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A good company reputation doesn’t happen by accident and it’s a valuable commodity. A good reputation can promote referrals. Let’s say you heard from half a dozen people about how great the food is at a local Italian restaurant. Even if you never ate there, you’d probably recommend it to someone looking for an Italian restaurant.
Why? It’s got a good reputation. That said, creating that reputation requires sustained work overtime. You must deliver on multiple fronts again and again. What are some specific things you can do to build that good company reputation? Offer Excellent Customer Service Excellent customer service is something that many companies claim to offer and most fail to deliver. This failure comes at a cost. Most people consider quality customer service as simple respect. Never forget that the customer is the one spending money with your business. Listen when they give you feedback and respond accordingly. If you can, fix things when they go wrong. If you can’t, immediately find someone who can. After all, we live in a time when customers can spend 10 minutes just trying to navigate a phone menu before getting put on hold. A little respect and some good faith efforts can leave you looking like a rock star. Know When You Should Say No Sooner or later, almost every successful business faces a dilemma. The company gets offered work that everyone knows it shouldn’t take on. Sometimes, the business just can’t muster the resources to do the job well. If you’re already working at close to capacity, taking on more work is a recipe for failure. Even if you somehow finish the job, it won’t prove to be the best quality. You end up with an unhappy customer who will almost certainly complain. And when someone is dissatisfied, they are more likely to tell people and post on social media than when they are pleased. Other times, the work just isn’t the right fit for the business. Maybe the client works in an area that the business doesn’t understand well, or there could be a difference in values and practices. Saying no isn’t natural for most businesses. It certainly looks bad from a financial perspective. Yet, you risk doing substantial reputation damage when you take on work you know you shouldn’t. Watch Out for Online Reputation Killers If you’re in business today, you cannot escape the internet and social media. At a minimum, you’re running a website and a couple of social media profiles. Starting with your website, make sure your hosting service guarantees 99 percent uptime. A website that goes down all the time alienates your customers and damages your search engine rank. It also makes your business look unprofessional. There are other, more damaging online threats to your company's reputation. One of those is bad reviews. You can’t stop people from posting bad reviews, but you can comment on them. Take advantage of that option and explain the steps you took to resolve the issue. Always be apologetic. Most people won’t hold the review against you if you respond accordingly. Some people will take things one step further and get into online defamation. That happens when someone specifically says false things about you or your company. Examples: Bad review: “They overcooked my steak and the potatoes were cold. Also, my waiter seemed more interested in his phone than doing his job.” Online defamation: “The staff at this restaurant sits at the tables playing online games and the owners are sitting somewhere stuffing their mouths with bonbons while we eat their old, stale food.” Obviously, you must deny these allegations, but depending on the severity of the comment, it may also provide grounds for legal action on your part. Develop Quality Content Putting out quality content is another way of cementing a good company reputation. What is quality content? Quality content must hit three essential points:
Maybe even more importantly, it’s all those things for your intended audience. An article about new technology being used in virtual reality might prove interesting, but it’s not useful or relevant if you run a bakery. On the flip side, someone working in robotic prosthetics probably shouldn’t offer advice on making cheesecake. Assuming your content does hit all those points and it’s for the right audience, you get some real benefits. It demonstrates your mastery of the topic. Customers and peers will start trusting your opinion. This increases the odds they’ll think of you when someone asks for a recommendation. Quality content can draw in customers from unexpected sources: Let’s say that Larry reads my article about good company reputation because someone shared it on social media. He passes the link along to Jane, who currently received a negative review online and didn’t know what to do. She needs someone to maintain and market on her social media platforms. Ta-da… maybe she hires me. Stranger things happen every day. Establishing a good company reputation isn’t a fluke or an overnight process. You must work at it over time. You must deliver excellent customer service. Businesses that fail at customer service damage their own reputations and cost themselves money. It means saying no when work comes your way that you can’t do well. If you lack the resources or it’s a bad fit for any reason, recommend a company you think can do it well. You’ll end up looking good for not wasting someone’s time and money. Having great partnerships with complementary services can go a long way. Don’t passively accept online reputation killers like downtime or bad reviews. They’ll just ruin your reputation if you let them. Produce solid content. Relevant, interesting, useful content proves your knowledge. That encourages referrals and can lead to unexpected opportunities.
