What are your potential leads’ first impressions of your business when they find you online? Learn how to build a customer-approved, reputable online image with these tips!
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Review Sites to Consider

Choosing the right review sites is crucial for managing your online reputation effectively. It’s all about being where your audience is. Positive reviews on popular platforms like Google and Yelp build trust and drive conversions, especially when displayed on search engines. Engaging with customers on these sites shows you care about their feedback and helps foster loyalty. 

Other review sites to consider include:

• Google: With its widespread usage and integration into Google search results, having positive reviews here is essential for local businesses.
• Yelp: Known for its extensive user base and detailed reviews, Yelp is a go-to platform for consumers looking for recommendations on various businesses. This is also the platform currently integrated with Apple Maps, which is shown exclusively to iPhone users.
• Facebook: As one of the largest social media platforms, Facebook provides businesses with a significant opportunity to gather reviews and engage with customers.
• TripAdvisor: Particularly important for businesses in the hospitality and travel industries, TripAdvisor is a trusted source for travelers seeking reviews and recommendations.
• Industry-specific platforms: Depending on the nature of your business, industry-specific review sites like Zomato for restaurants or Houzz for home improvement services can be valuable for targeting niche audiences.

5 Tips for Monitoring Online Customer Reviews

Customer reviews matter a lot these days—they can affect how others see your business and whether they choose to buy from you. By staying on top of your online reviews, you can make sure your business looks good and keeps customers happy. Our five tips include:

1. Google Yourself Frequently
2. Provide Five-Star Customer Experiences
3. Respond to Negative Feedback
4. Monitor Competitors
5. Enroll in Reputation Management

1. Google Yourself Frequently

It’s essential to regularly check what people are saying about your business online. Take a moment to search for your business name on Google and other review platforms like Yelp and social media channels. By doing this, you can stay updated on customer feedback and reviews. If you come across any negative comments or reviews, it’s crucial to respond courteously and professionally.

2. Provide Five-Star Customer Experiences

The cornerstone of a successful business is providing exceptional service to your customers. Make it a priority to ensure that every interaction with your business leaves customers feeling satisfied. Train your staff to prioritize customer happiness and handle any issues with care and empathy. Additionally, encourage your happy customers to share their positive experiences online, as this can boost your reputation.

3. Respond to Negative Feedback

Negative online reviews can have a significant impact on your business’s reputation if left unaddressed. It’s vital to respond promptly and thoughtfully to any negative feedback you receive. Start by apologizing for any problems the customer experienced and offer a solution to make things right. Even if you can’t fully resolve the issue, showing that you value their feedback and are committed to improvement can go a long way.

4. Monitor Competitors

Keeping an eye on what your competitors are doing online can provide valuable insights into industry trends and consumer preferences. Take the time to observe their social media activity, customer reviews, and overall reputation. By doing so, you can identify areas where your competitors excel and where they may be falling short. This knowledge can help you fine-tune your own business practices and stay competitive in the market.

5. Enroll in Reputation Management

Consider partnering with a reputation management service to help you proactively manage and improve your online reputation. These services can assist you in monitoring what people are saying about your business online, responding to reviews and comments, and developing strategies to enhance your reputation over time. By enrolling in reputation management, you gain access to valuable tools and expertise that can help you protect and strengthen your brand’s reputation in the digital age.

Responding to Positive & Negative Reviews

Responding to reviews, whether positive or negative, is an essential aspect of maintaining a good brand image and fostering positive relationships with potential customers. Here’s how business owners can effectively respond to both types of reviews:

Responding to Positive Reviews

1. Express gratitude: Begin by thanking the customer for taking the time to leave a positive review.
   • Example: “Thank you so much for your kind words! We’re thrilled to hear that you had a great experience with us.”
2. Personalize the response: If possible, mention something specific the customer appreciated about their experience.
   • Example: “We’re delighted that you enjoyed our new menu options. Your satisfaction is our top priority!”
3. Invite them to return: Encourage repeat business by inviting the customer to visit again.
   • Example: “We look forward to serving you again soon. Let us know if there’s anything else we can do to enhance your experience next time!”

