Online Reputation Management: Why It's Crucial for Your Dealership's Success
Word of mouth has always been a crucial component of a successful marketing strategy. A strong and positive brand reputation not only attracts potential customers, but encourages repeat business and builds customer loyalty. In a digital age when reputation can make or break a brand's image in just a few online interactions, it's never been more important to actively manage the overall first impression that an online shopper will have of your dealership.
This comprehensive guide will delve into the reasons why online brand reputation should be at the forefront of your marketing strategy and offer actionable best practices to ensure your dealership’s brand reputation remains in good health.
- The Digital Evolution of Word of Mouth
- Best Practices to Create & Maintain a Positive Brand Reputation
- Monitor Your Online Presence
- Respond to Customer Feedback
- Build a Positive Online Reputation
- Claim Your Google Business Profile
- Invest in a Reputation Management Tool
- Outsourcing Your Reputation Management
The Digital Evolution of Word of Mouth
Word-of-mouth recommendations are no longer just person-to-person interactions. The conversation has expanded from in-person conversations to the screens in your shoppers’ pockets. Yes, people still swap recommendations amongst friends and peers, but there is no denying that in today's online ecosystem, word of mouth and personal recommendations have found a new home on social media platforms, forums, reviews and ratings sites.
Your potential customers are looking for your business online, which means one of the first things they’ll do is read online reviews about your dealership. For example, a potential buyer is likely to start their purchase journey with a Google search to get an idea of what they want to buy and where they want to buy it. Among the search results, they’re likely see a cluster of relevant business listings, including any Google reviews posted about those businesses.
A single customer experience, whether positive or negative, can now reach thousands, influencing potential customers far and wide. In fact, 46% of consumers consider online reviews as reliable as a personal recommendation from a family member or friend, according to BrightLocal.
Your online brand reputation serves as an extension of your physical store. An overwhelming 98% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses, and 76% report that they always read reviews for a business. Just as a customer's in-store experience can impact their perception of your dealership, their online experience can also greatly influence their opinion. This is especially true with the rise of social media and review platforms where customers can easily share their experiences and opinions.
Best Practices to Create & Maintain a Positive Brand Reputation
Maintaining a positive and accurate online presence requires vigilance, strategy and engagement. Here's how your dealership can effectively manage its online brand reputation.
Monitor Your Online Presence
In order to protect and promote your online reputation, you have to know what people are saying about your business. Regularly monitor major review sites such as Google, Facebook and industry-specific platforms. And because social media is often the first point of contact for potential customers, be on the lookout for mentions on social media and in online forums that cater to your audience.
Actively monitor your social profiles, promptly responding to comments and messages. Don't shy away from negative feedback; address it publicly and professionally to showcase your commitment to customer satisfaction. You may also choose to use Google Alerts to keep you in the know. By setting up alerts for your brand’s name and other relevant keywords, you can receive notifications of new content published online that pertains to your dealership.
Respond to Customer Feedback
On average, customers expect your business to respond to their review within seven days, according to Search Engine Journal. One in three expect a response in three days or less. A quick reply to online feedback shows your customers that you value their input and are attentive to their needs.
While many businesses only think to respond to negative reviews to protect their brand reputation, it’s important to actively monitor and respond to both positive and negative reviews in a timely manner, addressing any concerns or issues raised by customers. This not only shows that your dealership values your customers and that you’re willing to address any potential problems before they escalate, you’re also interested in every customer, no matter the review they leave. Just try to avoid generic responses that could come across as disingenuous or generated by a bot, such as simply replying “Thanks for your review!” to every positive testimonial.
Thank customers for positive reviews and address negative feedback with genuine concern and an offer to rectify any issues. Responding to reviews is as much for the benefit of potential customers who are reading the review as it is for the original poster.
How to Address Negative Reviews
When it comes to legitimate online complaints, ignoring online reviews can have a detrimental effect on your dealership’s reputation. Responding to negative reviews can be uncomfortable and downright daunting, but addressing a complaint directly has the power to stop it in its tracks and prevent it from deterring potential customers from connecting with your dealership.
Approach complaints professionally and constructively. Publicly acknowledge the issue, offer reasonable solutions and shift the conversation offline to resolve the situation effectively.
Here are three common scenarios of addressing a negative review:
The Customer’s Complaint Is Outside Your Control
As a dealership, you may encounter situations where the customer's dissatisfaction is not within your control. This could be due to factors such as unexpected busy days or disagreement with pricing or policies. In such cases, responding sympathetically to their online review can show that you value their feedback and are willing to work towards finding a solution. It is important to maintain a professional tone and express regret for the customer's dissatisfaction, while also inviting them to contact your dealership in order to address their concerns. .
The Fault Lies with Your Team
No matter how careful and attentive we are, mistakes can still happen. When a customer is unhappy due to a mistake made by your team, it's important to take responsibility and apologize for any inconvenience caused. By acknowledging the error and showing that you take customer service seriously, you can build trust and potentially save your relationship with the dissatisfied customer. You should also invite them to contact your dealership so that you can make things right. By addressing the issue, you have the opportunity to rectify any mistakes and turn a negative experience into a positive one.