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Bringing home a new pet is one of life’s most exciting experiences and many Americans appear to agree — 68 percent of households in the United States own a furry companion. Recognizing that our pets are important to us and part of the family, some companies are now offering their employees “pawternity” leave (also known as “furternity” leave.)
Pawternity leave acknowledges the growing role pets play in employees’ lives by giving them time off specifically for caring for a new baby pet, caring for their ill or injured fur friends, or for bereavement after a beloved pet dies. With millennials now representing the largest population in the workforce, as well as the largest population of pet owners (more than 35 percent), it’s easy to understand why more and more businesses are incorporating pawternity leave into their benefits packages. But don’t rush out to adopt pawternity perks as your company’s newest benefit just yet. Because it’s so new, what’s included in pawternity benefits varies widely from company to company. The types of animals covered by such policies fluctuate just as dramatically. Some companies include all types of pets for furternity benefits (even those that don’t technically have fur), while others offer leave for dogs and cats only. The concept of pawternity leave is catching on with more employers. A recent survey conducted by Nationwide and the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) found that 91% of employees who work for companies with these types of pet-friendly policies are more engaged with their work. The number-one reason cited for adopting pet-related benefits is that it boosts employee morale. It shows heart and recognizes the important role pets play in many people’s lives, which translates to better employee engagement and retention. And that’s good for any business. Another advantage to the company: It may help you become an employer of choice when recruiting new employees, particularly millennials and Gen Zs searching for cutting-edge incentives since few businesses currently offer pawternity leave. Another potentially beneficial aspect of pawternity leave is that it has minimal financial repercussions for your business. Pawternity leave is simply a benefit that protects a person's position should they need to take a leave to be with their pet. It works this way: a person needs a week to be with their dog. If the employee doesn’t want to use PTO or sick time (or doesn’t have any remaining), then the employee can take a leave without pay and their job won't be in jeopardy. Zogics of Lenox, Mass. has a pawternity leave program and offers other benefits like discounts on pet insurance and a pet-friendly office. “Every day is take your dog to work day at Zogics [Pet Division], and more than half of our employees bring their four-legged friends to the office,” says CEO Paul LeBlanc. It’s because of policies like this that Zogics was recently named one of the Best Workplaces in America by Inc Magazine. The most obvious drawback to offering pet-related benefits is that, by definition, they’re not applied equally to all employees. For instance, if only half of your workforce owns pets, that means the other half won’t qualify for the extra time off or flexibility to work from home. If your firm is considering developing and implementing pawternity leave, there are some factors that should be considered. 1. What constitutes a pet? Defining this is the first hurdle you’ll need to clear before adopting pawternity leave. While cats and dogs are the most commonly owned pets, what about birds, bunnies, fish, rodents, snakes, lizards, and horses? What if an employee argues that their new goldfish needs help adjusting to its new home? Allowing leave for some types of pets and not others may leave you open to claims of favoritism. 2. How much time will be allowed in the policy? Just as HR policies have limits to sick days and vacation days, there should be limits to pawternity leave as well. For instance, an employee who fosters sick animals may cope with multiple animals passing away each year. Do you allow a day for each animal that dies, or just one day a year? Make sure you consider all angles and scenarios so that you’re not faced with excessive pet-based absences that may affect your business. 3. Does this benefit cover bereavement only? Or will you also provide days off or the flexibility to work from home upon the adoption of a new pet? What if their pet gets sick and they need to stay home? Whatever you decide, just make sure it’s clearly spelled out in your policies and employee handbook. 4. How many days will be available for bereavement? What about for new-pet adjustment? Again, the most important things to remember here are clarity and consistency. Communicate the specific number of days or the terms of any flexible arrangement allowed for each type of pawternity leave, and then apply your policy fairly to everyone. Do different needs allow for different amounts of time off? Taking care of a sick pet is different from bringing home a new puppy. 5. Will you offer pet health insurance? The American Pet Products Association's research shows a rise in spending on veterinary services. As the New York Times reported, some companies have started offering health insurance for employees’ pets as an additional benefit. 6. Is the policy unfair to other employees? Allowing extra time off for pet owners may leave employees who don't have pets feeling left out. The policy should take this into consideration to ensure employees are given approximately equal benefits as permitted by their contracts. Perhaps the easiest option is to be as generous with paid time off (PTO) as is financially feasible and to encourage employees to use their time as they need it. (This may require that you remind managers to control their judgmental comments about pet bereavement or puppy training.) You could also consider whether or not the employee can work from home and not use their PTO time at all. Other pet-friendly business strategies to consider may include:
