Helping…or Hurting – Every person and business that comes

Every person and business that comes into contact with your company is important and at some point will depend on your company’s reputation to decide whether or not they want to do business with you. A study published by Moz that looked at the impact of online reviews on purchasing decisions found that two-thirds of people consider online reviews important when deciding whether to buy a product or service from a company. Simply put, a bad online reputation means lost revenue. Building a positive image and reputation online can be critical to the value and success of your business. Ask any business owner if they think a good reputation for their business is important, and the answer will be a resounding yes. At this point, professionals can help you create a realistic yet effective online reputation strategy for your business. While it’s still happening, the biggest threat to a company’s reputation today is negative social media posts and negative online reviews. But if you ask what it means to maintain a good online reputation, or even what a good online reputation is, many will stumble when trying to formulate a clear answer. In all business decisions, whether companies or consumers, opinions are shaped by emotions and facts, and your online reputation can shape those opinions. Job seekers rely on a company’s online reputation when making application decisions. A company’s reputation is the impression that important people make of your company. This means not only responding to criticism, but also actively reinforcing your brand online so that your company can better withstand any crisis. A good reputation has huge benefits, including higher market value, more sales and better employees. According to the Harvard Business Review, 70-80% of a company’s market value comes from very vague metrics such as brand value or social goodwill.