Building a great online reputation is one of the most important things you can do when you are starting your new home based internet marketing business. Everything you do on the Internet is creating a footprint of who you are.
Word of mouth has a new meaning in the online world and when people are talking about you, it really needs to be all good news.
Massive corporations are hiring professionals to manage their online reputation because they have finally realized that the Internet is the biggest “word of mouth tool” there is. Previously a disgruntled customer had no way to voice a complaint, however the internet has exposed every business to the hard core bone.
Obviously running a home based business is not a major corporation and probably does not require that you hire an online reputation management company. This does not mean that your online reputation is not important though, because it is!
Unfortunately working from home means that you are in charge of your own online reputation and you need to take this part of your business very seriously.
Online reputation management – what not to do
These are things you just shouldn’t do when trying to build your online reputation.
#1. Lying your lungs out!
It is not recommended that you lie in any type of business, however it is even worse when you’d lie to people online. On your website you might comment about how much money you make, or maybe you say you have 100 websites when you only have one. No matter what the lie is, people will be curious and often dig around to see if such statements are true.
The problem is that it is very easy to find these lies and find the actual truth.
#2. Being up yourself
Do you think you are better than everyone else? If you do then you will not get very far in business. Becoming successful enough to make money online requires that you respect other people and see the value they have to offer. You can learn something new from anyone everyday.
Unfortunately some ignorant people think you need experience or a degree to have a knack for something. Open your eyes and ears and use other peoples talent to your advantage. Do not belittle and tear their arguments down because you think you are better.
#3. Not networking in your niche
If you do not network with people in your niche then you are missing out on a whole load of customers. Online business is extremely different to off-line business as there is a lot of sharing and caring going on amongst online businesses. For example, Webmasters often complement each other and send traffic to other websites.
#4. Weak passwords
Having weak passwords means that people can hack into your accounts and sabotage your online reputation without you even doing it yourself. This is still a bad mistake on your behalf and this is why you need to always create strong passwords.
Never use the same password, your children’s name, date of birth, and all the other obvious ones that people use. Try adding an _ (underscore)or an ! in your password. What about &^%$#()?
#5. Not checking what others are saying
People might be saying bad stuff about you and you don’t even know it. You need to keep your finger on the pulse and watch what people are saying about you. You might even find some compliments and it is always nice to respond to them and say thank you. If you find negative comments about you then it is better to know about it and deal with it quickly.
Set Google alerts for your name. That way you will know when someone mentions you. DiTesco has a great post about online reputation that lists more tools you can use.
#6. Running out of real names
Once you have damaged your online reputation using your real name it is getting far more difficult to assume an alias or pen name. For example Facebook and Google Plus expect a real name to setup an account. Of course you can do it but do you really want to live a lie?
#7. Not coming out of the closet
Show yourself for who you are. Do not hide because you think people will not like you. People do not care what country you come from, what color your skin is, or what you look like. They only care if you have something different and interesting to share and I guarantee that 99% of your visitors will think that way.
Make an about me page and be proud of yourself. Don’t go overboard though…Check out my about me page for an example.
The moral of the story
Bring you and your personality out for people to see. Behave with your best manors and respect other people on the internet. If you can do this your online reputation will be something to look up to.
What tips can you share about Building an Online Reputation?
EasyAzon Plugin
Twitter: theonlycog
says:
Great advice — Too many people try to hide behind a persona.
PS — the image around point 6 / 7 made me laugh out loud, at work!
David recently posted..Is cloud computing really possible?
Twitter: wordpresswb
says:
Yes I love that image…We should all be proud and come out of the closet!
Mitz Pantic recently posted..Top 10 Firefox Add-ons to Get Blogging Done
Twitter: theonlycog
says:
I left the closet many years ago
David recently posted..Twitter at 100 million
Twitter: headshotlondon
says:
Absolutely agree with you David. But I think that happens because of the lack of experience in the industry and perhaps even the lack of confidence. Great post!
