The truth is, people can be vengeful. You never know when an ex-employee or vindictive ex-lover is going to try to make a public online move against you. The truth is, people can have a substantial impact on your online presence by simply posting a thing or two.

Your Google results can make all the difference when it comes to people using your business or not. It can make the difference between getting a job or not. That’s why there is absolutely no shame in finding out what is lying underneath your name in the Google-verse.

Here are a few other reasons to check your virtual self out:

You’ll Learn Why Google is Important

It’s time to learn how Google works so you can better represent your business. We expect so much from Google, without knowing how much it really works. There are a few things that can help you out when you google yourself.

First, you’ll learn what else comes up with your name as relevant keywords when someone is googling your business. It will show you all the websites that are relevant to said search.

It will also list websites according to authority. This will show you in order which sites are most respectful, visited, and reliable. So where do you fall?

Google Yourself, Because Your Employer Will

We live in an age (for better or for worse) where everyone is always online for information. Employers are also aware of how active most people are on the internet, which makes it very easy for them to dig and find out personal information.

Many employers will simply search a potential employees name. Consumers will search a business name and read reviews. Google yourself first to make sure there is nothing that needs to be cleaned up professionally.

You Have The Power

Great news everyone: if you see something you don’t like, you can have it removed! You might need to hire a lawyer and do some damage control, but you can have the online presence you desire.

Sure, the internet can be quite a long-lasting bible of reputations, but you can have derogatory or incorrect results removed from what comes up under your business or personal name.

A-List

Don’t be afraid to Google yourself and tailor your image. Roll out the red carpet (virtually speaking) for your company or name. Even if you don’t want to hire a lawyer, Google makes it pretty easy to hide information or remove information that you simply don’t want to be seen.

For everything else, hire the professionals to manage your online reputation. If you really want your online presence sparkling like a diamond, then use a company who can watch every step your online persona is making.

Much like a crafted career in Hollywood, a management team can make sure you don’t take the wrong steps and end up in reputation disaster. For help with your online presence, contact us today for a free audit.

The post Why You Should Definitely Google Yourself appeared first on ReputationResults.

Trust is crucial for any small business, especially ones where there’s a lot of one-on-one interactions with customers.

Once you’ve built trust with your customer base, you should harness it by asking customers for Google My Business reviews.

Why are reviews important?

Seventy-two percent of people say that reading a positive review about a business makes them trust a business more. And 88% of people say they trust an online review as much as a recommendation from a friend.

Encouraging reviews will help build trust and bring in new business. Here are some ways to get more GMB reviews.

Ask for Google My Business Reviews

The best way to get reviews is to ask for them. Asking customers, especially after they’ve received fantastic service, to give you Google My Business reviews is how you’ll get the most reviews.

Asking in-person is the best way, but there are other ways you can ask, too.

Whenever you interact with customers over social media, phone, or email, prompt them to check out your GMB page and leave a review.

Around your barber shop, hang up posters, pop-up cards, and other displays which prompt customers to leave a review while they’re waiting for their haircut.

While soliciting reviews or setting up review stations is against Google’s policy, you can still incentivize customers to leave reviews in a tasteful way. Every once in a while, offer a discount for leaving a review or hold a competition.

Make It Easy

The greatest hurdle to receiving reviews is that there are too many steps to doing so. If a customer remembers to give you a review, they have to pull up a browser, find your business, go to your GMB page, and leave a review.

If you could remove steps to make it easier for customers to remember to give you a review and write one, you’ll end up with more reviews.

You can remind customers through emails which include shortcut links which take them directly to your GMB page.

Respond to Reviews

Responding to reviews is a crucial step in building trust with potential customers. Whether they’re positive or negative, you should try your best to respond to each one.

For example, if a customer says something as bland as “This barber uses the best beard trimmers. I’ll definitely be back!” you have the opportunity to thank your customer and even bond over beard trimmers.

When you respond to reviews, you show current and potential customers you value their opinion and input. It also makes customers more inclined to leave a review if they see you’re actively looking at their comments.

You can find tips to responding to nice and nasty reviews here.

Google My Business Reviews Galore!

To grow your local business, you’ll need plenty of Google My Business reviews.

Getting more reviews doesn’t have to be a challenge. Frequently ask your customers – especially your happy ones – to leave reviews and make it easy for them.

Among those rave reviews, there will likely be some negative ones. Be brave and answer them in a courteous way.

To learn more about online reputation management including GMB reviews, check out our online reputation management service.

The post How to Get More Google My Business Reviews For Your Barber Shop appeared first on ReputationResults.

Those five golden stars look great, but can you honestly say you understand their value to your business?

