Remember that the three steps in online reputation management are to create, maintain and repair. If you start the first two steps and approach the entire process in a proactive manner, you may not have to go through the last step.

Reputation management is important because a poor perception of your company may cause you to lose income, get little respect and for potential customers to distrust you. It may also cause challenges that you may not have been prepared for initially and that could have easily been taken care of if your reputation was not damaged in the first place.

It is important that you get involved with social media since you will be able to have a conversation with customers and create the tone you want around your company. Creating content through blogging is a great way to get people to focus their attention on the positive parts of your company and the things that you can do for them.

Remember to address complaints in a prompt manner that leaves the customer satisfied. Be honest, do not make promises you cannot keep and try to keep your cool at all times. Think before you post and remember that you are representing your company in front of everyone. Always be polite and transparent, but remember that you do not have to explain yourself to anyone except when it comes to making your company better.

If you follow all the steps above carefully and thoroughly, your company’s reputation will be cleared and you will be able to focus on bringing great customer service to all your new customers while you listen to what your existing customers have to say.