Reputation is important. That\u2019s why many builders tout their years of experience and happy homeowners. However, many builders don\u2019t give their online reputation management much thought outside of damage control.<\/p>\n
Your reputation isn\u2019t created by accident; it\u2019s carefully put together by every comment, review, and conversation your buyers, real estate agents, investors, and other businesses have with one another. That\u2019s why builders should expand their perspective beyond just damage control and take a more active role in managing how they appear online.<\/p>\n
Find out why home builders should expand their perspective of online reputation management beyond damage control and how to implement a reputation management strategy.<\/p>\n
Reputation management is the process of managing and improving how customers think about your brand. It puts your brand in the best possible light in the eyes of your customers. A holistic reputation management strategy will reinforce a positive brand message and enable you to effectively respond to negative feedback.<\/p>\n
The internet has become our default source of information. Whenever a recommendation is given or we see something we want, we go online to look for reviews and ratings. Consider the last thing you purchased online \u2013 did you read the reviews before buying it? When buyers are committing hundreds of thousands of dollars and decades paying off the mortgage, you can be sure they will review builders carefully. Remember: your product and business are only as good as buyers think they are.<\/p>\n
Most businesses treat online reputation management as an afterthought when it should be a forethought. Proactive management prevents unflattering portrayals and negative feedback from influencing potential customers. Businesses that value online reputation management and have a formal system typically experience higher customer satisfaction and growth.<\/p>\n
Maintaining a positive reputation and properly managing negative feedback is an important part of a successful online reputation management plan. There are two main components of an effective reputation management strategy: monitoring and responding.<\/p>\n
You can\u2019t create a plan without first knowing what\u2019s being said about you. Your first step is to listen. Monitoring allows you to know what your customers, partners, and even competitors say about your brand and homes.<\/p>\n
You need to develop a presence where your buyers are. Where do your buyers talk about you? Do you know?<\/p>\n
Social media is a good place to start but you should also include forums, review sites like the Better Business Bureau, blogs, news sites, and even Google. Media monitoring tools<\/a><\/strong> streamline the monitoring process by tracking whenever your brand is mentioned, even when the person isn\u2019t directing the comment toward you.<\/p>\n This is an important distinction \u2013 while it\u2019s good practice to review all social media mentions, it’s essential to know that not everyone will include an @mention, which sends a notification to your social account. If you\u2019re depending on the @mentions, you\u2019re potentially missing out on a lot of conversations.<\/p>\n