Today, having a strong digital presence isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity, especially if you have an online business. However, running a successful online business is a complex endeavor that requires a multifaceted approach. 

You’ll need to do everything from come up with great product or service ideas and provide exceptional customer service to develop a brand identity, monitor reviews and listen to what people say about you and your company online.

In this article, we’ll discuss the core elements of building an online business so that you can run a successful brand that endures.

Lay a Strong Foundation

From defining your brand identity to selecting the online platforms you’ll use to connect with customers, every successful online business begins with a strong foundation.

Create a Brand Identity

To figure out and communicate your brand identity, ask yourself the following questions:

• What is your brand’s mission?
• What is your vision for your brand?
• Which values are at the center of your brand?

Next, develop a brand voice that reflects your business’ personality while resonating with your core audience.

When it comes to branding, one of the most important elements is to stay consistent anywhere your brand has a presence online. From your brand aesthetics to the way you communicate with your audience, consistency is key.

Select and Utilize Your Digital Platforms

Figuring out the online platforms to use for your brand is different from selecting the ones you like to use in your personal life. When it comes to your online business, it’s important to be present on the platforms where your target audience hangs out. 

Once you’ve chosen the social media platforms to use, here’s how to get the most out of them:

• Fill out your profile to reflect your brand identity and communicate must-know information to your audience.
• Regularly post to your profile, and always reply to comments and DMs.
• Interact with other posts and users in your industry.
• Make sure to regularly use your social media profiles so they stay active.
• Consider paying for social media advertising to reach a larger audience.

Aside from social media, the platforms to consider include industry forums, e-commerce platforms (like Etsy versus Shopify, for example), and even search engines.

Prioritize those platforms, also taking into consideration if and how they align with your business goals and resources. 

For example, if one of your business goals is to connect with professionals, you’ll probably want a presence on LinkedIn. Or, if you want to attract traffic to your website but don’t have a budget for advertising, organic traffic instead of paid traffic from Google will be your focus.

Pro Tip: Instead of trying to optimize multiple platforms at the same time, which can spread you too thin, pick one or two to start with. Once you’ve gotten into a rhythm with posting and engaging with your community on those platforms and you’ve started to grow your presence there, you can add one or two new ones to the mix.

Create High-Quality Brand Content

The content you create for your brand should educate, entertain or inspire your audience (or all three!). Everything you post for your brand should be valuable in some way.

Experiment with different content formats to find the ones that resonate best with your audience. You can create articles and blog posts, infographics, social media posts, videos, and more. 

This is also a great way to repurpose content and get more traction out of each piece of content you create. For example, if you write a blog post on a topic, you can then turn that blog post into a podcast episode, YouTube video and Pinterest infographic.

Once you’ve created brand content, it needs to be optimized for search engines. There are a lot of elements to search engine optimization (SEO), so you may want to work with an expert who can teach you must-know strategies.

Design a User-Friendly Website

Every online business needs a website, whether you use it to sell products or as a landing page to promote your services. Whatever type of website you build, it has to be user-friendly. Otherwise, visitors are going to navigate away from it before you even have a chance to grab their attention.

A user-friendly website will adhere to the following best practices:

• It has visual appeal that’s interesting or intriguing to visitors
• The website is easy to navigate, meaning visitors can easily find their way around it
• It’s mobile-responsive, which means it can be viewed and used on any mobile device
• The website loads fast so users don’t have to wait to use any page
• There are strong calls-to-action (CTAs) that encourage conversions

Do you need help with your brand’s digital presence? Call us at (844) 458-6735 for an in-depth audit and valuable insights from an expert.

Provide a Great Customer Experience

Ensuring your customers have a great experience extends far beyond providing customer service. Here’s how to cater to your audience so they stay loyal to your brand.

Offer Reliable Customer Support

Whenever a customer has a question or leaves a review, reply as soon as possible. Both positive and negative reviews should be replied to.

According to BrightLocal, 88% of consumers would use a business that replies to all reviews, both positive and negative, while only 47% would use a business that doesn’t respond to its reviews.

