6 simple ways to fix your online reputation
So you’ve messed up, it’s now online – and that’s never a good thing. After all many people who want to work with you will probably run your name through the search engines… so what can you do to start to repair your online reputation?
First take notice – is this about something you have said or done online? Or is it about what people are saying about you?
With the first instance, it’s a lot easier to fix. Check out our article on managing your online reputation, review your privacy settings, and proceed from there.
(Even if you have messed up on your social media and you’ve fixed your privacy settings, people can and do take screen shots – so don’t assume this will go away for good)
But perhaps it’s not something you have said or done online – perhaps it’s about your actions offline that have driven people to post online about you.
This doesn’t need to be devastating, but it does need to be fixed. Here are a few ideas:
1) Be brutally honest – with yourself first
Was this response justified? Have you really screwed up so magnificently that people are actually baying for blood? Then it’s time to fix the past.
Identify how you can make things better for the people you’ve hurt (damaged trust – it still hurts) and put some actions into place. If appropriate, respond to their scathing reviews and tell them what you’ve done/going to do… and make darn sure that you actually follow through with these actions.
Review sites: If you didn’t deserve this review – and you can prove tht you didn’t deserve the review, then remember you can contact the review website and get some reviews taken down. So it’s not the end of the world.
2) Now be honest with your potential clients.
Chances are your potential clients/customers are ggoing to be googling you – and if you’ve got a nasty reputatoin out there, then they are going to see it! In this instance it is better that they hear a well-reasoned explanation from you first, rather than making their mind up based on an online review site.
Tell the customer the whole story, and build in all the positive angles, what you have learned from the situation and how it has improved you/your serice/product going forward.
3) Remove the negative review
Most review sites have an option for you to appeal against a bad review, and they will remove the review or adjust the text so that it reflects the true picture (for this they send the review back to the customer to re-write)
Google now has a “Right to be forgotten” law – https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/legal-removal-request?complaint_type=rtbf&pli=1
So if you have an online review about you in a blog or website, you can ask Google ot remove it. Bear in mind that the offending article will remain in a cache for some time, so you may have to wait it out.
If someone is using your photo or comments withouth your permission you can apply for a “cease and desist” order. But it’s much better to ask them politely first (and cheaper!)
3) Boost your positive rankings
Few people will search beyond page 2 or 3 of google search pages, so aim to take ownership of the first few pages. Set up every positive space you can, and fill it with positive things.
We’re talking LinkedIn, Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook (for thsi one you want your settings as set to open and search-engine friendly)
Set up a few blogs, post articles for other people. Make sure you’ve got your Google+ settings right.
Push the negative content right down the rankings, and nobody will be finding your negative history, unless they are truly determined.
At this point you need to review your current web presence, and ensure it’s fresh and fabulous. Put up new positive content, and put some real effort into your site. Get other people in your company to write blogs and content. And aim to post up lots of REAL testimonials from satisifed and happy customers (if your customer is happy to be quoted with their name and details – so much the better)
This is hard work, and you’ll have to persist, but keep going – it’s worth it.
5) Stop this happening again
OK, it’s happened. Now it’s time to step up and give yourself a really thorough talking to. What was it that you have done that has caused the negativity? How can you stop this happening again in the future?
It’s a good idea to set yourself up policies that you can quote and actively use for future customers.
6) Take heart
Research shows that many customers are happier to buy from a company that has messed up butt put the fault right. For some reason the ability to own up to responsibility, and respond authentically, means customers have more trust in companies. So your screw-up issn’t the end of the world. If anything it could be the start of an evenn better future. But it’s important to be truthful with yourself, your staff and to authentically and swiftly do EVERYTHING in your power to put things right.