Besides creating a new policy, there are many ways you can show your support for employees with pets. For example, you could welcome an employee’s new fur baby with a gift basket or kit that includes some treats and a toy, much like you would host a baby shower for a human child. Whether you want to incorporate a pawternity policy or are just looking for information about this new trend, it is a clear example of the changes that occur as society changes. Pawternity leave may just be a trend now, but in 10 years it may be standard practice in many industries and workplaces. Deciding whether or not to incorporate it can help a firm determine how it addresses its employees' needs both inside and outside the office. With a little creativity, the possibilities are endless. Do you know that 51% percent of consumers believe that businesses should be available to answer questions 24/7? And 42 percent of people say they prefer live chat to interacting on the phone.
If you have a business that sells retail products (especially online), or an essential service that some may want immediately, live chat may be something for you to consider. It allows your company to respond to questions and concerns in real time. Customers access it right through your website. If you’re looking for how to have a seamless customer experience, this is it. Keep People Focused on You In today’s world of text messages and social media, people have become accustomed to immediate responses. As such, when a potential consumer has to wait even a moderate amount of time to get their question answered, they go elsewhere. Handholding Some customers may want to be walked through the buying process when purchasing online. This crucial component may be what keeps a person returning to your company. “Preferred Contact Time” A person can submit a request containing their question or concern on live chat. They can select a preferred time to contact them back. This function gives both the consumer and the customer service representative a more structured option. It offers the ability for the rep to prepare a response. Gain Insight into Your Customer’s Behavior No matter your business, you want to know what attracts your customer. In other words, what is it they like about your website, product or service? What don’t they like? When you interact directly with your customers through live chat, you can engage them in conversation and learn more about their needs and shopping behavior. It can also get you access to those potential customers who may not be buying yet but will after conversing through chat. And if they don’t, you may be able to find out why. Improving Your Products or Services Knowledge is power. Live chat provides you with the perfect opportunity to ask questions and find out what your customers are looking for. This valuable information can help you better understand the person you’re selling to. When you better understand your customer, you can improve your products or services to appeal to a wider demographic. You’ll also be able to enhance your marketing strategies based on direct feedback. Build Stronger Relationships with Consumers Quality customer service begins and ends with the relationship between the customer and your company. Customers want to feel like they matter to you, and they’re not just another dollar sign. Video Chat Live chat can also utilize video for an even more personal interaction. Live chat that uses video can offer you the benefit of being able to have actual eye contact with someone. You can connect with them on more than just a business level. You’ll be able to foster stronger relationships as they see you and feel like they’re buying from a person rather than a company. Increase In Efficiency Think about how many people are reached by Instagram or Twitter. Most of the questions that come through, reps have answered hundreds of times. Because of this, one person can usually handle several chats at a time. This advantage is simply not possible when you’re answering phone calls. Rapid Response Time With live chat, most of the time the customer service responder is ready and available. They will be able to quickly and easily provide answers to the customer’s questions. Typically, the consumer will receive a satisfactory response in under a minute. Decrease In Cost Because one person can respond to multiple chats, you’ll be able to hire fewer people without sacrificing quality customer service. You can do more with less. Quick Questions and Shorter Wait Times Another added benefit to live chat is that it allows the consumer to receive answers quickly to short, simple questions. In this fast-paced world of instant gratification, shorter wait times are always a bonus. And oftentimes, that one simple answer can complete the sale. Reduce or Eliminate Barriers Some people just seem to be natural worriers. These worries can keep potential customers from becoming actual customers. Through its quick response time, live chat can answer questions faster. This helps to ease their minds of concerns and doubts that could potentially keep them from buying your product or services. What’s more important to your business strategy than this? Reducing or eliminating barriers to purchase. The result is an increase in sales. Keep Your Competitive Edge Adding live chat to your customer service will keep you competitive as this approach continues to grow. Some businesses that are using this strategy are receiving fantastic feedback. Customer Service Training Make sure you invest in some solid training for your customer service representatives. Be sure to cover the following topics:
Quality Customer Service Through Live Chat Customer service is arguably the backbone of any business. Yes, the product is important. And your experience is important. But service is a vital element of any company. It takes an internet user around 0.5 seconds to form an impression of your website.