Additionally, offer customer support across various channels. That way, customers can get in touch with you with questions or concerns no matter where they decide to spend time online. You can provide customer service via email, live chat, phone, and social media, for example.

Improve Customer Loyalty

One of the best ways to improve customer loyalty is to listen to what your audience says and make changes accordingly. If your customers love or hate something your business does, take that feedback to heart. Develop more products and services they’ll benefit from, and smooth out any mistakes that are getting in the way of the customer experience and your business success.

It’s also smart to personalize the customer experience whenever possible. Here are a few ideas:

• Address customers by name and use the communication channels they most prefer to get in touch with them.
• Segment customers by demographics so that your messaging directly targets them and appeals to their interests and needs.
• Use customer data to make personalized recommendations for products and services they’re likely to want.

Another idea is to create a customer loyalty program that awards repeat business. For example, customers can get points whenever they make a purchase, and then those points can be traded for money off a future purchase or a free item with a purchase.

Nurture Your Brand’s Community

Gaining customers is just the start — you have to nurture your audience and customer base to keep them coming back. Here are a few ways to do that:

• Ask customers for reviews, and always thank them for their feedback, whether it’s positive or negative.
• Create social media groups where members of your audience can connect.
• Participate in online forums to showcase your business as an authority in its niche.
• Host online events like AMAs and webinars to engage with your audience.
• Connect with influencers and industry leaders to reach a wider audience.

The way you’re perceived online matters, and a poor online reputation can damage your personal life and your professional opportunities. Find out how to create the online reputation you deserve by calling (844) 458-6735 today.

Monitor Your Online Reviews

According to Trustpilot, more than 93% of online shoppers read reviews before making an online purchase. If potential customers don’t see some current positive reviews, they’re likely to pick a competitor that does.

From keeping an eye on review sites to finding out what people are saying about your business on social media, it’s important to use listening tools so you always know the latest information that’s posted online about your brand. This is also essential for correcting misinformation before it has time to wreak havoc on your online business’s reputation.

Also, make sure to respond to all of the reviews you get as soon as you can. BrightLocal found that most consumers expect a response to their review within 2 to 3 days and no longer than a week.

That time window is even shorter if you’re using social media for customer support. Sprout Social found that when using social platforms to connect with brands, 30% of consumers expect a same-day response, 23% of consumers want a response within 1 to 2 hours, and 16% of consumers expect to get a response within minutes.

Focus on Online Marketing and Sales

From influencing organic search results to paying for advertising, no online business can succeed without a market strategy and a way to increase sales.

Use SEO Techniques

Search engine optimization (SEO) begins with keyword research to identify the search terms that are most relevant to your online store, audience and goals. From there, you can use those terms to optimize your content and website.

Building backlinks from high-quality websites is another SEO strategy that can make a big difference.

Since SEO takes a lot of expertise, consider hiring an expert to teach you must-know techniques or even handle optimization on your behalf.

Consider PPC Advertising

Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising allows you to run targeted ad campaigns on search engines like Google, as well as social platforms. These platforms will also let you track performance so you can make adjustments to reach your goals.

Retargeting campaigns can be especially useful. These types of ads let you recapture the attention of leads you lost. For example, if someone shows interest in your brand but doesn’t make a purchase, a retargeting ad can show them the product they were looking at and offer a discount code to encourage a sale.

Send Newsletters and Emails

It’s important to build a mailing list from the very start of your business. Once you have subscribers, you can send emails and newsletter campaigns to nurture those leads and increase conversions.

A lot of newsletter platforms allow you to segment your list based on demographics like interests and customer behavior. This lets you customize your email marketing in order to show customers the information they’ll be most interested in.

Additionally, utilize the newsletter platform’s reporting features to track open rates and CTR, which will let you determine how effective your emails are. You can then tweak your approach and A/B test to find what works best.

Analyze and Protect Data

From data analysis to protecting yourself and your customers online, these may not be the most fun parts of running a business, but they’re essential for your success.

Data Analysis

• Use website analytics tools to track stats like conversion rates, user behavior and website traffic.
• Most social media platforms will have business tools for analyzing metrics like conversions, engagement and reach.
• Analyze the data you’ve collected to see where you can optimize and improve your online marketing.