From consumer and seller ratings to third-party reviews, you can use all forms of Google business reviews to improve your digital reputation. But to do that, you’ll need to know precisely why reviews matter.

Here are four ways that Google reviews can boost your business.

1. Increasing Consumer Buy Decisions

97% of consumers between the ages of 18-34 now read local business reviews online. That means that practically all young people are using the experience of your past customers to inform their buying choices.

In fact, reading reviews is increasingly becoming part of the standard buy cycle. Over 49% of consumers are more likely to use a local business as the result of a positive review score.

2. Providing a High Level of Brand Trust

88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as word-of-mouth and personal recommendations. That’s a big deal when you consider word-of-mouth is still the number one method of recommendation for local businesses.

Certain review characteristics can bump the level of consumer trust, too. For example, to please 85% of consumers, you’ll need at least 10 reviews.

As always, content is king. For the most benefit, you’ll want positive, insightful, and varied ratings. The more recent reviews matter most too, so it’s crucial that you remain consistent with your product or service.

3. Beating the Competition

We all want the most value for money.

But the truth is, the majority of your potential consumers don’t have time for in-depth audits of many businesses. When searching for a company, consumers are instead likely to look for easily digestible, stand-out differentiators.

A higher average Google review rating is the easiest way for a consumer to assess you against your competitors.

4. Highlighting Where You’re Going Wrong

Google business reviews can also be an insightful source of performance information.

Keep an eye on your reviews and look out for familiar trends. Are many customers unhappy with a particular aspect of your service or product? If so, use this information to make the necessary changes to your operation and strategy.

Similarly, you may find one aspect of your business is continually praised. This tells you that aspect is a high-value factor for customer experience. This review information can (and should), be used to inform your future marketing efforts.

Bonus Tip

Don’t pay for (or write your own) reviews.

Reviews with a conflict of interest are violations of Google’s terms of service. If your reviews aren’t honest representations of the customer experience, they’re likely to be removed.

Don’t risk it.

Going Beyond Google Business Reviews

Google business reviews are an excellent tool for boosting sales and reputation. They can also help you to better understand the market.

If you’re struggling with a negative reputation, boosting online reviews may not be enough. In that case, check out our five other ways to get started with reputation repair.

Remember, things can’t be turned around overnight. Have patience and keep at it.

In the meantime, to find out exactly how you measure up, take advantage of a free reputation audit.

The post How Google Business Reviews Boost Your Business appeared first on ReputationResults.

Someone might be looking for their new favorite coffee shop or an emergency contractor. They could need a hair stylist or a pet-sitter, too. Regardless, these people all have one thing in common.

Every one that searches for a business online is already judging how much they can trust you.

People use a business’ Google reputation to shape their perspective of a brand. Before they even click on your add, there is already a good prediction whether they will make a purchase or not.

Here are five ways your reputation on Google affects consumer trust.

1. The First Page Is Prime Real Estate In Terms Of Google Reputation

Google search results may not be Delaware Statutory Trust, but the first page is definitely the top real estate of the online world.

In fact, most users don’t even make it to the second page. People want instant gratification. They also start to lose trust for a company the lower they have to go on a list to find what they’re looking for.

2. Pictures Say 1,000 Words

As users scroll through Google, they are looking for pictures to tell them all about the services they want.

A business that has the same amount of reviews as their competitor but more pictures can see up to 200% more traffic. Traffic is a sign of trust. It does not always lead to a sale, but it says users are interested and want to learn more.

The more pictures you use to say who you are, the more users will engage in conversation.

3. Recent Interactions Matter

People want products and services that are consistent.

As such, your Google reputation depends more on what consumers have said in the past week than in the past few months. The more recent a good review, the more a new user is likely to trust you.

It shows you care to perform according to industry standards, and maybe even go beyond.

4. Wrong Information Gets In The Way

Don’t be the company that loses potential sales because they couldn’t market themselves correctly.

Be sure you are displaying the right information in your Google ads. Use clear and consistent brand messaging to gain consumer trust. More often than not, sales are lost because people found themselves clicking on the wrong information.

Start out on the right foot and say what you need to say to get your message across.

5. Negative Reviews Turn People Away

A bad Google reputation can sometimes do more damage than a strong reputation’s ability to do good work.

Negative reviews turn away up to 60% of your potential market.

This reinforces how crucial it is to get things right the first time. The more you make a good impression on the customers in your store or already following you online, the more your market will spread.

Find Out Your Google Reputation

Trust is an important part of any relationship, especially for consumers and their businesses of choice.

Show you are a reputable company as soon as you pop up in search results.

Get a reputation audit today to see how well you are already performing and what you can do to build more trust.

The post 5 Ways Your Google Reputation Influences Consumer Trust appeared first on ReputationResults.