Tag: online reviews

Is Your Brand Under Attack?

Scott Asai1 Comment

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When your brand is attacked, it can have a devastating impact on your company’s reputation and your ability to attract customers. It’s therefore important that you know the appropriate response to take. Here are just a few ways in which you brand can come under attack and how you can protect it.

A customer is badmouthing you online

Negative online reviews and defamatory tweets can be enough to bring down a business. Many consumers now research a company online before choosing to buy from them – if bad reviews and hostile social media comments are the first thing that show up on Google, you may fail to win over their trust.

When faced with online criticism, be apologetic and respond directly to the review or social media message if possible (on social media, you may want to message them directly as well as replying publicly). Encouraging happy customers to leave positive reviews may meanwhile help to outweigh any negative criticism.

Your intellectual property has been stolen by someone else

Intellectual property is a major part of a brand’s identity and may include your brand name, your logo, a slogan, company images or text from your website. If another company is claiming ownership of your intellectual data, it could cause your customers to mistake them for your company.

This could be something that you can legally dispute – especially if you’ve trademarked or copyrighted this content. By hiring a law firm that deals in corporate litigation, you can make a claim against the company that has stolen your intellectual property. If an online fraudster is using your intellectual property for malicious purposes, you may even be able to get police involved.

Another company is attacking your brand

Brand wars have become more common in the age of social media with large brands attacking one another on Twitter. This is usually done in jest and can sometimes encourage healthy competition. However, sometimes it can get more serious, such as accusing you of bad behavior.

Respond to these brands accordingly. If it’s a light-hearted attack, you may be able to respond with a similar light-hearted retort. However, if they’re uncovering unsavory truths about your business, you may need to come clean.

A media outlet has attacked your brand

An attack from a newspaper, magazine or major online publication can be serious. Word could spread and you could find that business is severely affected.

Taking on the media by yourself is not recommended and you may want to hire a PR company to help try and recover your reputation. Such a company may be able to help you find journalists to argue your case and spread good information about your brand.

Seven Ways To Make Your Online Business Stand Out

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Many millennials are stepping away from the traditional world of work and choosing to start their own businesses. The internet has made setting up on your own easier than ever, and many young people are successfully running online businesses, selling everything from their own jewelry to coaching sessions for other business hopefuls.

  1. Set up a professional looking website. There are lots of tools online now to help you create a website that looks slick. If you’re new to setting up websites, look at easy to use platforms like Wix, WordPress or Squarespace, and use a template to create your first sites. Make sure it works properly and is easy to navigate. 
  2. Create a business profile on Google. Many people overlook this, but make sure you fill out the profile in full. Add your location, hours and services. Also add relevant photos of your business and projects, as well as links to any recent blog posts. Encourage customers to leave you reviews on Google too. Verify your business with Google My Business to help boost your search rankings. 
  3. Choose packaging that stands out. If you’re shipping out physical products, using packaging that looks good when it arrives will make your business more memorable. Choose poly mailers in the same colors as your branding or in fun patterns.
  4. Embrace video. Video gets a large amount of web traffic, and can really boost your search rankings. YouTube is still one of the main platforms for video, but Facebook also has great options for video too. Upload directly to Facebook to get your videos to perform better on the timeline and get more views. Video content can be used to showcase your products and services, and show off your business. 
  5. Create How To content. How To content tends to perform well on search engines, as it naturally builds in keywords that your customer base are searching for. Content like this solves problems for your customers, building trust. Guides are really shareable, helping them to perform well on social media too. Use your area of expertise to create this content. For example, if you’re a blogger, create guides on SEO tips for other bloggers. If you sell cakes, create videos of tips for creating decorative icing at home.
  6. Get on social media. If you’re not making the most of social media, your business will quickly fall behind. Most of us spend a lot of time online, particularly on social media sites like Facebook and Instagram. Meet your customers where they are by making sure your business is on social, with properly branded social profiles. Use your campaigns to engage your audience, not just talk at them. Encourage conversation, not just advertising. 
  7. Show off good reviews. Customer reviews are a good way to enhance your online presence. Show testimonials on your website and encourage customers to review your business on social media. If you use an online marketplace, take reviews there too. Reviews build trust with potential customers, and help you gather feedback to improve your company.

How To Choose The Right Tech Support Company For You

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If you’re looking for an IT or tech support company to assist you in your business, it’s important you’re making the right decision for you. There are so many different things you need to consider when choosing who to work with, that ensuring you have all the information you need before making a final decision is vital. Although it will take time, it will be worth it in the end. With that in mind, here is a guide to choosing the right tech support company for you:

– Make Sure You’re Doing Your Research

The first thing you need to do is ensure you’re doing your research. With so many different companies to choose from you need to ensure you’re making the right decision, starting by analyzing the websites of your choice. When looking at a site you need to look for the legitimacy, the quality and the professionalism of the site – all of which will indicate whether or not they are a viable choice to work with. For tips and tricks when it comes to analyzing a company through their website, you can visit this site here.

– Look For Agencies That Have Worked With People In Your Industry

Once you have looked at a number of websites and started to narrow it down, you need to look for agencies that have worked with people in your industry. Whilst it shouldn’t be important for an IT support company, it will definitely help if they have experience in the industry you work in. Not only will it means they have an understanding of what your company does, but it also means they’ll understand the importance of certain aspects of your business.

– Narrow It Down To Your Favorites

Looking at the experience your choices have will allow you to start narrowing your choices down further. Whilst this may still bring up quite a few choices, you need to narrow it down to as little as 4 support companies in total. Think about which sites you liked best, which agencies had the most experience and the ones that were the most local to you. Whilst they’re not deciding factors, it will certainly make the choice a lot easier.

– Meet With Them In Person

Not that you have a shortlist, it’s time to meet them in person. The best thing to do is let them know what you’re looking for, then let them come to you with a complete pitch. Whether you’re looking for a full ongoing support team or you want assistance with a one-off project, they should be able to pitch their services and experience to you in person. Not only will it allow you to see what they’re offering, but it will also give you a chance to see which support teams you will work best with based on their personalities and characteristics. For more information, you can visit www.ittotalcare.com.

– Find Reviews And Testimonials Online

Once you have met with your shortlist you need to find case studies, reviews and testimonials online. These will not only help you solidify your final decision, but it will allow you to see what other people have thought of the support teams you’re considering. If you can’t find any examples, you should be able to ask for them to send some over. For more information when it comes to finding case studies and testimonials, you can visit this site here.

– Consider Their Costs Vs The Quality Of Their Service

Finally, you need to look at the costs of the services they’re providing in comparison to the service they’re offering. Whilst this shouldn’t be the deciding factor, you need to be sure you’re getting the best possible deal.

Are you looking to work with a tech support company? What are you looking for from them? Let me know in the comments section below.