Responding to Negative Reviews

1. Apologize and empathize: Begin by apologizing for any inconvenience or dissatisfaction the customer experienced.
   • Example: “We’re sorry to hear about your less-than-perfect experience. Your feedback is valuable to us, and we apologize for any inconvenience caused.”
2. Address the issue: Acknowledge the specific concerns raised in the review and assure the customer that steps will be taken to address them.
   • Example: “We’re sorry that your meal didn’t meet your expectations. We’ll review this with our team to ensure it doesn’t happen again in the future.”
3. Offer a solution: Whenever possible, offer a solution to rectify the situation or make amends.
   • Example: “We’d love the opportunity to make things right. Please reach out to us directly, and we’ll do our best to resolve this issue to your satisfaction.”
4. Take it offline: Encourage the customer to contact you privately to discuss the matter further.
   • Example: “We’d like to learn more about your experience and how we can improve. Please send us a private message, and we’ll work to resolve this matter promptly.”

Other General Tips

• Be prompt: Respond to reviews promptly to show customers that their feedback is valued.
• Stay professional: Maintain a courteous and professional tone in all responses, regardless of the nature of the review.
• Use keywords: Incorporate relevant keywords related to your business to improve visibility and searchability.
• Monitor and learn: Regularly monitor reviews and use them as constructive feedback to improve your products or services.

Remember, every review is an opportunity to learn and grow, so embrace them as such!

Online Reputation Management Questions

How do you measure the impact of online reviews on your business?

To understand how online reviews affect your business, you can look at different things. One way is to see how many reviews you get and how good they are over time. Big changes in the number of reviews or their ratings can tell you if customers are happier or not. Another way is to look at how much money you make and if it changes when you get more reviews.

What strategies can businesses use to encourage customers to leave reviews?

Getting customers to leave reviews can be done in different ways. One way is to make sure they’re happy with your service so they want to share their good experiences. You can also ask them nicely to leave a review after they buy something with an email or postcard. Using social media to show off positive reviews and asking followers to leave reviews can also work well.

What are the potential pitfalls to avoid when responding to negative reviews?

When you respond to negative reviews, it’s important to be careful. Ignoring or deleting them can make customers feel like you don’t care about their problems. Arguing with unhappy customers can make things worse and make your business look bad. Instead, try to stay calm and show that you understand their concerns.

Are You Managing Your Reputation?

In conclusion, monitoring online reviews is crucial for managing your business’s reputation effectively in today’s digital landscape. By choosing the right review platforms, staying engaged with customers, and responding promptly and professionally to both positive and negative feedback, you can enhance your brand’s online image.

Remember, the internet’s fast-paced nature requires businesses to remain adaptable and continuously improve their strategies for maintaining a positive online presence. By prioritizing reputation management and learning from customer feedback, you can position your business for long-term success in the digital age.

Ready to take control of your online reputation? Start by assessing your current online reviews.  Contact our digital marketing experts to learn more about how we can help you strengthen your online presence.

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED MARCH 2019

The post How to Monitor Online Reviews & Strengthen Your Reputation first appeared on ITVibes.

But what happens when your business encounters negative feedback? How you respond can be crucial. Let’s explore the impact of business reviews, and customer testimonials, and how you can handle negative reviews when you come across them.