So, if you think you can still get by on weak web design elements, then you’re mistaken. People will immediately form an opinion of your product/services based on the look and content of your website. It needs to be perfect if you want to keep their attention. A cluttered web design conveys that you either don’t know how to use the technology or don’t care. Both options are unacceptable. Here are some general principles of good web design: Simplicity Too many elements presented at once can overwhelm the senses. Instead of including as many things on your webpage as possible, focus on one or two sections. Vast blocks of small text quickly cause people to lose interest. Utilize one primary font type for catching your visitor’s attention. You also need to pay attention to color. Conflicting color patterns can offend some people. Keep it simple by selecting no more than two complementary color schemes that represent what your website stands for: Red — enthusiastic Yellow — energetic Green — growing Blue — relaxed Orange — warm Purple — focused Branded Elements Logos and similar branded graphics are crucial for two main reasons:
Brand recognition is a powerful thing. If you have a great graphic that people associate with good content, then they’re more likely to come back. A high-resolution logo in the corner of your screen can also serve as a home button that streamlines navigation on your site. Immediately Convey What Your Website Is About Don’t make users search your page to find out what kind of website you have. Convey that information instantly, so they don’t waste any time. Pictures or large text are essential here. You also need to make sure that your webpage is easy to navigate. If someone gets lost, don’t expect them to stick around. Contact Page Almost all websites should have a contact page — primarily if you sell something. Sites without a contact page appear untrustworthy. One study found that 44% of people will leave a website if they find it doesn’t have a contact info page. As such, it’s worth it to add one — even if it’s just a comment or suggestion page. It shows that you want to hear back from your visitors. It also gives you access to your visitor’s emails, which you can use for newsletters, special offers, or content updates. Use White Space White space is the negative space on a website — the area left white by no text, graphics, or videos. Making the most of your site’s white space is one of the essential elements of good design. For one thing, it makes your website easier to read. White space can highlight a portion of text or an image that you want to stand out. It’s also great for separating different sections from one another. Open white space design offers a minimalist look that appeals to short attention spans. Generate Original Content People need an excuse to visit your website, and original content is your ice breaker. It introduces the user to your brand and keeps them coming back. But how do you generate content for your website? Think about what might appeal to users that visit your site. For example, if you own a hardware website, then some content about home repair will attract potential customers to your page. If you need some more ways to find content ideas, best use a professional. We write content even if we don’t design the site for you. Mobile Version These days someone is just as likely to look at your website on their smartphone as their desktop. So, if you have a great design that works on the web, but fails on mobile, then you are losing half your potential viewers. Test your website by looking it up on a mobile device and troubleshooting it. If you see any glaring issues, address them before launching the site. Search Friendly So, you made a beautiful website? Congrats! But it won’t matter if people can’t find it. Using SEO features on your website will make it more likely to pop up in people’s Google search. Make sure that your website appears appropriately in all the different types of browsers. Also, make sure you utilize things like meta tags, alt tags, and title tags in the HTML coding. Know The Difference Between Good and Bad Web Design Elements Some people believe that functional web design elements are subjective, but these are proven strategies for keeping people on your site and having them return again. More than 50 percent of people will head straight to your About page when they visit your website for the first time. In fact, this page is one of the most visited pages on business sites.
