Everybody's Business
Nashville-area business owners, managers, and diligent employees: pay special attention to that customer tapping away at her iPhone or thumbing through her BlackBerry. She just might be Twittering about your customer service (or lack thereof), snapping a pic of your cute bartender or barista, or posting a rating of your business on consumer review websites like Yelp! and OpenTable.
According to The Pew Internet and American Life Project, 73 percent of adults, or 147 million Americans, now use the Internet. Every day, 20 percent of those folks search for information about a product or service before they buy it — every day, people!
What are they reading about your company?
A friend of mine moved to California this summer to kick off a blissful first year of marriage with her groom. After a couple of months, she realized that because she and hubby were new to the area they’d been turning to the web to tell them everything about their new town — from what to do and where to eat — and they were heeding its advice.
“As consumers making decisions about where to spend our money, we have relied on online reviews of restaurants, doctors, salons, car shops, and various other businesses,” says my Pacific-surfing friend. “I wonder whether some business owners even realize what is out there about them, and that one bad experience with a customer can truly damage their image online.”
When you combine an unprecedented amount of Internet users with real-time search engines, and multiply that by rapid-forming, passionate public opinion, your business has got a serious reputation management issue on its hands. And that could be a great thing.
Get Curious
I don’t care what anyone says. “What you don’t know” not only hurts you, it paints you apathetic and lazy. And clearly, Small Business Owner, you are neither.
Today, take 30 minutes and Google your business. See reviews on Yelp! and the like? Read them. Sign up for an account and politely address the good and the bad. Same goes for food blogs and comments accompanying print reviews posted online. Once you’ve done your Internet inventory, mark your calendar. You’ll want to do this every week.
Next, go to Google.com/news, and search for your business. Now, scroll to the bottom of the page; you’ll see “stay up to date on these results.” That’s where you can sign up for a Google Alert based on your search. Be sure to select “comprehensive” under “type” of alerts (so you scan more than official news sources).
You may receive alerts via email or RSS reader. Either way, when Google gets word you’ve been mentioned, they’ll let you know.
Get Active
Positive online reviews can be powerful marketing tools. They also have the added benefit of being free!
Rather than waiting around to respond to comments as they pop up, encourage your customers to post reviews of your product. Many Nashville-area businesses have “people love us on Yelp!” stickers proudly displayed on their front doors. With a little prompting, you can get the talk right about your company by proactively engaging Web-savvy customers who already know and love you.
Don’t forget: Google adores social networking sites. If you want to get positive content moving to the top of search engines, create your own Twitter feed, Facebook fan page, or blog. There, you can welcome comments from customers, tout specials and sales, and even address customer service concerns. Keep in mind, it’s all very public, so always Tweet with caution and Facebook with care.
Get It?
The bottom line is that whether you talk back or not, folks of all ages are pitching, panning, and praising your services on the web. Isn’t it about time you had a voice in that conversation?
