Reputation Management for Retailers in the Digital Landscape

Retailers live and
die by their reputation online, a key insight we helped one of our client
internalize recently.  Shoppers consult
their social networks and popular peer review sites like Yelp before choosing
where to make a purchase. If your ratings are low, fewer of the customers you
want will come through the door. This can lead to losing potential sales to
competitors with higher ratings.

Google (if you dare)

We performed a quick digital audit for our client’s brand and found major
cavities in their digital reputation. A simple Google search led us to a number
of negative Yelp and Foursquare reviews. There was a clear dissatisfaction with
customer service, quality and delivery time. Priding itself on quality, the
client was shocked to see those results.  If you haven’t done this in a while, this is a
great place to start. To establish a baseline, see what customers are saying
about your competitors and companies within the industry. Auditing your brand
will help you uncover hidden feelings customers may have as well as provide valuable
feedback on your internal process.

Social Media = Transparency

After you uncover potential issues, it’s time to do some patch up work. Do any
of the reviews hold true? Changes need to be made to fix the process. You work
hard and spend a lot of money to get people through the door, so when customers
do come in it’s up to the brand to create a positive experience. It’s up to you
to delight the customer and provide great customer service. These are the types
of experiences that will make it to Yelp (as well as the opposite). Social
media is a great platform that strives on transparency, if you offer great
service, people will talk about it.

Fixing your Reputation


Reputation is ongoing and needs to be actively managed. There are many tools in
the digital toolbox that will help you look better in the eyes of your
customer. Some of the ideas that you can start with are after-sale customer
service, managing and replying to customer Yelp comments and a Twitter channel
dedicated to addressing customer needs.

Times change, and so do consumer trends for
retailers. Follow their behavior, and you’ll gain valuable insights which will
improve your business. Ignore the trends, and watch as competitors welcome more
customers through their door.

Dmitri Pivtorak, Thinking Only Positive Thoughts About Your Brand

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