As we enter the 21st century’s second decade, things that used to be done manually are now gradually transitioning to digital. This also includes conducting your business, regardless if you are a direct seller, middleman, or a B2B seller.
Thus, it gave rise to the term ‘e-commerce,’ which refers to the business transactions done via online platforms.
With technical skills and creative strategies, you can conveniently achieve your short-term objectives. However, in the long run, like all operating businesses, there is a growing necessity to maintain, and that is your online reputation.
The longer you operate and the broader scope you reach, the more valuable your reputation can be.
Your reputation can easily get tarnished with the slightest of mistakes on online platforms, especially if not appropriately handled. After all, one post can lead to another.
With that said, here are great tips you can apply to help you manage your B2B company’s online reputation and position your business in the e-commerce industry.
Tips on Managing Online Store Reputation
So, how can you manage your online store’s reputation? According to experts in online reputation management, there are several critical aspects when maintaining or improving one’s online reputation. They are as follows:
With that said, the tips below will help you capitalize on the critical aspects so that your good reputation can be maintained or regained.
Even if your online store currently has a negative reputation, these tips might help restore your reputation, prevent further damage, and hopefully create momentum for more positivity.
One of the ways to promote a positive reputation online is to create more relevant content. The most economical option for a B2B company is to partner with vloggers and online articles since those are what potential clients are mostly exposed to when they are online.
Let’s assume that your content partners are popular. Once you couple that with SEO, your chances of increased viewers will even be more likely.
Suppose you are always on the first page of results using keywords related to your B2B company or nature of your business.
In that case, that is a win already. However, to achieve that, you need to be relevant in different fields. With that said, one way to boost your impact is by appearing on ranking sites.
Being listed as part of rankings from multiple sites is undoubtedly beneficial. Aside from that, review sites can be encouraging as well. With just the number of stars, sometimes people will view it as enough reason to consider or ignore your online store.
However, most of these things can be uncontrollable since other groups, without your intervention, are judging your business and contributing to your overall online reputation. In case your store acquires negative reviews, there are other areas online that can balance them out.
This tip is a no-brainer for any business engaging in e-commerce today. Social media is such a powerful online tool that can either glorify you or intoxicate you within an hour of usage. One post can make you either famous or infamous in an instant.
With such potential, establishing a business account for your company is a start for a series of social media advertising. Managing it can be tough with all sorts of competition, either large or small, that are struggling to gain the advantage.
For B2B companies, LinkedIn is preferable since people search on that platform for professional work. Facebook, Twitter, and others can also be viable, depending on your area and the location of your potential targeted customers.
Occasionally, a user will come across an online article that suits his/her needs. And as he/she is reading, a particular phrase is hyperlinked. If it attracts his/her curiosity, then you have a potential visitor for your site.
Linking from one site to another is one way of enticing online viewers. If your strategy in creating anchor texts for hyperlinking is not reliable, it may not work at all.
From time to time, it will be reassuring to check how your online strategies fare. You can schedule monitoring of your search results either weekly or monthly.
Through this, you can determine whether the online content makes your company image as positive as planned or if the keywords used for optimization increase page visits.
Your online partners will give you technical reports about that information, and you will have a basis for your next course of action.
Having negative reviews, comments, or posts can create a crisis. Based on online behavior, it will create an immediate chain reaction. It may even come to the point that it can be termed as ‘viral.’
As a B2B company, you may have lesser areas to watch out for negativity than businesses engaging directly with consumers. If you ever see negativity, directly contact those persons or entities and offer your explanation or apology – be it through chat, direct comment, or email.
Press releases are also useful on a short-term basis because people can view your content at a particular moment.
What can these press releases do is create a productive ‘noise’ about your company and product to let people know about your updates or even just your existence.
It is also a great way to address multiple negative reviews, comments, or posts with minimal resources expended.
Conclusion
Like all businesses, your e-commerce store’s reputation will always be connected to your positive output, no matter how beautiful you mask your negativity.
If you are confident in your product, you can base your future strategies on the results after applying the aforementioned online tips.
In the digital market, competition is very tough, and the scope can reach internationally. If you lack the technical skills to manage your online reputation, consider hiring experts to do those things for you.