What are they saying about your business?

You have a “situation”.

And no it's not the guy from Jersey Shore, it worse if that's possible. Someone is upset with you, your company, or your product or service. Maybe they tell a few people, or even call and speak to someone . Maybe they don’t. Maybe what they do is tell a few thousand people their displeasure….online. What’s worse, you don’t know it so you can’t try to fix it. Your reputation is now in jeopardy.

This happens millions of times a day. Customers are now finding it easier to read and do more reviews about you online. They are becoming more available and consulted before a buying decision is made. Now it is even being done with the flick of their phones. Does it mean anything? Well, you tell me.

Research shows people are more likely to do business with companies that have reviews. 70% say they consult product reviews or consumer ratings before they make a purchase. Now if they are good or bad and how the user deems them is another story. Would you still use a product or service if the reviews are bad? How about if there was no reviews at all? Which is worse?

If any of these things matter to you and your business, maybe you should look into Reputation Management. The idea is to have a place where you can go and actually see what your customers are saying about you from many different places around the web. You can address those negative reviews as soon as they happen. Stopping potential negative customer sentiment. You can also see what you are doing right, get great insight and see that your making progress as a business.This not only gives you a clue that the girl answering the phone is more worried about texting her friends instead of helping customers, but it shows your potential customers you care. It also does something else. Sharing why and where are you are mentioned when people are talking about your particular business category or even your competition. Like social media can do, and yes, it checks there too. Maybe you’re not being mentioned at all, and that’s not good either. It’s an alarm, a tool, and a time and money saver. So, whats that worth to you?The best news is there are some great services out there and they are very comprehensive and economical. These tools are probably some of the fastest growing business utilities out there because there is no erase button on the web. Finding a potential problem and at least show you’re trying to fix it can make the difference between sale or fail. Can you risk that today?