Not only in online business, online reputation has started to play a in offline business also.
Now employers has started checking out candidates online social profiles before hiring. So it doesn’t matter what you do online, everything counts.
and well said…nobody wants to run out of real names…:)
Sanjeev recently posted..How to block list in Twitter
Twitter: wordpresswb
says:
You are right about online stuff counting for offline now too! People have to be really careful about what they say.
And running out of real names…It sounds a bit silly now…but it happens..
Mitz Pantic recently posted..What do Search Engine Bots See When They Crawl your Website?
Some good points are made, i like the one about lying.
I totally believe in providing some genuine stuff..
Building a reputation online is very difficult as the world around is huge and you give your best to be recognized.
Prachi recently posted..How To Backup Your Facebook And Twitter Data
Twitter: wordpresswb
says:
I know…People still lie about stuff and the internet is an open book…I just don’t know why they bother!
And yes it is hard to build a reputation but when you are popular all that you’ve said before will count.
Mitz Pantic recently posted..5 Tips to Getting your Comments Approved on this WordPress Website
Well said….:)
Prachi recently posted..Facebook Testing New Summary Email Feature
Twitter: ascamorlegit
says:
Great tips. It’s all about being yourself! Be real and aim to deliver great value and you’ll be on track for success
sandip recently posted..Wonga
Twitter: wordpresswb
says:
Yes you are right Sandip!
It is all about being yourself! That’s all you have to do, as well as behave yourself, respect others, and hold your tongue.
Mitz Pantic recently posted..20 Often Forgotten Website Traffic Tips
Twitter: grantlylynch
says:
Niche networking is a great point as you can blog about what you know to people who are interested in what you are saying. Going outside the niche to a bigger audience will dilute the strength of your comments.
Corporate Photographer recently posted..Event photography London
Twitter: wordpresswb
says:
Yes that’s a very good point!
Mitz Pantic recently posted..Add an Optin Form to the Socialize WordPress Plugin
Twitter: luganikaran
says:
Building online reputation is a slow procedure and building a great reputation needs constant hard work. Yes, I did commit various mistakes while building one but I think now I am on the right path. Also, there is a spelling mistake in last line ” Behave with your best manors” …….ie. manners and not manors. Please correct it. Nice article.
Karan Lugani recently posted..See How Easily You Can Target Keywords for Adsense
Twitter: wordpresswb
says:
Hi Karan
I think we all committed some mistakes in the beginning. When we realize how important building an online reputation is, then we start to take note of what we are doing.
Sorry about the spelling mistake but I am only human!
(cannot correct it now) At least I know you read it!!!
Mitz Pantic recently posted..18 Link Building Techniques
Twitter: Burnworld
says:
Networking is probably my fav. I’ve built up more clients and learned way more by networking in my niche.
Rob Boirun recently posted..Samsung SE-208BW – A DVD Burner With WiFi and DLNA
Twitter: wordpresswb
says:
I know you are networking because I see you everywhere! Everywhere I go, there’s Rob. That is one of the best ways to get yourself out there and get your business is pumping!
Mitz Pantic recently posted..7 Reasons Why your WordPress Website is not Making Money
Twitter: paulas2
says:
Your about me page is really important. Because it is where you make a real connection with the people who read your blog. I would always advise people to fully complete their profile pages on web sites. such as Twitter Google+ and Facebook.
Profile pages helps build trust and can send a lot of traffic to your web site.
Paul Profitt recently posted..What’s Still Works In Getting Traffic 2011
Twitter: wordpresswb
says:
Great tips Paul!
I agree that it is very important to complete your profile pages and your about me page. People will like you who you are.
Mitz Pantic recently posted..WordPress Website Updates and News
“Mitz” can i add this one – Not even thinking on what your your doing ( many people shoots and shoot aimlessly). I do believe that quality informative stuff creates a big impact on internet marketing. Making a name for yourself or your product takes allot of effort but the process is still best than the success itself…
Timothy Smith recently posted..DoUpTo- The Fastest Way to Make Money Using Your Talent updated Tue Jul 26 2011 1:56 am CDT
Twitter: wordpresswb
says:
I agree..Thanks for adding this tip!