If you don’t have an About Me/Us page yet, writing one should be your next priority. But it takes a bit more effort than just writing a short paragraph about what your company does. Do You Really Need an About Page? In short, yes. An About page gives your customers a place to learn more about you and the services/products you provide. It also gives you a way to establish yourself as an authority in your field. If you don’t have an About page, your customers might be left with unanswered questions. They may even feel like they can’t trust you and take their business somewhere else. Because of this, an About page is one of the most important parts of your website. Don’t Make It Boring You only have a few seconds to catch a reader’s attention. If they aren’t interested in what you’re saying in about 7-10 seconds, they’re going to leave. So, anything you write on your About page has to be interesting. Start with a good hook. This will catch people’s attention and make them want to keep reading. Then focus on telling your story. Talk about how you got started and how your business has grown to where it is now. Facts are good but don’t rely on them. People will be much more interested in and moved by a good story than statistics. Add A Few Testimonials Adding positive testimonials is like bragging, right? Wrong. Testimonials establish you as an expert and build trust with other customers. If the reader sees other people have had a good experience with you in the past, they’ll be more likely to purchase a product or service. (I prefer to have testimonials on different pages throughout the site instead of just one page.) Share Your Passions Your customers don’t just care about what you do… they want to know WHY you’re doing it. Open up about your passions. Explain the mission behind your business. This will help people get more invested in your company and WANT to do business with you. And be genuine. People can tell if you don’t really believe what you say. And that can hurt you rather than help you. Add a Picture of Yourself You want to connect with your customers on a personal level. Adding a photo of yourself will let them see the person behind the business, which can make them feel a more personal connection to your company. A picture also helps customers build trust. When they see your picture, they know you are a person just like them – or a family - not just another big corporation. This will show them you care about them for more than just the dollar sign they add to your bottom line. Keep It Short Don’t make the mistake of adding too much information on your About page. If it’s too long, your customers will lose interest. While there are a lot of things you should include on this page, keep it simple. If you want to go more in-depth about your mission or your story, consider expanding on the information in your About page in a full-length blog or hidden page prefaced with a “Read More.” Include A Call to Action It’s not enough to tell your customers who you are. You need to give them a way to take action. Make sure there is a button or link they can click that’ll take them to your services or products page. This will show them what to do next and help guide them through the process. Your About page should also have a way to contact you. This allows customers to reach out with any questions or comments. If you have a separate contact page, make sure you link to it in your about page. It’s Not Really “About You” This might sound opposite to what we’ve been saying, but your About page isn’t really about you. The main goal of your About page is to build empathy with customers. The people who read your About page want to see themselves in your business services/products. So, make sure you take the time to understand who you’re writing for. You might need to start by creating a buyer persona for your business. Once you know who you’re talking to, you can use your story and mission statement to help them feel a certain way. This will then encourage them to purchase your products or services. The content on this page might be short, but it’s one of the most important pages on your website. Your About page does more than tell people who you are. It tells them what you’re doing, why you’re doing it, and how it will impact their lives. Most business owners understand the importance of investing in an attractive and informative website, but they don’t all realize that you need to update your website to keep it relevant and current. Here is why you may be due for an update:
1. You need to increase engagement with customers One of the most important reasons to update your website is to create a constant stream of communication with your customers. A static website that has standard information that your customers have already seen won’t inspire them to engage with you or revisit, but a regularly updated website that provides high-quality content will. 2. You need better search engine performance Organic traffic is hugely important when it comes to sustaining a successful business website and one of the top ways to help your business website gain organic search engine traffic is by keeping it updated with new content. The reason for this is because search engines typically pay much more attention to websites that are regularly updated than those that are not and updating your website with new content gives search engines more chances to index the pages on your website. 3. Are your customers leaving for competitors? The key to long-term success for any business is to consistently provide value to your customers. You want your customers to return to your site as often as possible and if you make no changes, there will be no reason for them to do that. You want your customers’ loyalty and providing them with new and relevant information will help that process. 4. Are you using it as a tool to gather data on prospects? It’s natural to look at your business website as a great marketing tool, but another way to use it is as a tool for gathering valuable marketing data. What better way to learn the buzzwords, topics, news, and industry information that current and potential clients want than by seeing what they are viewing the most. You should be updating content and paying close attention to analytics so you can use this information to take your marketing to another level. 5. Give the best impression of your brand – Have you updated your brand? And finally, one of the top reasons to update your website design and content is that you want to keep your brand foremost in clients’ and prospects’ minds. Making smart updates to your website shows that your company cares about its brand, values staying informed about current events, and truly cares about its customers and the information they are providing. It may not just be about your website. You probably want to look at your brand and see if it is time to do a complete overhaul keeping yourself modern and distinguishing yourself from your competition.  We are always looking for ways to get in front of our potential customers. Though there are many successful strategies that can be used, we should discuss Facebook and its relevance in 2022.
