Dernière modification le 17/11/2022 à 08:56 par Back Office Update - test

The E reputation

Definition

E-reputation is defined by the notion of digital reputation and by the image created by a company on the web. It is largely made up of the opinion that a public has of a company, an organization or even a person.

It can therefore constitute a strong value of esteem and also of reputation for a brand, a product, a service or a company. It plays a major role in the valuation of a company and therefore in its intangible capital. E-reputation can even lead a company to success.

As it can be particularly beneficial, e-reputation can also be terribly harmful. A badly treated comment, a negative rumor that used to be confined can now be seen by everyone. With blogs, social networks and RSS feeds, information spreads very quickly.

Digital identity

The e-reputation is much less vast than the digital identity which is the adequacy between a person, a brand, a company or a community and the image that is given on the Internet. Digital identity can therefore be suffered, which is why it is preferable to build it, to control it and sometimes even to look after it.

Identify the risks of the Internet

To manage its e-reputation in the best way, the company must take into account all its aspects on the net. To do so, it must take stock and identify all the sources that can become an image relay. Then, it is necessary to set up a permanent monitoring system that allows to spot the comments and other negative contents and thus, to react as soon as possible. To ensure this e-reputation monitoring, several tools exist.

The image monitoring system

An image monitoring system allows you to keep an eye on your company’s reputation at all times. It is therefore possible to learn more and more about its positioning in natural referencing (search engines) as well as the place it occupies in relation to its competitors. To do this, you must first define the most relevant and important keywords to follow in order to appreciate the evolution on the different social networks.

Several more technical tools allow you to accurately analyze the image of a company, a brand, an organization and even a person on the web. Even if technology is a great help, it is always advisable to leave the most important role to human intelligence. It is essential that it is the human intelligence that operates to improve the visibility and the image of an entity.

The different monitoring and auditing tools

The objective of the audit and monitoring tools is to establish and constantly update a sort of cartography of the image of a company. To reconstitute the different pieces of the digital image, several tools must be used. With the list of keywords already established, we need to question the various search engines (Google, Bing, Yahoo!), news engines and social meta-tools. The latter make it possible to track these key expressions on social networks, forums, as well as comments, blogs, videos and microblogs.

Other search tools are also recommended, such as Topsy. They allow you to find information and data relayed by the social network Twitter. This medium has become a must for finding useful information.

Finally, monitoring also involves the various alert tools available to everyone. Their mission is to collect, analyze and finally filter information. And by creating personalized alerts with its brands, competitors or market, the watchers are able to take note of all the information published in real time.

The image watch allows companies to have a real decision-making tool in terms of e-reputation.

The role of e-reputation in the company’s value

Since the advent of digital technology, communication on the Internet has become strategic. And yet, many companies are not yet aware of it. Those who are the most concerned are not necessarily the best prepared: they are SMEs and VSEs. All these companies of discreet nature are not used to communicate, and even less on Internet.

A very broad issue

Digital communication is therefore a major challenge, and in all aspects of the company’s life. This is why it must be considered as part of a larger communication plan for the company. Moreover, it is now the basis of this plan, whereas only ten years ago, it was only there to accessorize the whole.

The entire communication of the company, whether positive or negative, focused on its services, products or brands and visible to all Internet users on the planet. Potential customers come from all countries and continents. And most importantly: absolutely all companies are concerned, even the smallest ones. Thus, a good digital image allows to address a very large clientele.

Digital identity for companies

The control of the digital identity and thus of the e-reputation is of a capital stake for the companies of the whole world. It depends in part on the image they wish to give themselves in their daily communication. This is why it is important to always take care of its relations with the outside world and to control the entirety of the messages that the company sends out on the net. But this identity is also a reflection of the people who come into contact with the company. Unfriendly staff, poor service and other bad customer experiences have become negative comments on sales sites and forums. On the Internet, this kind of customer reaction can reach unimaginable proportions. One mistake on the part of the company and its entire image can be compromised.

E-reputation and intangible capital

Even though e-reputation can be very volatile, it is the result of meticulous monitoring and reaction know-how. The Internet is a powerful tool for consumers, and the engine of success for many projects and companies.

The watch

The company can always act, as soon as it has the best cards in hand. And the intelligence produced daily allows the company to be always informed. This applies to opportunities as well as threats. To manage its e-reputation, it must constantly monitor what is said about it on the web. Bad reviews, angry customers’ comments, wrong messages, image problems…

But the most important thing is to provide a concrete solution.

Reaction: the engine of e-reputation

Being informed is only the first step. The company must act and use the information at its disposal to improve its image. Unhappy customers should always receive a public response that expresses the company’s regret for their bad experience, but above all: a personalized solution.

In addition to getting some customers back despite a bad experience, other customers and prospects will be able to gauge your professionalism in dealing with crises. If they can see that the company really takes into consideration the customers’ problems, and tries to solve them, they will be more inclined to trust it. And customer capital is a key notion of the company’s intangible capital.

Intangible capital

Intangible capital is a value specific to the company. It is composed of several elements, including customer capital. The latter takes into consideration the quality of the relationships maintained with the customers and of course, the degree of loyalty of the latter. Maintaining good relationships allows companies to gain value. But also to exploit relevant information to optimize their services and products.

On the Internet, the e-reputation allows to keep a real and constant contact with the customers. Mistakes can be corrected quickly and efficiently, to the delight of Internet users. And on the Internet, consumers rely heavily on the opinions of other customers.