Mitz Pantic recently posted..5 Tips to Getting your Comments Approved on this WordPress Website
I just read an interesting stuff about management and online reputation and that points to Facebook, which can be a role builder for many….
Prachi recently posted..Facebook Testing New Summary Email Feature
Twitter: ShreeCy
says:
Hi Mitz,
All the points are great, being what you are certainly helps in building up your reputation everywhere, be it the virtual world or the real world. I think not being accessible will also hamper your online reputation. You have networked hard, and when its time for individuals to reach you, you are not accessible. That’s really mars the hardwork you have put in to build up your reputation.
Bedashree recently posted..F-Commerce- The new buzzword
Twitter: wordpresswb
says:
That’s a great point Bedashree! You can undo all the hard work in a minute!
Mitz Pantic recently posted..20 Often Forgotten Website Traffic Tips
Twitter: stevescott1
says:
Mitz,
This is some good stuff. An online reputation is worth it’s weight in gold IMO. I have even had repercussions from breaking one of these in my career.
#4. Once I had a weak password for my blog. Sure enough it eventually got hacked and caused me all sorts of grief. Now I make sure my passwords have well over a trillion combinations Caps, special characters,letters numbers the whole nine yards.
Reputation needs to be managed very carefully. It only takes ONE “Oh S**t” to ruin the work of hundreds of “great jobs”
stevescottsite recently posted..The Pomodoro Technique: Internet Productivity 25-Minutes at a Time?
Twitter: wordpresswb
says:
Thanks Steve!
I can see that you have managed your reputation very well other than your password mishap…you have a great reputation to use as an example of how it is done.
I have a problem with getting too involved in commenting and really have to hold my tongue sometimes… LOL There was probably a good example on my last guest post at Ileane’s blog.. You saw it… Ouch!
Mitz Pantic recently posted..WordPress Website Case Study From Zero to Seven Hundred Dollars
Twitter: chad_nicely
says:
Great Job Mitz!
I just love reading your posts. You nailed a lot of things on the head here. I think Honesty and Integrity were the two big ones. I really love the idea of setting up Google Alerts with your name on it. I had a developer that I had to fire, because he was not showing up for work. Well I then found about 150 blogs with a complaint in my name, and some big fictitious story. It would of really hurt me bad. Luckily the outsourcing company straightened him out real quick. Thanks for the good reading.
Chad Nicely recently posted..Submit Your Guest Post On A Site That Gets 300,000 Monthly Views!
Twitter: wordpresswb
says:
Wow that’s another one to add to the list… I have always been worried about that.. Outsourcing and letting people into your business. I have given people FTP access etc and it has made me wonder about what they are doing..
Luckily I am paranoid and prepare for the worst with backups and so on…
Making blogs in your name is a worry because they do not conduct business like you..
I have someone scraping my content everyday and they are taking the whole page with authors pictures and all… I checked to see if the blog was indexed in google and thankfully, in their eyes it doesn’t exist…So if you see me posting on junk websites, I didn’t do it!
Mitz Pantic recently posted..What do Search Engine Bots See When They Crawl your Website?
While I agree that the best news and information about your company should be good news, I also think there can be benefits to having “the negative” as well. If you’re going to be truly honest then you know you can’t please everyone. If someone writes a blog post with something negative, respond to the comment instead of deleting it. This gives you more SEO opportunities and it will show that you’re not afraid to deal with some of the difficulties that arise with your product or service.
Brian recently posted..Six Clean New Site Styles
Twitter: wordpresswb
says:
Being honest includes showing your mistakes and having your negative opinions but you must be open to others opinions as well…
I definitely do not delete a comment because it does not suit me.. A little bit of controversy goes a long way..It’s how you handle all this that counts..
I also agree to face the problems with your product or service asap because if you do not it will come back to bite you in the bum!