Customer Relationship Management

From the very beginning of setting up your online business, use a customer relationship management (CRM) tool to organize customer data, keep track of interactions, log preferences, etc. You can then use the data you collect to improve retention and improve the customer experience.

Data Security

Even small businesses need robust data security measures. This gives you the best chance of preventing cyberattacks on your business and keeping customer data safe.

• Use strong passwords, and change them often.
• Only use encrypted communication tools with conversing with customers.
• Always comply with data privacy regulations, like CCPA and GDPR.
• Run security scans to ensure your site and devices are free from malware.
• Update your website software and plugins whenever an update is available.
• Make sure the payment gateways you use for transactions are secure.

In the U.S., almost 40% of internet users are worried about how companies use their personal data online, DataReportal found. To make sure your customers feel comfortable when doing business with you, clarify the different ways that you keep their data safe.

ORM Services Can Help With Your Online Business

Managing a successful online business takes a ton of work, and your approach has to include every facet necessary to succeed. Customer experience, marketing, analytics, security and more are all components of running a company on the internet.

At ReputationSciences.com, we work with clients who are ready to create, grow or repair their digital reputation. Whether you’re prioritizing your personal or professional online reputation, our team of experts and tailored services can help.

Through our parent company, NetReputation, we offer a range of ORM services, including ad management, local SEO, review monitoring, content removal and more. Our tried-and-true strategy includes auditing, repair, monitoring and management, and our services will be customized to your unique needs.

From 24-hour monitoring to upscale content creation and promotion, our team of ORM experts can help you create the online presence you deserve. Contact us at (844) 458-6735 for more information.

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It’s clear that thinking strategically about what to share and not to share online is critical to maintaining security, as well as a reputable corporate and personal reputation.

Balance is needed to know what to share and what not to share online. Playing it safe and just staying off the virtual airways is not an option for today’s companies. By 2021, it’s estimated that 216 million people will use social media. That equals a huge potential for brands to reach their target markets. Developing your brand’s personality through social media and other online forums is critical to success.

There’s Power in Numbers

In a report from Sprout Social, researchers studied 289,000 public social media profiles and surveyed more than 1,000 consumers. Forty-eight percent said they preferred to buy from brands that were “responsive to their customers on social media.” Even more telling, 36 percent of respondents said they are more likely to buy from a brand that is viewed as humorous. Seventy-nine percent of Millennials and 84 percent of other generations said they like it when brands let their personalities shine on Facebook. Witty. Funny. Popular. Cool. These are all traits that are important for companies to develop through their social media marketing strategies, both the company’s accounts and the individual accounts of company leaders and employees.

However, sharing content that is “cool” is a slippery slope. You risk offending some of your audience or potentially leaking confidential information. The same survey found that 51 percent of respondents will “unfollow” a brand that does something they do not like. Twenty-seven percent will report them as spam, and another 27 percent will completely boycott the brand.

Clearly, the stakes are high when it comes to what is shared online. How can an effective corporate reputation management strategy help companies strike a balance?

How to Control the Conversation

The key to developing an attractive online personality for your brand is to control the conversation. Realize that you don’t need to share everything. Think carefully about what content will evoke emotion in your customers. Be honest and open, but don’t be an open book. Whether it’s your personal reputation or your brand’s, an executive’s job is to distill the data and crystallize the story. Even if you need to address something that could reflect negatively on the company, the conversation must be introduced by you in order to set the tone and minimize damage. Consider five tips for controlling the conversation, and how they apply to both social marketing campaigns and personal social feeds.

1. Move from communicating to conversing

It might seem like a contradiction to talk about controlling the conversation on social media. According to most experts, social media has put the customer in control of content. In fact, Forbes put it this way, “Thanks to social media, brand managers have lost the power to control the perception of their products.” Turn this tide by creating conversation, not simply communicating. Here’s what we mean.

Communicating would be posting a promotional video about a new product. Conversing would be prompting followers with a question, industry trend or eye-opening statistic that will open a conversation about your product. Better yet, have a brand ambassador open the conversation. Whether you are posting a photograph of a staff event, a promo about a new product or just an inspirational quote, ask yourself, “am I just communicating or am I starting a conversation?”

