Once business owners put their shingle out, setting up a daunting website and establishing a Facebook page and Twitter account, they may feel quite confident in their success. And, they may have good reason to be. However, tje danger is becoming complacent in their online presence. The fact is, there's more reason than ever to Google yourself other than to check how you're doing in the rankings. It's important to find out what information is now appearing about your business online--information that you as an owner may have very little control over, and certainly never contributed or approved for publication on the web. What can appear?
BAD CUSTOMER REVIEWS
Did you know that 90% of shoppers read what others have to say via reviews before they ever visit a business or check out their site. What this means to you is that your reviews are tied into your business' success. All good business owners know customer service is vital, and never more so than when you're primarily an online business. But the old adage is true: you can't please everyone. Someone is bound to be dissatisfied for some reason or another. Online, people are able to spout out anything they want, free from censor, saying things they might never say in person and quickly hitting "send".

HOW TO COUNTER BAD PRESS
It's a war of survival in the online marketplace, and it takes a number of tools to get past the hatefulness of mad customers (whether rightfully mad or not). Owners have to be proactive in online reputation management, as no business regardless of the size should neglect their public persona. Some review sites give the owner a chance to post a rebuttal, either addressing the problem with the customer or stating their side of the issue. And while this helps, the bad information is still "out there" for other prospective customers to view.
An increasing number of business owners are seeking firms to keep track of their online reputations and monitor reactions. These companies assist local businesses by helping them re-claim their listings. Just as a person's identity can be stolen, so too can a business'. While you may register your business domain name and set up your page on Facebook, others can take the same name or a slight variation of it and claim it on the same platforms, confusing shoppers in the process. A quality Online Reputation Management consultant will help analyze the damage, determine what good can come out of it and what the monetary damage really is.