Why Negative Reviews Matter

In the digital age, online reviews wield significant influence over consumer behavior and business success. Here’s why negative reviews matter more than ever:

• Impact on Purchase Decisions – Studies consistently show that consumers rely heavily on online reviews when making purchasing decisions. According to BrightLocal’s Local Consumer Review Survey, 75% of consumers read reviews for local businesses, and 50% trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.
• SEO Impact – Negative reviews can also affect a business’s search engine optimization (SEO) efforts. Search engines like Google consider factors such as review quantity, diversity, and sentiment when ranking businesses in local search results. Negative reviews can lower a business’s visibility in search results, making it harder for potential customers to find them.
• Opportunity for Improvement – While negative reviews may seem like a setback, they also present an opportunity for improvement. Constructive criticism from negative reviews can provide valuable insights into areas where a business can enhance its products, services, or customer experience. In fact, 52% of consumers trust a product more if they see negative reviews alongside positive ones, as it demonstrates transparency and authenticity.
• Customer Trust and Loyalty – How a business responds to negative reviews can impact customer trust and loyalty. According to BrightLocal’s report, 41% of consumers are more likely to use a business that responds to all of its reviews than a business that doesn’t respond to any. By addressing negative feedback promptly and professionally, businesses can show customers that their satisfaction is a top priority and build trust and loyalty over time.

Can Review Responses Help?

Even if you’re not too familiar with the internet, responding to reviews can be really important for your business. When you reply to a negative review, it shows your customers that you care about their experiences and want to make things right. Plus, other customers who see your response will know you’re dedicated to keeping them happy.

When you reply to a negative review, you might be able to solve the problem and turn that unhappy customer into a happy one. In the same way, responding to good reviews can strengthen your relationship with the customer and show appreciation for their support. So, taking the time to respond to reviews can make a big difference for your business in the long run.

How Business Owners Shouldn’t Respond

While it’s essential to address negative reviews promptly and professionally, there are certain approaches you should avoid. Here are some common mistakes to steer clear of when responding to negative reviews:

• Ignore or delete reviews
• Get defensive or argumentative
• Provide generic responses
• Share private information
• Overlook opportunities for improvement
• Engage in online arguments or disputes
• Use aggressive or confrontational language
• Blame the customer for the negative experience
• Offer incentives in exchange for removing the negative review
• Respond impulsively without fully understanding the situation

It’s crucial for you as a business owner to handle negative reviews with care. By steering clear of these missteps, you can protect your reputation, build trust with customers, and manage your online presence effectively. Remember, every interaction with an unhappy customer is a chance for you to show your dedication to their satisfaction and to make your business even better.

How to Respond to Negative Reviews

Responding to negative reviews requires a delicate balance of empathy, professionalism, and a proactive approach to addressing the issues raised. Here are four ways to respond effectively:

1. Acknowledge the feedback

Demonstrating empathy and understanding is crucial when responding to negative reviews. Start by thanking the customer for taking the time to share their experience. Use language that shows you genuinely hear their concerns, such as “We appreciate you bringing this to our attention” or “I understand how frustrating that must have been for you.

This initial acknowledgment sets a positive tone for the rest of the interaction and shows other potential customers that you value feedback and are committed to addressing issues.

2. Apologize and take responsibility

Regardless of whether the negative review is justified, offering a sincere apology is key to diffusing tension and showing humility. Avoid making excuses or placing blame elsewhere. Instead, take ownership of the situation with statements like “I’m sorry to hear about your experience” or “We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused you.

By acknowledging the customer’s feelings and accepting responsibility, you demonstrate integrity and a willingness to make things right.

3. Offer a solution or resolution

After expressing empathy and apologizing, it’s important to provide a concrete solution to address the customer’s concerns. Depending on the nature of the issue, this could involve offering a refund, a replacement product or service, free shipping on their next order, or any other appropriate remedy. Be specific in your offer and ensure it aligns with the customer’s needs and expectations.

For example, you might say, “We’d like to offer you a full refund for your purchase” or “We’ll expedite a replacement product to you at no additional cost.” By taking proactive steps to resolve the issue, you demonstrate your commitment to customer satisfaction and mitigate the negative impact of the review.

4. Encourage further communication offline

While it’s important to address negative reviews publicly to show transparency and accountability, aim to move the conversation offline as soon as possible to provide personalized assistance and resolve the issue more effectively. In your response, invite the customer to contact you directly via email, phone, or private message to discuss their concerns in more detail. Provide clear contact information and reassure the customer that their feedback will be taken seriously and addressed promptly.