The Review Is Fake or Unfounded
Not every negative review is fair or even authentic (bots and internet trolls alike will target random businesses with a nasty review that has no merit), but every review should receive a response. If you know that a review is fake and not from an actual customer, it's important to respond politely but firmly. You can state that your records do not show any visit from the reviewer and invite them to contact your team if they have a genuine concern that needs to be addressed. By addressing fake reviews, you can assure potential customers that your dealership takes customer feedback seriously and has not committed any wrongdoing. It also helps to maintain the credibility of your online reputation.
Even if your dealership has done nothing to draw the customer’s ire, you should still respond with empathy and offer to rectify the situation (within reason). Take some time and come back to proofread your response or share with a team member for feedback if you’re concerned about generating the right response. By responding to negative feedback, you have the chance to address any issues and potentially turn an unhappy customer into a satisfied one.
Build a Positive Online Reputation
When communicating with customers online, crafting a strong brand identity is essential. Communicate your dealership’s unique value proposition through consistent, positive messaging across all online channels. Your brand’s voice should align with the experience shoppers have at your dealership.
Always encourage positive customer reviews. Create strategies to encourage happy customers to leave online reviews. This could include follow-up emails after a purchase or offering incentives like discounts on future services.
Of course, the best way to generate positive reviews is to give your customers the experience they want—an experience you can continue to improve based on their feedback. Aim to create a seamless shopping experience. Inaccurate or outdated information on your dealership's website can negatively impact your online reputation. Be sure to keep your website up to date with the latest inventory, pricing and contact information to avoid any confusion or misinformation.
Claim Your Google Business Profile
If you haven’t claimed your dealership’s Google Business Profile, do it now. Click here to learn how.
Google is often the first point of contact between a potential customer and your dealership. Claiming your Google Business Profile allows you to have control over the information that appears when someone searches for your dealership, including your contact information, website, hours of operation, and reviews from customers.
Beyond just providing basic information, a claimed Google Business Profile also allows you to actively manage and improve your online brand reputation. You can respond to positive and negative reviews, showing potential customers that you value their feedback and are committed to providing excellent customer service. And with the ability to post updates and photos on your profile, you can showcase your dealership's unique offerings and connect with customers on a more personal level.
Even if your dealership is known to have a great reputation, it can be overshadowed by potential customers not being able to find or contact your store. Accurate online directory listings serve as a crucial element in maintaining a positive brand reputation. These listings provide important information such as business hours, contact details and location to potential customers who are searching for your services online.
In today's digital age, having up-to-date online directory listings is essential. It helps your dealership maintain a positive brand reputation by enhancing your visibility and accessibility to potential customers. By keeping your information accurate across multiple online directories, search engines are more likely to rank your business higher in search results. This leads to increased visibility and easier access for potential customers, which can ultimately result in more sales.
Invest in a Reputation Management Tool
If requesting, reading and responding to every customer review feels like a daunting task, you’re not wrong, and you’re not alone. Using a reputation management tool can help save time and resources when it comes to requesting and responding to customer reviews.
Instead of manually reaching out to each customer to generate reviews, the tool can automate this process, making it more efficient and consistent. This not only saves time, but also ensures that all customers are given an equal opportunity to share their feedback. Benefits of a brand management tool include:
- Centralized Platform: A customer review management tool brings all your reviews from various platforms (Google, Yelp, Facebook, etc.) onto one centralized platform. This makes it easier to track and respond to reviews in a timely manner.
- Review Monitoring: With a customer review management tool, you can set up alerts for new reviews so that you never miss a review. This allows you to stay on top of your online reputation and address any negative reviews promptly.
- Review Analysis: These tools often come with sentiment analysis, which helps identify the overall sentiment of your reviews (positive, negative or neutral). This data can provide valuable insights into customer satisfaction and help identify areas for improvement.
- Easy Response Management: A customer review management tool allows you to respond to reviews directly from the platform. This saves time and ensures that all responses are consistent and professional.
- Review Generation: Some tools also offer features to automatically request reviews from satisfied customers. This can help boost your overall ratings and improve your online reputation.
Beyond these best practices, integrating your DMS with your brand management tool is a strategic move that turns every interaction into an opportunity to enhance your brand's reputation. This integration allows your system to efficiently record a daily transactions list and automatically send a review request to those customers.
Build Your Social Media Engagement
Social media has transformed from a simple communication platform to the front lines where brand reputations are forged and defended. These convenient and frequently visited forums offer a great way to regularly engage with your online community.
This can be done by sharing relevant and engaging content, responding to comments and messages, and actively promoting customer reviews and testimonials. Having an efficient social media strategy can mean the difference between spinning your wheels and actively growing your social media engagement to promote your brand.
Outsourcing Your Reputation Management
Cultivating and managing a strong online reputation may seem daunting, but your efforts can pay dividends in customer trust, loyalty and, ultimately, sales. By investing time and resources into building and maintaining your online presence, you can thrive in an area that other dealerships tend to ignore, giving you a sustainable advantage over your competition.
While some dealerships may choose to tackle brand reputation management in-house, you may find value in outsourcing to marketing vendors who specialize in reputation management and can keep your online presence polished and attractive to potential customers.
Again, if managing your online reputation feels overwhelming (and it’s understandable if it does), consider speaking with a marketing vendor who can help protect and enhance your brand identity online. Don't let another day pass where you’re not proactive in managing your reputation. Take control and reap the rewards of a better brand reputation today.
Connect with Dealer Spike today to discover how our reputation management services can transform your digital presence and accelerate your business growth.