2. Be transparent

We live in an age of transparency. Operate under the assumption that nothing is secret. If you post something that is going to come across as hypocritical, you are going to be called out on it. Take Dove’s “Real Beauty” Campaign for example. Praised by many for starting a conversation about what defines true beauty, critics were quick to note that Unilever (Dove’s parent company) also sells skin-lightening cream, diet aids and cellulite cream. While these products were not secret, Dove came under some pretty stiff criticism, making their brand personality seem hypocritical. Hypocrisy can be seen in more than just product promos. Does your personal social media account reflect the mission and vision of your brand, or is it contradictory?

3. Stick to your core values

Most brands have more than one demographic they are trying to reach. Therefore, your messaging must stick to established core principles, not specific product details. Here are two great examples.

McDonald’s has a great business in India, operating 370 locations. In a country where beef is forbidden, McDonald’s maintains a strong reputation by sticking to its core value of providing affordable food, while catering to vegetarian diets.

Similarly, Cosmopolitan magazine is thriving in Islamic countries, nations where attitudes toward females and sex is vastly different. How does Cosmo maintain its reputation? Once again, they stick to their core values of fun and femininity, making the necessary local adjustments. How does this relate to what you post online? Before sharing anything, ask yourself, “Is this in line with my (or my brand’s) core values?

4. Don’t be afraid to start a debate

Let’s get back to the apparent hypocrisy of Dove’s campaign. How could they get ahead of the negative feedback? Address it head on. People love to give their opinion about a passionate topic. Give the perception of transparency by starting the debate yourself.

For example, Dove (or one of its ambassadors) could ask followers, “Do you think women can be confident in their appearance and still want to purchase products that improve it?” Phrase your question in a way that tries to reconcile the contradictory feelings. Even if there is no resolution, you’ve shown that your brand is transparent and you welcome the ideas of your customers, even if they are negative. Give your customers a voice. Empowerment is a core value of that campaign, and you’ve just leveraged it. In the same way, if you find your brand in the middle of a controversy, control the conversation by starting the debate. Ask followers what they think. How would they like the brand to resolve the issue?

5. Keep it visual

Check out this fun fact from the Content Marketing Institute. “Neuro-imagery shows that when evaluating brands, consumers primarily use emotions rather than factual information. This is as true for brand-created content as it is for traditional advertising spots and banners.” Dove’s success, in spite of some negative feedback, was largely due to its imagery. Real women in their underwear resonated with the majority of the female population. Customers love when brands are humanized. Show pictures of your staff in day-to-day activities, working hard and facing challenges.

However, these candid posts must also be shared with caution. For example, if your brand is targeted to average income Millennials, showing pictures of a lavish holiday party will not only not resonate, but might distance them from your brand. You’ll be viewed as out-of-touch.

Practical Applications

So, we’ve covered some general tips and how corporate brands applied (or didn’t apply) them. Let’s consider three scenarios that illustrate the pitfalls of oversharing and how these tips can help.

TMI Puts Your Reputation at Risk

Let’s consider John, an executive for a prominent non-profit agency that is working on relating to his donors on a personal level. He wants to humanize his brand by being more “real,” showing his followers he’s a real guy with real struggles who is working hard to make a difference. His firm is participating in an event that focuses on sustainable sourcing. In fact, they are sponsoring it, and he’s flying to New York City to represent them. He sees positive PR all around. He’s following the principle of “keep it visual.”

When Oversharing Doesn’t Seem Like Oversharing

But, he knows what to share and not to share online. No photos of receptions with free-flowing alcohol. Check. No photos of the fancy hotel that costs $400/night. Check. That would leave this waste-conscious group with a negative impression. John launches his journey by snapping a photo of his boarding pass to post on Instagram. John fails to realize how much data can be gleaned from his boarding pass. True, a cyber criminal could change or cancel his flight simply by having his e-ticket number and booking reference. However, a silly prank like that is the least of John’s worries.