By engaging in private communication, you demonstrate a commitment to individualized customer service and have the opportunity to rebuild trust and satisfaction on a one-on-one basis.

Removing Negative Reviews

Have a bad review online that you wanted to get rid of? As a business owner, keeping a good online reputation is super important. While responding to negative reviews professionally is key, there are times when removing them is necessary. Here are step-by-step instructions for removing negative reviews on Google, Yelp, and Facebook:

Google

1. Sign in to your Google Business Profile account
2. Navigate to the “Reviews” section
3. Find the negative review you want to remove
4. Click on the three-dot menu icon next to the review
5. Select “Flag as inappropriate” from the dropdown menu
6. Follow the prompts to report the review to Google
7. Provide a reason for flagging the review, such as inappropriate content or spam
8. Submit your report, and Google will review the review for violations of their policies
9. If the review is found to violate Google’s policies, it may be removed

Yelp

1. Sign in to your Yelp Business account
2. Go to the “Reviews” section of your business page
3. Locate the negative review you want to address
4. Click on the flag icon next to the review
5. Select the reason for flagging the review, such as inappropriate content or conflicts of interest
6. Provide additional details or context if prompted
7. Submit your flag, and Yelp will review the review for violations of their Content Guidelines
8. If the review is found to violate Yelp’s guidelines, it may be removed

Facebook

1. Sign in to your Facebook Business Page
2. Go to the “Reviews” section of your Page
3. Find the negative review you want to address
4. Click on the three-dot menu icon next to the review
5. Select “Report post” from the dropdown menu
6. Choose the reason for reporting the review, such as spam or harassment
7. Provide any additional information or context if prompted
8. Submit your report, and Facebook will review the review for violations of their Community Standards
9. If the review is found to violate Facebook’s standards, it may be removed

Keep in mind that these platforms have specific guidelines for what constitutes a violation, so not all negative reviews may be eligible for removal. Additionally, the review removal process may take some time, so be patient while waiting for a response from the platform. To monitor future reviews, consider enrolling in a Reputation Management service where you can check any review before it is posted online.

#1 Rule to Handling Online Reviews: Stay Proactive

To sum up, being proactive in managing your reviews is key to improving your business and meeting customer expectations. When you respond to both good and bad reviews, you show that you care about what your customers think and want to make things right. This not only helps you fix any problems they might have but also makes them feel valued.

If you need further support in managing your online reputation, don’t hesitate to contact ITVibes. We’re here to help you navigate the world of reviews and strengthen your brand’s reputation.

The post How to Handle Negative Reviews [Infographic] first appeared on ITVibes.

Are you wondering whether web design affects customer trust? Better question, would you trust a business if their website or storefront had problems? Learn what elements your website design needs to enhance your reputation.

How does web design affect customer trust and satisfaction? Get the details from our latest blog.
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When it comes to web design, potential customers really do judge a book (or in this case, a business) by its cover. In the world of business, building a trustworthy website is the make or break of an impending sale. In a few words, yes, web design does affect customer trust. There’s no better time than now to make sure your website is giving off the right impression.

Aesthetic Usability

Good web design starts with usability. If a user visits your website and experiences any type of difficulty, they’re going to be annoyed with your business as a whole. It’s important to remember that your services are just one of many that someone could choose to buy, and if there’s frustration, they’re going to go to someone else.

When you’re building a website, put yourself in the shoes of the new user.

• Can you find the about page, services, and contact information easily?
• Does the page have a fast load speed?
• Are all of the photos and videos of high quality?
• Has your website been optimized for mobile devices?

Simple questions like these are what will make your website stand out from the crowd. Instead of being frustrated, users will have an easier time finding what they are looking for and will find value in whatever you provide.