Big shots are realizing this now as they have always been used to getting away with it!
Mitz Pantic recently posted..7 Reasons Why your WordPress Website is not Making Money
I especially agree NO.1.Reputation is based on honest.Lies is lie.It can’t be truth. These tips are useful.Thanks
Twitter: wordpresswb
says:
Hi Dale
You are right! Lies are lies. There is no way around it!
Mitz Pantic recently posted..20 Often Forgotten Website Traffic Tips
Twitter: another_blogger
says:
Very very good tips Sister. I don’t like to create a connection whit false name and false picture. How can I trust people with super hero picture profile? Thank for sharing the article, really love it!
Latief recently posted..10 Ways To Build Your Links
Twitter: wordpresswb
says:
Yes I agree with that! It is even worse when they have a picture you recognize and you know it is not them…Even a logo is better than a super hero picture!
Mitz Pantic recently posted..20 Often Forgotten Website Traffic Tips
Twitter: RachaelSlorach
says:
These are great tips Mitz. I believe business should be an extension of your values, and so being truthful and real on line is vital. Starting out of course you want to look successful but it is far more endearing to show your personality, share your real story and experience and earn people’s trust this way. Thanks for sharing this post.
Rachael Slorach recently posted..How to be REALLY ineffective at Lead Generation! The importance of a Balanced Marketing Plan
Twitter: wordpresswb
says:
Great points Rachael.
People do not care if you are successful and like to see the success develop as they look on. People often presume that others only follow successful people…Not true.. Everyone is an individual and they will gather their own followers who will be loyal to them..
Mitz Pantic recently posted..18 Link Building Techniques
Be yourself and communicate with others whether on your own site or the social networks is good. I do believe in being social, but I depending on the situation I don’t know that you need to disclose every detail about yourself whether it be on your own site or facebook and that type of thing. So if that is a running out of name thing I am not sure. Provide enough info, but I don’t see the point of offering all your details and info either. Just enough.
Ray recently posted..Starting a website or blog cost concerns
Twitter: wordpresswb
says:
Hi Ray
I agree with not telling your whole life story for sure!!! But I also think you should use your real name and be honest..
I do not like it when people share details to do with their personal life when I am following them for business purposes.
Mitz Pantic recently posted..7 More SEO Mistakes to Be Avoided
Hello Mitz,
Just wanted to let you know how helpful I found your post. I am fairly new to Internet Marketing and am still trying to find my way. I have decided to stop buying any kind of program to help me make money online and concentrate on learning how to do the things that need to be done.
LOL even though I think this blogging stuff is lots of fun I am quite new at it. I guess I have learned more than I thought because 3 months ago I wouldn’t have had a clue how to do this.
Again I just wanted to say thanks for the info, it will go in my file of things I need to know…
Leanne
Leanne L recently posted..Nearsightedness – Naturally Improve Eyesight To Treat Nearsightedness
Twitter: wordpresswb
says:
Thanks Leanne!
Glad you enjoyed the post.. You r online reputation is definitely an asset to look after in this business.
Mitz Pantic recently posted..7 Reasons Why your WordPress Website is not Making Money
Twitter: Zootsinfo
says:
One of some advice above especially for point number 5, sometimes people are lazy to check what other people comment, by respecting what people think and comment is important part of making a good reputation, reply every comment and answer it.
Twitter: wordpresswb
says:
Your right
You need to see what other people are saying about you so you can fix your problems as well. I always take criticism on board and try to improve.
Mitz Pantic recently posted..9 SEO Tips to Dominate Google Search Results
Twitter: duckprint
says:
Nice simple points that are all very valid. You’ve got to be so careful that everything you say can be backed up because you can be pulled to threads within the virtual world, to a much larger extent to the real world.
Also think it’s really important to focus in on your niche. Not try to be friends with everyone or attract everyone to your website. Focus in your efforts, content and product are so important.
Twitter: wordpresswb
says:
Totally agree Joey. You should stick within your niche and concentrate your efforts there.
