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The lack of a solid and positive online marketing reputation can be a pitfall to your business. The online marketplace is massive and continuously growing, but to stand out in this highly saturated market, what you do before and to acquire sales is vital to remaining relevant. Buyers want transparency and value for their money when making purchases which implies one of the biggest factors when making an online purchase is the brand’s image.

This is why as a business owner, you should be concerned about what the consumers have to say about your brand whenever they search you up online.

How Do People Search For A Local Business

According to Bright Local Survey, 97% of consumers looked online for local businesses regularly and every day, 12% of people searched the online business world. That alone offers a huge potential for small business owners to capitalise on building a positive web presence.

Nothing is more detrimental to your survival than not trying to understand your customers. Knowing your customers' habits and needs will help you figure out how to reach them and how they'd like to be communicated with. Once you have met these criteria, your customers are likely to spread good word of mouth and may become advocates for your business, taking your advertising offline.

Do Consumers Really Look at Online Reviews

The Bright Local Survey found that 85% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. So the answer to the question is a big YES. Gossip can spread like wildfire and the same thing is true with social word-of-mouth.

Consumers use online reviews and other content to form judgments about your business and brand. If a customer is conflicted about how they feel about your product or brand, they consult the Internet to decide if they should trust your brand. Make it easy for them to say yes but letting your current customer speak for you.

What People Are Searching For

There are about 3.5 billion Google searches every day.

But the path to finding a local business in search engines is more of a squiggly line than a straight one.  Instead of directly searching for a business, consumers are more likely to weigh the pros and cons of each business. These pros and cons come from many elements such as:

• Business ratings. Consumers are looking for the best.
• Actual comments and feedback from other consumers’ reviews.
• If the right services are offered from the local business.
• If the price and budget match up.

All of these factors contribute to your local online business reputation.

Where To Focus Your Online Marketing

There are hundreds of different review sites available online like Thumbtack, Yelp, and TripAdvisor. It would be wise for you to invest in a site that would best work for your business. At the very least, every business should utilise Google Reviews to ensure reviews from customers are shown when their business comes up in a search result.

Build Your Local Business Online Reputation

It doesn’t matter whether your business is big or small. Local consumers depend on the internet and online reviews to find information about local businesses so it is more important to manage your online reputation than to fall victim to it. Always remember that your online reputation is just as important as your product or service. Manage it and grow your business successfully.

If you need some assistance in managing your online reputation or just need to get the word out there on the Internet, we can help! Contact Team Elephant for a complimentary consultant and grow your business today.

Email: [email protected]

Visit us at: 555 Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

Call: P: (03) 7018 7620 or M: 0418 967 352