Cohesive Brand Design Standards

Beyond user experience, choosing the right design trends for your brand is a vital part of building trust. Users want to partner with brands that focus on design consistency and quality because they know that type of dedication will spill over into the products and services they purchase. Whether it’s using an engaging color scheme or integrating modern design features, whatever design standard you have for your brand has the potential to grow relationships.

Resourceful Content

One other way your website can build customer loyalty and trust is through the content you provide. In sales and marketing, being a source of valuable information helps you become an authoritative source in your particular industry or niche.

There’s no question as to whether Google will rank your website based on the quality and relevancy of what you publish. What you need to understand is what problem your content needs to solve. Learn about your target audience, their needs, and their problem areas, and then create your content accordingly. By providing resources, you’ll be able to build trust long-term.

Start Finding Potential Customers

Finding businesses worth trusting can be hard for customers, especially when they’re forced to get to know a company through an About page. With the right forethought and attention to detail, you can use this to your advantage by creating a website around your customer’s needs.

Contact our web design team for ideas on how to make your brand become a leader in your field.

The post How Does Web Design Affect Customer Trust? first appeared on ITVibes.

Customer relationship management (CRM) is one of the keys to running a successful marketing campaign. Marketing is centered around customer relations (just like in reputation management), so having an established CRM system helps optimize your marketing plan. 

These systems optimize your marketing by utilizing CRM data about your customers so that you can better provide for them. 

What is a CRM? 

CRM stands for customer relationship management. This is a system that aids small businesses in maintaining relationships with their customers. While this is not something that is immediately required when starting, it is a system that can greatly benefit an established business. 

The more a business grows, the more this kind of system is essential for smooth operation. Systems like this help automate your customer service process and help streamline customer interactions. 

Who Needs a CRM Solution? 

Every business that interacts with customers needs CRM software. CRM tools excel at tracking information efficiently, which is extremely important in the marketing world. This is useful to both business-to-business and business-to-customer companies. 

How CRM Helps Improve the Customer Experience

So far CRM has mostly been beneficial to the business itself, but how does it help the customer? If you have more information about them and what they want out of your product, this will help you better provide for your customer’s needs. 

For example, having information on your target audience can help streamline your customer service process by providing what they are looking for according to the data. 

Boost Your Sales and Marketing

At the end of the day, CRM helps you and your customers no matter if you are a B2B or a B2C business. These systems help boost your sales as well as customer satisfaction. 

Contact us for more information on CRM Marketing. 

The post What is the Role of CRM in Marketing? first appeared on ITVibes.

This simply means influencing the public’s opinion of your company, and that includes managing reviews and comments on the internet. The following blog post will go more in-depth on this topic. 

What is Reputation Management?
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The Definition of Reputation Management

As previously stated, reputation management is about guiding the public’s opinion of your company. It is an umbrella for all presence management, including social media monitoring, SEO, and “word of mouth” marketing. Having a good brand reputation takes some work, but it is not impossible. 

Is Reputation Maintenance Possible?

The short answer to this question is yes. It is very possible to manage a business’s reputation, and companies should. It is akin to tending to a garden: there is a list of tasks to complete so that your reputation is in good condition. A benefit to having a well-maintained presence is the public will have a positive perception of the company. 

Reputation Management Strategies

Here are some basic strategies for maintaining a good reputation both online and offline: 

Assess the Condition of Your Social Networks

Eventually, every company will have a negative review or comment. The first step in handling that kind of feedback is recognizing if it is constructive or not. 

What does the negative content say about the company? Is the commenter pointing out something that needs to be addressed, or are they stirring up trouble for the sake of it? Once that is determined, it is time to move on to step two.

Take Control of Your Image

At this point, the next step is to take control of your image. If the negative review is one of substance, the best thing to do would be to issue an apology to that person and work with them to come to a solution. 

Have a Long-term Strategy 

Every company should have a long-term strategy for managing its brand. In general, companies should focus on pushing their positive content and reviews. Make a plan for the content your company will put out. It needs to match your brand identity. Because the internet moves so fast, one bad review amongst hundreds of positive reviews will not be the end of the business.

