Hey, it’s a tough market out there. And not all transactions can or will go smoothly. But these days there is a relatively new wrinkle on the consumer side that you have to keep in mind and take seriously. I am referring to the power of both positive and negative reviews of your performance posted by buyers and sellers on the Internet. Should you even pay attention to this? Consider these facts from a recent 2011 study done by the Cone Online Influence Trend Tracker:

  • Four out of five consumers have changed  their minds about a recommended purchase or service based solely on negative information they found on the Internet.
  • 87% of consumers agree that a favorable review has confirmed their decision to purchase
  • 89% of consumers find Internet channels trustworthy sources

So, what can you do? Well, first you can do your best to monitor what people are saying about you by using Google Alerts. Google Alerts is a FREE service that will send you an email update based on a topic or search criteria such as anything about YOU. Your purpose is to be alerted when someone posts something about you, your web site or any other online service you provide. Do this:

  1. Go to Google Alerts at http://www.google.com/alerts
  2. Before doing anything else go to the bottom of this page and click the link labeled “Google Alters Help”. Take the time to read about Google Alerts and how best to take advantage of it.
  3. After reading all that you need in Google Alerts Help, create your alert(s) and adjust the frequency of the email notifications.
  4. If someone does post something negative about you, do your best to contact them to inquire about it. There may be nothing you can do but your interaction may have positive results. Either way it’s good to know so that you can counteract it if and when you can.

Read a good recent article on your online reputation here. 

Review a valuable slide show presentation entitled “Online Reputation Management for Real Estate Professionals” here.