It seems that some people are more interested in Instagram and TikTok, but there are still a lot of people that use Facebook and get impressive advertising results. No one can predict the future, but I think Facebook is here to stay and will continue to do well within business communities. We all know Facebook pretty well at this point, and as the world’s most famous social network, its mobile app can be found on more than two billion users’ devices. 2022 Facebook Statistics
Set up a Facebook page for your business. If your business does not already have a Facebook page set up, you might want to do so immediately! If your business has a designated Facebook page, your clients and customers will be able to leave meaningful comments on your wall, message you, and share your work with their colleagues, friends, and family. Post insightful content on your wall. Clients and prospects do not want to waste their time on fluff. Post items that will add substance to your Facebook page instead of flooding your page with cute pictures and inspiring quotes. Anyone can advertise on Facebook The most significant advantage of using Facebook for promotion is that the platform is open to everyone. Regardless of your company size, goal, and budget, the network allows everyone to advertise their work on its platform. Boost your posts to grow your audience Boosted Facebook posts work by paying to increase the exposure of a post. Boosted Facebook posts look like any other post: they live on your page and appear in your desired audience’s newsfeed. The key difference between a regular post and a boosted post is that the boosted post will allow you to target specific audiences. Make sure that your boosted post has a great image, a clear call to action, and leads back to your website. Target the right audiences During the past two years, Zoom has become a “go-to” mode of communication. I’m sure that some of you have a love/hate relationship with the world’s most popular video platform. But hosting webinars just might change your entire perspective.
In case you haven’t heard, webinars can be incredibly powerful. So how do you host a lead-producing webinar of your own? 1. Promote your webinars ahead of time Obviously, if you want people to attend your webinar, you must tell them about it. So come up with an event marketing strategy! Post about your webinar on social media, blast it to your email list, write a promotional blog post and run social ads. If you have co-hosts, guests, or influencers involved in the webinar, encourage them to do the same! 2. Get the technical details down Technical difficulties are always possible, but there are things you can do to prevent them:
And on the actual day of the webinar, don’t forget to record it. The ability to send out replays increases the value of your presentation. 3. Write your script Create a script that aligns with your presentation (to stay on track and on time), but remember that sometimes, less is more. Don’t try to cover everything you know about your industry – just pick one topic and go in-depth. Aim for a 40-45-minute presentation, so you’ll have lots of time for questions at the end. 4. Find ways to make it interactive Want to add even more value to your webinar? Interactive elements can help turn a “lecture” into an actual experience for your attendees. Try a quick activity or ask your attendees to answer a few fun questions in the chat feature. 5. Focus on your call to action Include a call-to-action at the end of the webinar, like:
Sure, it’s a free webinar – but it can also help you achieve your other marketing and business objectives. Whether you want to appeal to investors, share your organization’s key message, or increase sales, don’t forget you’re investing time in a small part of a full marketing strategy. Also, make sure your call-to-action is relevant to the content in your presentation. Ideally, the webinar should serve as a teaser – leaving your attendees wanting more! 6. Have a post-webinar plan Once your webinar is over, have a strategy for staying top-of-mind with your attendees. Try:
While running a free webinar is a big task, the payoff could be huge. It’s worth adding one or two to your 2022 marketing game plan! And if you don’t have a marketing plan yet, no sweat, we can help! Visit www.Maria-L-Novak.com |
Boost Your BusinessMaria NovakI have over 35 years' experience in Marketing Small Businesses. Categories
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