Reputation is everything in the business world, and whether your business is small and local or a growing enterprise, the way that people perceive your brand is exactly what directly impacts your success.
You don’t have to be stuck with the reputation that you’ve got, however it is something that you can actively shape and improve over time. We’ve actually put together 10 friendly ways that you can give your business a glowing reputation boost so that you can stand out in the best way possible.
- Get your branding right from the beginning. From the very beginning of day one of your business, you need your branding to be right. If you are inconsistent or outdated or you’re just all over the place, people may not take your business seriously. It’s not just about the colour scheme or the logo, but the overall feeling that your brand gives off. A branding agency can help you to nail down that vibe, especially if you’re not sure where you need to start. Even on your own, however, you need to aim for consistency across all of your websites, social media packaging, and printed materials. A consistent brand is a respected one.
- Start listening to your customers. Listening is such a simple thing, but you need to actively listen, not just hear what your customers say. It’s a superpower for a business owner, and when customers leave reviews or give feedback, you need to take it to heart. Always reply politely, thank your customers, and if necessary, take any action. Sometimes it’s a well worded response to a bad review that can do more for your reputation than anything else. Being defensive of a bad review is what’s going to bring you down. Showing that you care about what people think and that you’re willing to improve really does go a long way.
- If you offer customer service, actually serve. You don’t need to have a massive team or fancy systems to provide a good service to your people. Most of the time it just means being helpful, friendly, and quick to respond.If you treat every customer like a regular, even if it’s their first time, you’ll be able to solve their problems without fuss. This helps you to go a little bit further when you can. Just remember that people will always consider how you make them feel and if that was a positive experience, they’re going to tell others about it.
- Be human. Behind every single business is real people, and that includes you. Letting that show through can be a big win for your reputation. You need to share the behind the scenes moments, introduce your team, or even admit the occasional mistake and how you fixed it. Customers like to know that there’s a human touch behind the logo. Being a little bit more yourself makes it much easier for others to relate to your brand.
- Give back to the community. A reputation for your business is going to be easily built if you are in the community where people can see you and experience you. People love a business that gives back, and that doesn’t mean you have to donate thousands to charity, but hats off if you can do it. It could be sponsoring a local sports team or hosting a litter pick, or even offering discounts to key workers in your area. Doing good things in the community can help people to see your business as a force for good, and that’s what you’re trying to achieve.
- Always keep your promises. It sounds like such an obvious solution, but plenty of businesses over promise but under deliver. Whether it’s delivery times, pricing, or what your product can do, you need to be realistic. And if you’re offering something, deliver it. If something goes wrong, own up to that and fix it quickly. Being reliable may not always sound flashy, but it’s one of the most powerful tools that you’ve got when it comes to trust building with your customers.
- Be active online. Having a presence on social media and on your website isn’t just about selling your products. You need to keep people in the loop with information. So regular updates, helpful posts, and a sprinkle of personality can help you to stay on your customer reader. You don’t want to be too spammy or too pushy, but the idea here is to start conversations rather than dominate them.
- Let your customers do the talking. Happy customers are your best marketers. Encouraging them to leave reviews, share photos or tag you in their posts will go a long way. You could offer some incentives like a discount or a shout out for doing so. With positive word of mouth, especially online, you can build trust quickly and nothing beats somebody saying that they tried your business and loved it.
- Own up when things go wrong. Nobody is perfect and mistakes happen and people don’t mind mistakes happening if they’re not brushed under the carpet. The way that you handle mistakes is going to make or break your business and with cancel culture being such a huge thing, you want to make sure that people are seeing the positives of your business and if you can fix your problems, you will go a long way.
- Stand by your words. You need to ensure that your actions match your values. If you say that you care about sustainability, show it. If you promise great customer care, deliver it. People are quick to spot when a business says one thing and does another, and nothing tags a reputation faster.
The reputation that you have is never going to be built overnight, but it can be improved every day with the small intentional changes and steps that you make. Kindness, honesty, and consistency with a little bit of savvy sprinkled in will keep you in the loop.