Critics of John’s brand can access information to shed a negative light on his trip. How so? Passenger portals can often be accessed through the barcode on the boarding pass, giving easy access to payment information, the names of other people in the party and where you’ll be staying upon arrival. Barcode readers are cheap, and disgruntled investors or other organizations competing for John’s firm’s dollars can easily purchase them.

When Oversharing Breeds Professional Criticism

Armed with the data gathered from his boarding pass, John’s critics comment on his post. “Was it really necessary for the firm to send five employees to an event that costs $1000 a ticket?” “Thousands of dollars are being spent on just the accommodations for this group. Is that a wise use of donor funds?” “The event is only three days, why is your stay a full week, a vacation on donor dollars?” Without even realizing it, John has set off a firestorm of criticism about the use of funds, jeopardizing the firm’s reputation.

How can he repair it? Use the same principles. Be transparent. Keep it visual. Stick to the firm’s core values. John needs to make sure he monitors the account while his is actively posting. So, John sees these negative comments immediately. He can give a sound, transparent response. For example, “Yes. I decided to take a few days to meet with city leaders about sustainable sources within such a large city.” Or, “I decided to take a few extra days on my own dime.”

John must be truthful and proactive. Responding immediately puts John in control of the conversation, and will prevent more people from jumping on the bandwagon. After responding, John can leave it alone. In a sense, he has started a debate. John should let his followers talk it out. He can continue to closely monitor the responses, but he should let his advocates come to his defense.

TMI Can Have Legal Consequences

Sometimes we’re not victims of sabotage. We’re just victims of our own poor judgment, or that of others. Let’s talk about Jane now, a Millennial lawyer whose firm is representing a client in an age-discrimination suit against their former employer. As with most lawyers, Jane knows the importance of confidentiality. Part of the agreement included a confidentiality agreement, and she reminds her client not to talk about the terms.

Unfortunately, her client’s husband bragged about the settlement to his 600 Facebook friends, causing the employer to yank the majority of the settlement. The post wasn’t Jane’s fault. However, her firm appears to have lost the case.

Jane’s client and her husband learn a tough lesson about sharing too much, but Jane also learns that the online activity of others can affect her reputation. Companies must have an online policy in place. As a rule, do not post pictures of other people without their permission. Always ensure your posts stick to your core values. That is, your company’s and your individual values.

TMI Can Jeopardize Your Future Prospects

Michael had a rough week at work. His boss was highly critical of his project, and Michael feels unfairly judged. He vents through a long rant about his boss on social media. His boss doesn’t follow him, so Michael feels there is no risk. Still dissatisfied, he starts looking for a new job.

After an initial interview, his prospective employer Google’s Michael and finds his Facebook account. The post about his boss catches the prospective employer’s eye. Michael’s unprofessional manner does not impress the employer. He doesn’t bring him back in for a second interview.

Never talk about your current or future employer online. It just reflects poorly on your reputation. Don’t jeopardize your future prospects with distasteful posts. Avoid posting pictures of your big night out, or how drunk or high you got over the weekend. Definitely don’t mention how you called in sick to have an extended weekend. Employers want employees that are going to be an asset to the company’s reputation, not a liability. Ensure employees know the risk. Make social media training part of your onboarding process. Explain that their reputation reflects on the company’s reputation.

The team at Reputation Sciences is passionate about helping your company manage its online reputation. Is your company equipped to effectively manage negative reviews, press and feedback, replacing it with positive search results. Contact us to talk more about your corporate reputation management strategy.

The post Control the Conversation: Know What to Share and Not to Share Online appeared first on Reputation Sciences.

Reputation Building lowers your risk on the Internet

Your internet presence is the ultimate opportunity to define yourself relatively quickly and affordable. Being proactive about building your reputation on the web better protects you when things go wrong. And, with most branding endeavors it is critical to building your reputation before someone else does it for you. Being and staying in control of your online presence as much as possible lowers your business and personal risk.

A positive online footprint is a huge asset and will establish dominion and dominance for you over time. This dominion is important with search engines. It is particularly invaluable in proactively protecting your reputation when negative content is posted about you or your company. Some believe they are not affected by negative reviews or by their online activities until something negative happens. According to experts, every review star rating can be worth a 10% impact on your business, for example. Too often you are put in a reactive response, which hampers affordably repairing and rebuilding your reputation.

