Negative online information is shaping consumer buying habits and leaving many business and individuals searching for a solution Googling yourself or your company isn’t narcissistic, it’s necessary in today’s business world. “If you’ve spoken to a customer recently, networked, or went in for an interview, you should absolutely assume you’re being Googled. Somewhere, someone is typing your name into that search box and making a judgment based on what they find,” says Anthony Semadeni, owner of Colorado Springs’ digital marketing agency Business Checkup.COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO – OCTOBER 25, 2017 – Googling yourself or your company isn’t narcissistic, it’s become necessary in today’s business world. According to a recent BrightLocal Consumer Review, 91% of North Americans consumers read online reviews to learn about a business, and 60% say negative reviews or reputations turned them away from doing business. “Business owners and professional service individuals (doctors, lawyers, insurance and real estate agents, etc.) have got to start realizing one simple fact…if you’ve spoken to a customer recently, networked, or went in for an interview, you should absolutely assume you’re being Googled. Somewhere, someone is typing your name into that search box and making a judgment based on what they find,” says Anthony Semadeni, owner of Colorado Springs’ digital marketing agency Business Checkup.
A new wave of statistics keenly show how dire the situation is for a business to have an abundance of bad customer reviews or other negative information associated to their name or brand. In a 2017 Edelman Trust Barometer Report, it showed that 64% of people trust search engines for research, with Google commanding nearly 78% of all searches according to Net Market Share. Other research shows that businesses with mostly 1-star or 2-star reviews fail to convert about 90% of prospective customers in a Google search.
“Make no mistake, EVERYONE is at risk of negative content online, whether it be online reviews, blog posts, featured articles, legal documents, or even photos” Semadeni says. Of the 75 percent of U.S. adults who Google themselves, nearly half say the results aren’t positive.
The reason is simple. Anyone can write anything about you online, typically without consequence. A jealous competitor can anonymously write a critical blog post or fill out a damning RipoffReport. An angry client can write a horrible review for your business without recourse.
“Without any positive content out there to defend against digital attacks, you have no chance of keeping your online rep clean. Anything negative goes undefended, immediately rising to the top of your search results for the whole world to see…in in the blink of an eye, your good reputation is gone!” cries Anthony Semadeni.
So what can you do?
As high school football coach Semadeni says, “The best defense is a good offense! First find out what information is floating out there when you search yourself, and search like you would if you wanted to investigate yourself or your company. Add words like complaints, violations, reviews, fraud or scam into your search query with your name or business name. Once you know what you’re up against, there are several things you can do on your own if you have the patience and time. You can’t fix your reputation overnight. Of course, there is always the option of hiring out that project to reputation management company, such as ours. Repairing your reputation can be a very expensive and time consuming venture, so do your due dilience, get a quote, and make your service provider earn your trust.”
Business Checkup LLC
Since 2010, Business Checkup founder Anthony Semadeni and his team has been committed to helping small business owners compete with the big companies and rise to the next level by providing outsourced advertising and digital marketing services tailored specifically to meet the needs of local “neighbor” businesses.
For more information on press release distribution, visit www.businesscheckup.info
Media Contact
Company Name: Sterling-Holtby Public Relations
Contact Person: Glenn Sterling
Email: news@sterlingholtby.com
Phone: 424-488-1388
Country: United States
Website: http://www.businesscheckup.info
