Beware of the power of your online reputation

Your online reputation is your most valuable asset

Your online reputation is what people find when they look for you online.

Everyone today will agree that the internet is the first place we turn to, checking basically anything—from jobs and breaking news, to shopping, travel suggestions, and the people around us.

It’s not only that, we use the internet virtually all the time. And as you yourself surf the web for reliable product reviews or a next holiday destination advice, so are other people doing this about you and your business. Wondering what you are made of and if you are reliable.

What will they find when they Google you?

Have you done a web search for your own company yet? Check what results show up when typing in your name on a search engine. And if your personal name is important for business, then you need to check that as well. This can be particularly relevant for CEOs, entrepreneurs, real estate agents, lawyers, and doctors.

According to GlobalWebIndex, we easily spend an average of 6+ hours per day online. That’s ¼ of each and every day. During that online time, our ideas and opinions are being influenced by what we find here. And being online, whether it’s for personal relationships or professional opportunities, your online reputation can be the difference between huge success or an embarrassing failure.

In an age with viral news everywhere and online records of almost everything, it’s important to manage your reputation carefully and consider the risks of being online. Therefore, taking control of your online reputation must be your business priority nr.1. Meaning, taking control of web content connected to your name and making sure the right message is being found when other people type in your name or your brand.

You should realize this is done even before contacting you for a first meeting or sending you that much wanted request for proposal.

The ‘fear of loss’ is realistic online. Did you know that the risk of losing business is estimated around 22% of your business when potential customers find one negative article on Google page 1? This number increases to 44% lost business with just two negative articles, and 59% with three negative articles.

In other words: a negative online reputation leads to lost revenue. If there is just one negative result or a bad review showing up on the first page of your Google search results, potential clients are going to stop calling and move on to a competitor.

Content marketing is the key to building a sound online reputation. Start

thinking like a publisher and begin with publishing useful and relevant content that engages your prospects. Start getting that important online attention. Because people need to hear about you, see what you do and find proof of what you claim you can accomplish. 
 Doing so, your sales funnel will broaden and your pipeline fill up. You will attract more customers and eventually they will buy your product or service because they learned more about you and got to trust you over time.