves VIP treatment, whether first-time buyers or longtime loyalists.
Providing quality customer service is essential to the success of any business. Teach your staff the importance of customer service, equipping them with active listening skills, and showing them how to exceed customer expectations.
4. Claim and Manage Your Company’s Online Listings
In today’s digital world, ensuring your company has a solid online presence is more important than ever. One of the best ways to do this is by claiming and managing your company’s online listings.
By claiming your listing, you can ensure your company’s name, address, and phone number (NAP) are accurate across the web. Correct contact information is essential because inaccurate NAP information can lead to customers being unable to find your business or getting frustrated and going to a competitor.
Managing your listings also allows you to add photos, videos, and other information to make your listing stand out and help attract more customers.
Why Claiming Your Listings is Important
There are several reasons claiming and managing your company’s online listings are important.
First, it helps you control customers’ information about your business because inaccurate information can lead to customers getting frustrated and going to a competitor.
Second, claiming and managing your listings allows you to add photos, videos, coupons, and other information to make your listing stand out from the competition. When customers search for a business like yours, you want them to choose you over the competition.
How to Claim Your Business Listings
The process for claiming your business listings will vary depending on the platform or directory. However, there are some general steps you can follow:
1. Search for your business on the platform or directory.
2. If you find your listing, click on it to see if there is an option to claim it.
3. If there is an option to claim it, follow the instructions on how to do so, which usually involves verifying your business through email or phone.
4. Once you’ve claimed your listing, take some time to fill out as much information as possible about your business, including adding photos, videos, descriptions, hours of operation, etc. The more information you can provide customers, the better.
Why It’s Important to Manage Your Company’s Online Listings
There are several reasons small businesses need to manage their online listings:
✰ Keep Your Information Accurate & Up-To-Date
One of the main reasons small businesses need to claim their online listings is that it allows them to ensure that their information is accurate and up-to-date across all platforms.
Incorrect or outdated information (i.e., wrong hours of operation, old contact information, outdated website URL, etc.) can lead customers astray—and ultimately cause them to take their business elsewhere.
✰ Monitor & Respond To Customer Reviews
Another critical reason businesses should claim their online listings is that it allows them to monitor and respond to customer feedback.
Nowadays, word-of-mouth is no longer enough—people want to see genuine customer reviews before making a purchase.
In fact, according to BrightLocal’s 2018 Consumer Review Survey, “86% of consumers read reviews for local businesses (including 96% of millennials), and 90% say positive customer reviews make them more likely to buy from a local business.”
✰ Boost Your Visibility & Rankings
If you want to improve your visibility and ranking in search engine results pages, claiming and optimizing your online listings is a great place to start.
When you claim your listing, you’re notifying Google you’re the business owner, which gives you more control over how your company appears in search results.
Once you’ve claimed your listing, take some time to optimize it by adding photos, videos, descriptions, and other relevant information. The more information you include, the more likely customers will find your listing and click on your website.
Besides claimed listings, SERPs also feature reviews from customers. Reviews can majorly affect purchasing decisions, so you must encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews for your business.
After completing the jobs, you can send follow-up emails and texts through our reputation management platform.
Taking the time to claim and manage all of your company’s online listings is an essential part of running a successful small business in today’s digital age.
It allows you to keep your information accurate across all platforms, which is crucial for attracting new customers and lets you directly engage with customers via reviews.
5. Display Positive Customer Reviews Automatically on Your Website and Social Media
Research shows that 84% of people trust authentic customer reviews as much as personal recommendations. And 92% of consumers read reviews before making a purchase.
Online reviews are essential—but what’s the best way to incorporate them into your website?
One effective method is displaying customer reviews prominently on a review page on your website menu. You can build trust and credibility with customers by featuring positive reviews from real customers.
And when visitors see that existing customers have had a positive experience with your business online, they’re more likely to choose you because of your company’s reputation.
Not sure how to get started?
Here are three tips for incorporating customer reviews into your website to improve your online reputation and help you attract new customers.
1. Use a Trusted Review Platform
A trusted review platform, such as Reputation Rooster, is essential when displaying customer reviews on your website that proves reviews are authentic and credible. Unfortunately, many companies out there are promising more reviews that aren’t real.
Our app pulls in honest customer reviews, which brings you more business.
It’s also essential to display reviews from all platforms, including Google, Facebook, the Better Business Bureau, and Yelp.
2. Display Positive Customer Feedback in an Eye-catching Way
Your online reviews must be easy to find and read. That’s why we recommend using our eye-catching review platform. People are visual, so displaying customer reviews in a dynamic, attractive way will help improve your online reputation.
3. Display Reviews in Real Time
Websites that show stale, boring customer reviews without a date might as well not display reviews at all. Showing customer reviews as they come in will show your business is engaged with its audience.
Customer reviews on our platform appear on your website as soon as the customer posts them on Google, Facebook, or other review sites. As a result, your reviews stay fresh while your competitors’ reviews die on the vine.
Take Advantage of Reputation Management Software
The days of business owners and entrepreneurs relying solely on word-of-mouth marketing are long gone.
In the digital age, reviews can make or break a business. Negative reviews drive away prospects, while excellent reviews attract new ones.
Savvy business owners know they need to manage their online reputation to succeed.
One of the best ways to manage your online reputation is to use our reputation management software that actively requests reviews from your best consumers and then displays those reviews with 5-4 stars prominently on your website and social media accounts.
According to a recent study, 72% of people said they would leave a review if asked.
And that’s what we do. Just enter your customer’s name, phone, and email in our app, and we do the rest.
By sending gentle reminders by text and email, we increase the likelihood of you getting more reviews by 300%. Plus, our software makes it easy for people to leave a review on your review platforms with a simple click.
The Reputation Rooster app helps you respond quickly and effectively to reviews, ensuring that your customers know you care about their satisfaction.
What Are Your Plans to Improve Your Customer Reputation?
As technology continues to develop, so will the ways businesses can improve their online reputation management.
In 2023, the five most lucrative ways to do so will be through first impressions, having a straightforward website, greater customer satisfaction, managing online listings, and displaying your consistent and great reviews in real-time.
By implementing these strategies, businesses can ensure that their online reputations remain strong and deliver sustained earnings.
Stop leaving your reputation to chance. Use Reputation Rooster to improve your customer reputation today. Try it for free, so you can see how easy it works. Call (512) 994-2904 to chat.
Have you implemented any strategies to improve your online reputation for 2023? We want to hear about it.
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