Company Name Search Engine Reputation Management
Your company name is a key branding tool. In fact, your company name is much more than just a name. It impacts how customers see you and hopefully allows potential customers and current clients recognize your business. In fact, company names are so crucial that they are closely protected by trademark and intellectual property laws. When Internet users write negative comments about your company or company name, your business may suffer in many ways. When search engine results for your company name generate many less-than-positive results, your company may have several things to fear:
- Lost profits. If potential customers go online to research your company and find a lot of complaints from former customers or employees or many negative reviews, they are unlikely to do business with your company. This means that these customers will be taking their money to competitors and you will be losing profits.
- Lost branding opportunities. You likely spend considerable time, effort, and money on a branding strategy. Even if your business does not have an official strategy, you likely spend effort and time trying to provide great service or great products to customers. You likely also try to develop a good presence online through a website and a blog, at least. When someone takes your company name and attaches it to accusations or negative comments, all your branding and marketing efforts are compromised, because customers suddenly have a negative view of your business in direct contrast with your claims.
- Name mix-ups and a new brand identity. Some online critics take a company name and make a funny pun with it. If your company name is “Jane Doe Books,” for example, and a disgruntled customer is writing about your business, he or she may describe a bad customer service experience and then refer to your business as “Jane Doe Blockheads.” Anyone reading that who finds it funny will inevitably remember that name. At that point, all your careful marketing and advertising will be for naught, because the customer will remember your “new” name – and of course, that customer is not likely to want to do business with “blockheads.”
- Lost authority and trustworthiness. In order to do business, customers must trust you and see you as an authority in your business. It is hard to seem credible when your business is linked to “blockheads” and difficult to seem credible when customers describe your business as a scam. If negative comments online depict your business and not credible and not authoritative, you will have a hard time reclaiming customer trust. You will lose some customers and potential customers forever, because they will never be able to view your business the same way again.
All of these result can affect not only your bottom line but even the ability of your business to stay open. Your company name is a valuable asset – if it is being tarnished online, take action right away. If you need help, contact a reputation management professional for help.