Management Services for Your Small Business

While review management is essential for companies, it may not be practical for your small business to do it yourself. In that case, there are many reputation management firms like ITVibes that would be happy to help. 

Contact us for more information on reputation management.

The post What is Reputation Management? first appeared on ITVibes.

Online reviews are a part of any business. Learning how to respond professionally to negative reviews will go a long way toward improving your reputation and customer relations. Read more here. #ITVibes #reviews
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Monitoring Your Online Reputation

The first step is knowing where to find reviews of your business. While Facebook, Google, and Yelp remain the most popular websites to leave reviews, plenty of other platforms offer similar services. It’s up to you to find websites that feature reviews of your business and keep track of how your customers use these sites. Once you know where to find reviews, your plan should look like this:

1. Develop relationships with your customers
2. Request positive reviews from satisfied clients
3. Respond professionally to negative reviews

1) Develop Relationships with Your Customers

You’re far more likely to remember a personal encounter than a chat with a faceless business. Your customers have a similar attitude. Consequently, it’s absolutely essential that you take the time to build relationships with your clients. Show yourself as an expert in your industry, but use your social media platforms and advertising strategy to show how you can help individuals and families with your knowledge. Clients who have positive experiences with you are far more likely to leave a positive review.

2) Request Positive Reviews from Satisfied Clients

Most businesses request reviews after a transaction, phone call, or other service provided to a client. However, this runs the risk of the client being unsatisfied with the service they received and leaving a negative review. While it’s not a bad idea, it could be better. Seek out clients that have consistently been happy with your services and request reviews from them. Not only will you receive a good rating, but you’ll also show your client that you value their feedback enough to actively seek it out.

3) Respond Professionally to Negative Reviews

Virtually every business will have negative reviews. Sometimes these low ratings are a result of genuinely poor service, while other times the customer is being less than honest. It’s not always easy to tell which is which. But your job isn’t to do detective work on every single review. Respond professionally to negative reviews, apologizing for the situation and offering a solution when appropriate. Keep your personal feelings out of it. If you stay professional, the frustrated client is more likely to respond in kind and help you reach a solution.
But in some cases, these negative reviews are blatantly untrue or unreasonable. How should you respond in that case? As an example, imagine someone left a negative review complaining that your business didn’t sell a particular product, when your website explicitly states that you don’t carry the product in question. Your response has to walk the line between defending yourself and staying professional. You might respond like this: “I apologize we weren’t able to provide you with what you were looking for. As our website states, we don’t carry this particular product. We hope to provide you with other essentials, however.”

Use Reviews to Your Advantage

Managing online reviews is an important part of any business in the modern world. Other people’s public feedback has a significant influence on potential customers researching your business. Keep track of what people are saying about you online and work to preserve your professional reputation.
Contact us to learn more about our reputation management services.

The post 3 Tips for Managing Online Reviews first appeared on ITVibes.

How are your ties with your audience on your Facebook page? Building brand loyalty means building great relationships. #ITVibes
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How can you build long-lasting relationships with your social media audience?

Having great relationships on social media can improve your business’s bottom line. Consumers want to spend more time on your social media when they feel more connected to the brand. These tips can help you to build great relationships with your audience through social media:

1. Be Responsive
2. Show that You’re Human
3. Create Online Events
4. Don’t Ignore Feedback
5. User-Generated Content

1) Be Responsive

If there have been many comments on some recent blog posts from a user repeating the same question, it’s probably best for the brand to respond asap. Respond to comments quickly so that you’re part of the conversation. 

Pro Tip: If a discussion on a single post between your brand and the user continues for too long without getting anywhere, try transitioning it into a private message instead.

2) Show that You’re Human

Pay attention to the tone of voice that you’re using online to practice empathic marketing strategies. Help users to understand that your page is run by another human being.

