Many factors can determine whether a company is trustworthy or not, and its online reputation is certainly one of the most important these days. Regardless of an organization's size, industry, or operating method, most people search online for information about the company before making purchases.
What the internet says about you – and this has to do with your positioning and the creation of your own brand, as well as what customers say about their experiences – is very important and decisive for new businesses.
What's your online reputation like, and how much attention have you given it? Let's talk more about it—stay tuned!
What is digital reputation?
Simply put, digital reputation is how a person or brand is perceived by their audience online, and the search for a company's reputation is increasingly common among consumers.
According to Google , nine out of ten Brazilians research online before buying and this research, in addition to being driven by price searches, is related to the company's reputation and credibility in the market.
Think about it and your experiences: how many times have you searched the internet, whether on social media, specific review sites, or on the company's own pages, before making a purchase?
Especially when we talk about companies that the consumer is unfamiliar with, whether local, recommended, or new businesses, reputation research is essential so that the potential customer can draw their own conclusions and decide to go to your store to make a purchase – what we call drive-to-store .
Therefore, digital reputation is the entire impression provided to users based on a set of data and information existing on the internet about a certain person, brand, product or service on the internet.
The importance and impact of digital reputation on companies
If until a few years ago this topic wasn't even a topic for companies, today it's impossible to talk about business without thinking about your digital reputation and the consequences – positive or negative – it can have for an organization.
Consumers are increasingly playing a leading role in their purchases, having significant decision-making power, a wide range of choices, and diverse information to inform their decisions.
And anyone who thinks that this reputation only works for online businesses is mistaken, after all, it is also essential for physical stores: according to research by CNDL (National Confederation of Store Managers) and SPC (Credit Protection Service), 97% of Brazilians look for information on the internet before making purchases in physical stores .
Therefore, digital reputation is very important and has an impact on business results, such as:
Influence on purchasing decisions
People want to know about companies and what other people think about them, their products, and services before making any investment.
According to a study by Grupo Consumoteca, 80% of consumers consider it essential that the brand or product they are interested in has positive reviews from other buyers before making their decisions.
Even if they don't know each other, people influence each other, and each of these evaluations, regardless of the network, is fundamental in leading a potential customer to do business with you or not.
Greatest authority in the market
The better a company's digital reputation, the greater its credibility and authority in the market. This allows it to differentiate itself from its competitors, reach larger audiences, and further its brand's reach.
Increases customer loyalty
Even though the modern consumer is increasingly critical and discerning, from the moment their needs are met, expectations are met or exceeded, and they receive good service , they are more willing to build more lasting relationships and even contribute to them, becoming ambassadors and promoters in an organic way.
Social networks and digital reputation
Brazilians spend an average of 9 hours and 32 minutes online per day. This makes the country the second-highest-performing country worldwide, trailing only South Africa (9 hours and 38 minutes—just a few minutes behind).
Furthermore, Brazilians also stand out as being among the most active users of social media. The study ranks Brazil second among nations with the highest number of platforms used per month.
Among the most used social networks in Brazil , in 2023, are WhatsApp, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, Messenger, Kwai, Pinterest and Twitter.
In other words, Brazilians are constantly connected and, in addition to their personal and social connections, relationships between consumers and companies are increasingly clear within networks.
Whether you're looking to speak positively or negatively about a brand, social media is a great starting point. Through their personal profiles, people have a significant influence on others, and their opinions are heavily considered when discussing their experiences with brands .
More than that, there are several points that strengthen or weaken a brand's digital reputation through social media, such as:
- Visibility and online presence: social media allows brands to create an online presence, and it is essential that it is aligned with what the brand is and how it wants to be seen;
- Content and influence: Social media allows people to share various types of content, including images, text, and videos. Everything shared about a brand adds even more weight to it and can influence how consumers perceive the company.
- Direct interaction with the audience: social media offers a great opportunity for companies to connect with their customers, followers, or fans, and it's important to invest in building this relationship;
- Viral effect: Whether positive or negative, social media can make content go viral very quickly, reaching a large number of people in a short period of time. It's important to know how to harness this potential, but be careful not to expose your brand negatively.
How to build a good digital reputation?
