Whether you’re aware of it or not, whether you actively shape it or not, your small business has an online presence. A digital reputation that can take on a life of its own if left unchecked. What is a webutation, and what constitutes it? Most importantly, how can you take charge of and use it to your business’s advantage? Here’s all you need to know.
What Is Webutation?
The term webutation is a portmanteau of web and reputation. While the term is clunky, it represents something any small business owner should care about deeply and seek to influence as much as possible.
Think of webutation as the complete impression someone can gain of your business online. One’s webutation is the reflection of their perceived trustworthiness, value, and credibility in the digital space.
What Contributes to a Business’s Webutation?
Multiple factors and sources come together to form a webutation.
You can influence some directly, like the responsiveness and usefulness of your website. You also have indirect influence over others. For example, better service and products mean more and more favorable online reviews. Sadly, there will also always be spiteful or petty individuals who’ll share their negative views through blogs and social media posts you have no control over.
Why Does Your Small Business’s Webutation Matter?
Whether you run a local business or get all your customers online, webutation directly impacts your growth and earnings potential.
What’s the first thing a potential customer does before trying a new product or service nowadays? Look up associated reviews and impressions. A single look at a favorable Google review score or Reddit post praising a business can be enough to turn perusal into a purchase.
People won’t always intentionally search for your business. However, they may search for an auto parts store in their city or supplies related to their niche hobby. A positive webutation guarantees better discoverability through high SEO rankings and more frequent organic suggestions, especially for local businesses.
A favorable webutation can also boost customer loyalty. People who experience exceptional service and a smooth customer journey will help raise the bar. Consistently meeting these heightened expectations lets you charge more for existing services or introduce premium versions without pushback. Better yet, satisfied customers will reward your efforts with word-of-mouth referrals and testimonials. Few, if any, other sources of one’s webutation compare.
Finally, customers aren’t the only interested parties for whom your webutation matters. Third-party vendors, potential new employees, influencers looking for partnerships, etc., will at least do a Google search on your company. What they find is guaranteed to sway their decisions.
How Can You Boost Your Business’s Webutation?
You have a lot of agency in shaping your business’s webutation, both directly and indirectly.
Make a strong first impression online
Start by claiming and actively monitoring your business profiles on Google and any other applicable aggregators like Yelp or TripAdvisor. Providing information like working hours and photos will help with first impressions, while engaging with comments shows you genuinely listen to and care about feedback.
Craft a website that stands out
You have the most direct control over your website, so aim for an impeccable user experience there. The website should load quickly, be easy to navigate, and look great on smartphones. Be sure to also keep up with safety certificates and offer secure payment options.
Don’t let unsafe connections become vulnerabilities
Securely shaping your website and social media accounts matters. For example, you’ll want to make sure that the connection you use to administer them is secure. If you ever have to do it from an unsafe connection like public Wi-Fi, use a VPN to encrypt it and prevent malicious attacks.
The benefits of VPN are also invaluable for testing your ad strategies and general marketing effectiveness globally. Since they hide your IP address, they also let you anonymously research competitors and come up with more effective webutation strategies.
Keep your brand consistent everywhere
You’ll also want to take stock of your general online presence. Are you active on all the social media platforms your audience frequents? Do branding and voice match online and offline? Are you keeping a consistent posting schedule?
Protect what matters behind the scenes
Speaking of safety, how you handle digital resources is another major factor in webutation perception. You need dozens of them to administer your website, post on social media, etc. Breaches that expose sensitive customer and business data most often happen because of compromised login information. Sometimes these credentials are stolen, but weak and reused ones are more likely to be blamed. Using the best data removal service can further reduce risks by ensuring that outdated or exposed information is permanently eliminated from public access — making it even more important to address the root cause of credential issues.
Stop password problems before they start
Doing something as simple as setting up a password manager makes what we previously discussed a non-issue. The manager generates complex and unique passwords for as many accounts as you need and stores them in an encrypted vault. The passwords are accessible from different devices thanks to syncing, and you can even issue or share them temporarily without risk.
Turn criticism into opportunity
Take special care when addressing unfavorable webutation signals. Respond to negative reviews and mentions with tact and a willingness to resolve issues. At the same time, don’t hesitate to report any fake and unnecessarily hostile reviews so your webutation doesn’t suffer unjustly.
Conclusion
As impressions are now formed and shattered by glancing at a webpage or two, managing one’s webutation has become the hallmark of any forward-thinking business owner. Take control of yours and see your business flourish because of it.