28
Mar
2012
Did you know that over 35% of internet users say that they worry about how much information is available about them online? This is with good reason as well. One company that was surveyed reports that they were losing 2.5 million dollars each year due to reputation attacks online.
Here are a few steps to take to mitigate the risks and restore your businesses clean reputation.
- First and foremost, do not pretend like nothing is going on. The problem will likely escalate if no action is taken. If a negative review or blog is posted, you will want to respond as quickly as possible with a well thought out rebuttal that clearly states your side of the story and apologizes for any wrong doing that may have occurred. This will show people that you care enough to respond to the negative feedback, and most consumers realize that you cannot please everyone all the time.
- Don't get emotional. Although this can be very difficult in a crisis situation, you will need to remain calm to quickly eradicate the problem. Be sure not to make empty gestures to appease the angry poster. These will come across as if you are not taking the situation seriously.
- You will need to backtrack to figure out the root of the issue so that future instances can be prevented.
- Develop open channels of communication and set up a process for quickly addressing a crisis.
- Finally, You will want to inundate the search engines with the positive message that you want the world to see about you or your business. You can Use online tools like review sites, forums, social media sites and blogs This will help to push back the negative comments and assure that the right message is out there.