Digital reputation isn't an overnight strategy, and it's essential to invest in various initiatives to increase your online reputation and credibility. We've put together some tips for your business:
Have a quality website and social media
As we said, being present is essential, but it's not just being present for the sake of being present . You need to have quality on the channels your business intends to be on. There are many social networks available, and that doesn't mean your company needs to be on all of them, but rather on the ones that make sense for your audience and your communication.
Once you've decided on a few networks, you need to consider them and have well-defined strategies. Invest in content, visual communication, and consistency. Keep your networks and website updated and remember that they are extensions of your brand, so take the best possible care of them.
Make sure all important information about your business is on your website and social media, and make your proposition and value clear to your customer from the first contact.
Put customer service first
There's no point in having a beautiful website and great social media if your customer service is poor and leaves your customers with only negative opinions about your business. Investing in customer service is crucial to differentiate yourself and offer memorable experiences throughout the journey.
Investing in personalization, following up with your customer, being agile, transparent, and building relationships is a decisive factor in whether customers stay with your services or products or decide whether they will. Customer service is the basis for most referrals, whether positive or negative.
Be proactive in solving problems
No customer likes being served by multiple people, explaining their problem over and over again, and never getting a resolution, right? Delays and lack of resolution are frustrating and compromise the customer experience, so you need to be proactive and agile in resolving issues.
People can use many channels to communicate, whether by phone, email, website forms, social media, or even in person. And, whatever channel you choose, it's important to ensure your message is heard quickly and your expectations are met .
Of course, requests can't always be resolved immediately, but it's important to be honest with the client, set deadlines, and keep them informed of what's happening.
Invest in Local SEO
While searches are crucial within search engines, they're becoming increasingly important when it comes to "near me" searches. Users don't just want quick and efficient answers; they also want to find solutions, products, and services that are physically nearby.
Local SEO aims to optimize your content for search engines, but here it takes into account the geolocation of the device performing the search.
Local SEO increases regional visibility , encourages action, attracts new audiences, and is essential for a business's digital reputation.
Encourage your customers to leave reviews
Customer reviews are essential to your digital reputation and should be encouraged. Create a space for this type of activity and make it easy to encourage customers. Remember that customers are often willing to talk about a company, but you need to remind them of this constantly.
More than that, always respond to reviews you receive, whether negative or positive, and show your audience that your company cares about their opinion. This is an important moment to build bonds with consumers.
How to measure digital reputation?
Measuring your digital reputation is crucial for your business. After all, what's not measured, isn't managed, right? It may seem like a daunting task, but some best practices will help you better understand how your brand is positioning itself online:
Monitor your online presence
You need to monitor what people are saying about your brand, whether on social media, forums, Google, specific review sites like Reclame Aqui, and many other online channels.
Only by knowing what people are saying can you understand how they feel about your business.
Analyze customer sentiments
Sentiment analysis involves analyzing the tone of excerpts from reviews, comments, and texts about your brand to understand what people actually think about it. Using words and expressions, it's possible to analyze emotions related to the topic, whether positive, neutral, or negative.
Evaluate the reviews received
Responding to reviews isn't enough; you need to evaluate and analyze them so your company can use them as a way to grow its business. Especially when it comes to negative reviews, they need to be viewed as a factor for improvement and a metric for your business.
Count on a tool
Monitoring online presence, analyzing sentiment, managing customer content, and analyzing online reputation isn't easy when everything is done manually. We know it's challenging to search across multiple platforms and networks, and having platforms is essential to have everything in one place.
Harmo is the platform that will increase customer flow to your physical store , will manage all your reputation channels, keeping your information updated and standardized across all channels – all with SEO and the trust your business generates online and with other consumers in mind.
In an increasingly digitalized landscape, online reputation is a valuable asset for companies of all sizes and sectors. Consumers increasingly want to know a company through how it's portrayed on social media, making it an essential part of a business strategy.
Digital reputation isn't a simple strategy with a beginning, middle, and end. It's an ongoing effort that businesses must continually consider for healthy results and sustainable growth.
How is your business evaluating its digital reputation? Now that you know more about the topic, reflect on your strategies, and speak with our experts. Schedule a demo and learn how Harmo can help you on this journey!