Mitz Pantic recently posted..10 Must See Tips for New WordPress Webmasters
Twitter: netchunks
says:
Well, I used to use an alias when I first started out with online money making but I also could not resist in using my real name at some places so both of them got interconnected and thus my online reputation and online persona was all totally mashed up. Later on I decided to use my real name in everything so that I could build up my real online persona and I think right now everything is well and good. You are right when you say that monitoring the online reputation is important since some people maybe be writing something bad about you and that may in turn come up in the search results and thus causes you damage in your freelancing or online business career.
Shiva recently posted..Things You Must Know Before Start Blogging
Twitter: wordpresswb
says:
Hi shiva
When you do have more than one persona it can become confusing and you will often trip yourself up. It is far better to use your name and build on it, as in the Internet marketing game, your name can become your brand.
Mitz Pantic recently posted..5 Tips to Getting your Comments Approved on this WordPress Website
Twitter: sanjaykhemlani
says:
Always check your name on the Search Engines, you can use Google Alerts for that so when a new article or something about your name come up you’ll be notified. Great article!
sanjay recently posted..How to display list of authors in WordPress without a Plugin
Twitter: wordpresswb
says:
Yes I have a Google alert for too many things…LOL ..I need to clean out my alerts!
Mitz Pantic recently posted..Win a Free WPSubscribers WordPress Plugin
Twitter: Chris_R_Keller
says:
Some great tips. Definitely you need to be honest.
Chris R. Keller recently posted..Increase Business Sales – Utilize Your Most Valuable Asset
Great tips in this article. I agree with the last tip..I’ve always thought nobody would like my posts because of who I am and such, but I think people would appreciate it more if they knew a bit about the writer.
Twitter: wordpresswb
says:
Hi Sue
Yes I think people spend half their time wondering and presuming what people think about them. They do not realize that they have people out there that will like them for some little quality they possess..
Mitz Pantic recently posted..Win a Free WPSubscribers WordPress Plugin
I think one of the biggest things in building reputation and having others trust you is being yourself. Having your own unique voice helps you to stand out from all the other competitors and gives you more credibility.
satrap recently posted..Get Paid to Complete Free Offers
Twitter: wordpresswb
says:
Yes that is true Satrap! have your own unique voice is a great tip…Stop being one of the sheep who does the same thing as everyone else.
Mitz Pantic recently posted..5 Things you Should Look for in Premium Themes
Twitter: wpwebhost
says:
Respect others in the internet is by far the most important thing here.
Ricardus recently posted..How to trigger ideas to write new article
Twitter: wordpresswb
says:
Yes this is always a good thing to do Ricardus! If you respect people they will respect you too!
Mitz Pantic recently posted..9 SEO Tips to Dominate Google Search Results
As an example, I’ve seen a person who choose to use pen names in building his online reputation only for a particular site. Honestly, I don’t see anything wrong about it unless he wants to build a better online community, I think he actually needs to go out his way and reveal his self for real.
Maria Pavel recently posted..Hospital CNA Training
Twitter: wordpresswb
says:
It like when a lie gets too big and it gets harder to come clean…
Mitz Pantic recently posted..5 Tips to Getting your Comments Approved on this WordPress Website
Yeah! It’s pretty hard to live in a lie just to protect yourself. You need to always have that another you in times of need.
Maria Pavel recently posted..How to Retake the CNA Test
Twitter: jenniferdrai
says:
I completely agree with all points mentioned above, especially respecting other talents. Yes, there will always be someone better then us out there, and we could actually learn a thing or two from them and incorporate that in our business for improvement. Thank you for sharing this informative article!
Jennifer Rai recently posted..Speaking in Public…A Journey Into Being Seen
Twitter: Exabytes_SG
says:
There are poor and slow feedback on comment of customer complain.
Some company even worst that they do not reply and delete those customer complain to make sure the bad comment to not influence their online reputation.
That not a good move.
I hate those companies respond to their customers.