Digital Assets:Digital Assets: Take Care of Your Take Care of Your Online Real EstateOnline Real Estate

Your Online Presence

You take care of your Social Media posts and Twitter feed, you update your blog and tweak your website - all to maintain your online presence.

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But are you forgetting something?

Chances are, they didn’t forget you!

Local Destination and Review Sites

Your business is probably already listed on local destination sites. But HOW is it represented?

You need to claim this virtual real estate and plant your flag. Add your company and contact info. Describe your business in ways that will entice locals to stop and make a purchase.

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Stake Your Claim!

Take control of ALL listings about your business – Yelp, TripAdvisor, FourSquare, Google, Facebook, Yahoo, Amazon, Bing, Yellow Pages – all have business reviews and recommendations – and probably have your business listed already.

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Follow the Rules

Each network has its own rules. It’s important that you follow them so that you don’t get banned or do anything to harm your standing with the network. You want to represent your business in a good light always!

Make the Space Yours

Don’t rely on a Google Streetview photo! Upload a GREAT photo of your business. Images of your business shown online represent your brand. They are often your first impression. Upload a high quality shot of your storefront.

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Link over to Your Own Website!

Any place where you can put a profile online, be sure that you’ve filled it out! Include any the images that you can. Update the hours. Share any pertinent information. Make sure all the information is always accurate and up to date …and most importantly … link over to your own website!

Always Link to Your Own Site

These review sites and social media pages are extremely important but they do not take the place of your own website.

Every business should have it’s own website. No matter what kind of business, not having a website makes you appear unprofessional in today’s world.

Provide Top-Notch Customer Service

Under promise and over deliver, blow people away with your service and you will inspire the best reviews and ratings.

Reviews Matter

Don’t set it and forget it!

Monitor and nurture your review sites. Remind customers to give you a review. Respond to reviews if you can.

Stay Positive

You will never please everybody.

But remember a positive response to a negative review can have a lot of power in the eyes of potential customers.

Always, always stay positive!

Don’t Ignore Negative Reviews

It’s important to take any negative reviews and try to turn them into positive reviews.

Phrase a response that is kind, generous, and helpful.

Also contact the customer privately to fix the issue.

Check the Filters

Some rating sites have filters to prevent false reviews. Like any spam filter, sometimes they filter out correct and good reviews.

Be sure to check those filters to ensure that the real reviews are getting through.

Ask Loyal Customers to Help

When someone has purchased from you, simply follow up with them and ask them to give you a review.

Make it easy for them by giving them a link to the places you want them to leave a review.

Remove Obvious Spam

The one exception to ignoring a bad review is when it’s obvious spam. The best course of action for spam is to simply delete it without comment and if possible block the person.

Social Media Is Fickle

It’s important to use social media accounts but it’s best to have the main focus be on your website. Social media should be an amplifier, not the end-all-be-all.

If all your social media accounts were shut down tomorrow, what would you do without a website?

Social Media Is Fickle

Review sites, local destination sites, social media sites and other online directories are very valuable pieces of online real estate as well. Make sure to nurture them all and keep your reputation online flawless.

Position Your Brand for Success

When your website works together with these other pieces of digital real estate, you position your brand to be much more successful. It’s YOUR brand, so take charge of it and secure your digital real estate.

Need More Info?

Other helpful for small business and online marketers on Patt Timlin Online

Check out blog post: Your Online Presence!