3) Create Online Events

Having your audience tune in to a scheduled live stream or giveaway is a great form of social media marketing for your business. Get followers excited about events you’ve created online!

4) Don’t Ignore Feedback

Be sure to regularly shed light on the positive feedback you get on your social media. Respond to feedback and even negative comments, making sure you know how to reply appropriately.

5) User-Generated Content

You can inspire your followers to create their own content that promotes your brand. Try this on Twitter by having your audience use a brand-specific hashtag to promote engagement.

Establishing Great Relationships Online

Building stable relationships with your followers on social media is crucial for brand visibility. A loyal social media audience will boost your brand’s sales and help you to rank higher on search engines. 
Get connected with our digital marketing team to learn more about content marketing strategies!

The post Building Great Relationships Through Social Media first appeared on ITVibes.

Why Your Business Name Might be Bad

While there are any number of reasons a business name may fall flat, a few common reasons companies have given for changing their name include:

• Their original name was too vague or too complicated for customers to remember.
• The original name didn’t capture (or no longer captures) the true purpose and focus of the company.
• The original name had implications the owners were unaware of at the time.

Why are you trying to rename your business? Make sure your reasoning will hold water and this isn’t just a case of being bored with the original name you chose.

Pro Tip: When you’re deciding on a name for your company, take the time to Google your potential name and see what others think of it. You don’t want to accidentally name your company after an offensive term in another language, after all!

Reputation Management via Name Changing

Sometimes, a company will try to reduce the damage done by a reputation crisis with a renaming and/or rebranding campaign. Depending on the nature of the reputation crisis, this strategy may pay off. However, a company that does this regularly is sure to raise suspicion from potential customers. After all, if you’ve renamed and revamped your business five times in the last ten years, customers will wonder if you’re hiding from poor reviews or bad business decisions in the past without actually improving anything. Be very careful when changing your name as part of a reputation management campaign.

How to Implement Your New Name

Depending on how big your company is, you’ll have to adapt your strategy to roll out your new name. But the most important thing to remember is to make sure your customers know you’re rebranding. Don’t keep the renaming a secret. Publicize the new name and give people time to get used to it before completely eliminating your old one. Your customers deserve to be informed, and of course, you don’t want to lose anyone over a case of mistaken identity!
Outside the marketing realm, make sure to inform the proper governmental bodies of your business’s name change as well. You could get in trouble for tax fraud if you don’t update all your paperwork and records. 

Renaming & Rebranding Success

Changing a well-established company’s name and branding strategy is a significant decision that requires a lot of forethought, planning, and strategic implementation. But with everything done correctly, your name change could alter your business for the better in the future.
Connect with us to learn more about updating your brand and company name for improved marketing results.

The post When to Rename Your Company first appeared on ITVibes.

What is CRM?

CRM software stands for “Customer Relationship Management Software”. It’s a type of software that tracks customer interactions and uses the collected data to help improve sales. There are many types of CRM software available, but the majority of them assist in managing functions relating to sales, customer service, marketing, and reporting. Let’s take a look at what features CRM offers:

1. Sales Management
2. Customer Service Management
3. Marketing Management
4. Reporting Management

1) Sales Management

Charts and graphs don’t drive customers to buy from you. Personalized experiences do. With CRM software, a sales team can separate customers into different categories by interest and demographics. Therefore, you can spend less time with those you don’t care and more time focusing on genuine leads by organizing customers.

Pro Tip: Instead of making cold calls that cause more frustration, small businesses can use CRM software to differentiate between which customers are actually interested. 

2) Customer Service Management

If your customer service comes across as impersonal, you’re on the fast track to a bad reputation. This feature of CRM software enables you to keep notes about a particular issue and record history so that you can make the customer the focus. This is a benefit for all businesses, but especially those that provide customer support across a wide variety of channels.

3) Marketing Management

Keeping a history of customers and making notes of your audience should be an integral part of your marketing plan. A CRM system enables you to make smart decisions about what kind of campaigns could turn a profit. Depending on the CRM software, you could take customer’s data to create automated messages or promotional content that your customers are guaranteed to love.

