During the holiday shopping season, it’s important for companies to pay attention to both how they are conducting business and what customers are saying about them. According to Statista, retail e-commerce sales during November and December of 2013 amounted to $46.55 billion, up from $42.29 billion in 2012. Studies also show that 80% of today’s consumers are influenced by online reviews, and with the busiest of all shopping seasons in full swing, it’s vital to keep a good reputation online. Below are a few reasons to properly monitor and protect your business’ online reputation this season.

Online Image Affects Sales
The holidays not only provide a boost in web traffic and overall sales, but also an opportunity to attract new customers that will keep coming back long after the holidays are over.  When a business’ online reputation is attacked during the holiday shopping season, it can seriously disrupt a company’s goals and have a negative impact on their bottom line throughout the rest of the year.  Businesses need to remain vigilant in not only providing the best shopping experiences possible, but also monitoring and managing their online reputations to ensure they are reaching their sales goals for the season as well as paving the way for a successful year.

Connecting Helps Business Thrive
Social media management is particularly important during the holiday season, as it’s a great way to attract new customers, respond to questions, and get noticed.  According to an eMarketer report, in 2013, nearly one in four people worldwide were active on social networks.   Your business should be using social media as an outlet to engage with customers and offer holiday promotions.  According to a DigitalBuzzBlog.com survey, 80% of consumers that received a response on a brand’s social channel went on to make a purchase.

Staying Attentive to Reviews Prevents Problems Later
If your business doesn’t stay on top of their reputation during the holidays, it is sure to cause problems later. With gift-giving being a stressful time of the year, disgruntled customers are more likely to leave a bad review online if an issue is not taking care of in a proper and timely manner.  A customer’s problem should never be ignored – a company with good customer service who cares about their online reputation will respond promptly and politely, offering solutions and apologizing for the inconvenience. Not only could a bad experience with a customer lead to detrimental complaints online, but also deter that customer and their friends from coming back to your business later on.

For success during the holiday season, it’s vital to stay on top of your business’ reputation. You’ll receive more sales, your business will flourish, and it will prevent potential online reputation problems down the road. Take the busy holiday season as an opportunity to connect with more customers and show that your business provides the top notch customer service to keep customers coming back.