Tips on Safeguarding Your Online Reputation

Business owners, beware.

You may be surprised by what's written about your firm on the Web, says Joseph Fiore, a vice president at CoreX Technology and Solutions Inc. in Milton, Ontario. For example, one client of the Web-monitoring firm, a small retail chain, learned that a blog posting claimed that a manager was racist, and included the person's full name, he says.

In another investigation, CoreX discovered that employees of a large retail client described on a discussion board the best times and places to have sex on the job, and cited the store's location, says Mr. Fiore. "As surreal as it sounds, these things happened," he says.

The harshest online critics tend to be disgruntled customers, Mr. Fiore says. "Maybe something they bought isn't working, and customer service says they can't do anything, so now they want to drag that business through the mud," he explains. "They're hoping someone will come along and say that happened to me, too."

Small firms can be more vulnerable to digital mudslinging than organizations with a widespread customer base, says Bradley Silver, president of Brandimensions Inc., an Internet-monitoring company based in Toronto.

When online chatter about your company turns ugly, consider these five tips:

1. Review carefully before taking action.

Stay calm, and find out what is accurate. An angry, knee-jerk reaction could add fuel to the fire, says Alysa Zeltzer, an associate with Kelly Drye Collier Shannon, a law firm in Washington, D.C., that specializes in consumer protection, privacy and data security. "There are often shades of truth," she says.

2. Know when not to react.

Consider keeping mum when:

• It's a personal vendetta.
• There's no other news about the issue.
• It's totally preposterous and not likely to be believed.
• It doesn't strongly affect the heart of your business.
• You've been called out on a minor mistake.

"Sometimes it's better to let it die," says Ms. Zeltzer. "You don't want to extend the life of a story by giving it a reply, because you may initiate more responses." Fix any problems, and move on, she says.

One person's opinion does not represent the masses, adds Mr. Silver. "Focus on your core customers. They will come to your defense if you are doing the right things," he says.

3. Correct false information quickly.

If you read a factual error about something core to your business, quickly contact the author to explain that there may have been a misunderstanding, says Mr. Fiore. An example might be if a writer claims an online business charges for shipping its products when it doesn't.

"If you wait, chances are the comments will get nastier and nastier," he says. "The online community might look at your silence as signifying that there's some truth to the allegation."

A friendly exchange with the author may even turn the tide in your favor, adds Mr. Fiore. "If you're honest, you might form allies," he says.

4. Provide a forum.

Offer consumers a way of sharing feedback with your business directly, says Ms. Zeltzer. "Some people just need to vent, and if you don't provide a place where you can monitor and do something about those complaints, then they often go elsewhere," she says.

Create a space on your Web site or offer an email address for customers to reach out to you. Be prepared to respond to customer emails.

5. Keep an eye on your reputation.

Check your firm's reputation about once a month, says David Levine, a business coach in Highland Park, N.J., for Action International, a business-coaching company based in Las Vegas. You need to make Web searches on your business a regular practice. "By doing an ordinary search, you should be able to find anything that's wrong," he says.

6. Consider legal action as a last resort.

Consider legal action only as a last resort. Going to court can be expensive and time-consuming, says Ms. Zeltzer.

If a harmful online discussion involving your business is brewing, you may want to launch a counter public-relations campaign instead, she suggests. For instance, you might post positive quotes from satisfied buyers on your Web site, she says.

There's a bright side to monitoring online chatter about your business, says Ms. Zeltzer: "You're getting direct feedback without paying for a focus group."