4) Reporting Management

At the bottom of a sales pipeline is the ability to track and report. Almost all CRM platforms provide a way to create reports that will enable you to use customer data and sales history for future opportunities. With the influx of cloud-based CRMs, you might be able to access these reports on a mobile app. Moreover, this insight into your customers’ likes and dislikes gives you the ability to create content that customers want. 

Conclusion

Every day, businesses are learning new ways to operate more efficiently and effectively. CRM software takes the guesswork out of trying to decide what customers will be interested in and helps representatives focus on leads that will actually generate sales. It’s a win-win.
If your business isn’t utilizing CRM software to track customer interactions, you might be missing out on sales leads. Contact us for more information on CRM software and how your sales processes can be streamlined.

The post Your Guide to CRM Software first appeared on ITVibes.

Don’t let the internet declare you guilty! Learn how to manage your online reputation after a crisis.
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Your Reputation Improvement Strategy

To protect your business from unpleasant surprises, make sure you have a strategy for defending yourself against vicious online attacks. Don’t just hope the problem will go away on its own. When you find yourself facing a crisis, here’s the best strategy:

1. What’s the damage?
2. Don’t expect an overnight improvement
3. Develop a media strategy
4. Separate work and emotions
5. Know when to stop

1) What’s the Damage?

As unpleasant as it may be, start by assessing the damage already done. Google yourself and check social media for what people are saying about you. How widespread and severe is the criticism? How much are your name and online presence associated with the problem?

Pro Tip: If you can only find a few attacks on your reputation and they appear to be originating from non-credible sources, you probably don’t need to spend much (if any) effort refuting them. Learn to recognize a credible threat.

2) Don’t Expect an Overnight Improvement

This principle is twofold. First, don’t expect your reputation to mend itself in a short amount of time. Bad news travels much faster online than good news. While you can certainly get your side of the story out and do public damage control, it will take a while to completely set things right.
Second, be aware of how serious your reputation crisis is. Bad reviews or easily disproven lies are one thing, but if you find yourself accused of serious crimes, be ready for a long battle. Don’t expect the world to take your side immediately. You’ll have to choose your strategy carefully.

3) Develop a Media Strategy

This goes both for social and traditional media. What will you say to interviewers or post on social media? More importantly, how often will you take advantage of either avenue? Don’t fall into the extremes of completely withdrawing from the public eye or, on the opposite side of the spectrum, spending every spare moment on social media. Develop a strategy and stick to it.
Part of your strategy should involve monitoring any and all reviews of your business. Respond to negative reviews gracefully and publically, offering an answer or resolution to problems the review addresses. This will communicate that you care not only to the individual, but also to anyone else reading your reviews.

4) Separate Work and Emotions

No matter how hurtful and vicious the attacks on your reputation get, responding in kind will only harm your case. Keep your public interactions and reputation management professional and factual. Don’t publically air your stress or anger to people who will just use it against you. If you’re able to maintain a level head in the face of your crisis, people will be more likely to listen to you.

5) Know When to Stop

Finally, don’t turn reputation management into your sole life focus. People have gone bankrupt or gotten divorced because they couldn’t focus on anything but restoring their good name in the court of public opinion. As you work to build a good reputation again, don’t lose sight of the rest of your life.
More importantly, know when you’re fighting a losing battle. In some extreme cases, your name and image are so deeply connected to a scandal that you may never completely recover your original standing. Know when to start over with a new online reputation and distance yourself from the original crisis.

Rebuilding Trust

In a world where public perception holds almost as much weight as legal rulings, long term damage control will take a lot of time and effort. But a PR crisis doesn’t have to spell the end of your business or online activities. Approach your new reputation management strategy carefully and stay aware of what others online say about you. With time, things should improve.
Interested in learning more about relationship management? Join the conversation for further tips and ideas.

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