How to Deal with Negative Reviews? Get Ahead of the Curve

Responding to negative content can take time, time you often don’t have in the moment. You are faced with quickly launching web pages and social media profiles, while beefing up your positive content to counter negative assets. All the while the negative content is taking its toll on you, your reputation and your business. To be the most successful; transparency and timeliness will be key tools for your recovery. This may not be an immediate strength for you or your organization and takes practice for it to work on your behalf.

Monitor your online presence by listening to your social networks and by evaluating mentions of you or your brand outside of your own social assets. The best brand enhancement is achieved when your online response process constructively and promptly addresses observations and comments online.

It is through the internet that people learn about you and your brand, and social media is the most interactive. It’s the easiest and most flexible way to communicate with you and for you to communicate with your following. Therefore, it is not just the content of what you are posting, but how you interact with consumers on the internet that is the competitive field we are in today. It is not only important for the establishment of your reputation, but for the healthy maintenance of your reputation.
Proactively tending your reputation online will pay benefits for years to come.

In today’s marketplace, no online presence puts you at risk. You will lower your personal and business risk considerably by establishing a good online presence proactively. Repairing and rebuilding after finding negative reviews, but it is a more difficult route. Setting the tone for transparency and responsiveness will build your business.

The post Proactive vs. Reactive: How to Deal with Negative Reviews appeared first on Reputation Sciences.

Jeremy North opened Fantastically Fresh in 2010. From the very beginning, the restaurant got great reviews: diners raved about it on social media, and the local TV station’s Secret Gourmet gave it five stars.

Almost every day, reservations were booked solid and customers were lined up waiting for tables.  Fantastically Fresh was the talk of the town; its reputation could not have been better.

Then something went wrong. After a surprise inspection, the local Public Health Department ordered Fantastically Fresh shut down due to serious health code violations: fifty-one in all, with twelve of them ranked as critical. These included improper sanitation, food stored at unsafe temperatures, and gross contamination of food preparation surfaces.

ORM for Business: Saving the Brand

The Fantastically Fresh Head Chef, Jeremy discovered, had neglected matters of basic cleanliness. Asked by a reporter about the health code violations, the chef made matters worse by snapping, “I just cook food. It’s not like I’m a surgeon!”

Jeremy fired him immediately. That same day, he contacted Reputation Sciences, a leading brand management and digital marketing firm, for helping in saving the business.

Fantastically Fresh was shuttered for more than a month, as Jeremy North and his team addressed the Health Department issues, and conferred with Reputation Sciences. Before reopening, he hired a new chef with an excellent culinary background, and perhaps more important, a reputation for being a stickler about sanitation, and following Health Department guidelines.

Reputation Guidance

Jeremy North understood that re-launching Fantastically Fresh after a reputation crisis was a serious matter. “A restaurant needs to worry about its reputation more than an ordinary business,” a Reputation Sciences expert told him. “A hardware store doesn’t have to worry about its products making customers sick, but you do.”

With the guidance of this expert, Fantastically Fresh launched a campaign to re-establish its online reputation, and its standing in the business community. “He said the time had come to make some serious online noise,” Jeremy recalled. The campaign included:

• Advertising

Once Fantastically Fresh reopened for business, they needed to let the world know. With Reputation Sciences help, they used social media, along with print and electronic media, to tell the community they were back, and better than ever.

• Monitoring

Reputation Sciences Review Management platform allowed the restaurant to monitor, track and respond to online reviews.

• Encouraging positive reviews

Reputation Sciences set up Fantastically Fresh profiles on multiple customer review sites, including Google Local. Customers were encouraged to share their experiences.

Back in Business

Fantastically Fresh re-opened its doors at the start of September. By November, they once again were the talk of the town; business was nearly back to what it had been. With the start of the New Year, Jeremy North was confident that the entire episode would soon be a dim memory – unpleasant, but a valuable learning experience.

Reputation Sciences is a leading brand management and digital marketing company that partners with its clients to define and grow their business by establishing an effective online presence.

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