Crafting a great brand is not an easy task because it can take months or years to achieve that. That’s why you need to protect it as much as you can. Unfortunately, with the increase of cyber attacks, identity theft, or data theft, brands are now under threat more than ever. This has made many business owners wonder whether doing business online is worth it.
However, most of these threats have been recognized and there are also plenty of ways to handle them. With a few simple practices, you can eliminate these risks and protect your online brand. Here are some of the best practices that can enable you to protect your brand online.
#1 Register your trademark
One of the first steps entrepreneurs ought to take when starting a business is to trademark their logo and name. Entrepreneurs should ensure that their trademark applications are accurate from the start. When one registers for a trademark, they will receive exclusive right to use the mark for their goods or services. Moreover, the trademark is crucial as it helps to reveal whether there are any other similar logos or brands that are already registered.
#2 Brand your domain
Having a domain name is also crucial. You should also find out in advance whether or not your desired domain name is still available before you go ahead and spend money designing your logo. Your domain should be very unique. That’s why you need to choose it carefully. You can use .com, .org, or.net.
#3 Respond to reviews promptly
In this digital era, reviews have become an essential aspect of business branding. While the internet can help push your brand, it can also kill it if you are not careful. Positive reviews can help your business grow, while just a single negative review can potentially damage the reputation you have struggled to establish.
So to eliminate the chances of negative reviews damaging your reputation, you should regularly check customer reviews and respond promptly. If a customer leaves a negative review regarding a product they have purchased, you can offer them plenty of options to get the matter resolved. For instance, they can return the product and exchange it or offer a refund if possible.
#4 Leverage employee reviews
Of course, your employee reviews are equally important as your customer reviews. If you have poor reviews as an employer, chances are that many customers will shop elsewhere. That’s because some customers assume that a poor employer translates to poor services. You should handle your employees well if you want to maintain a good brand reputation.
#5 Focus on providing quality products and services
To maintain a good reputation and boost customer loyalty, you have to ensure that you offer quality products and services to your customers. If your products are substandard or are not delivered on time, chances are that customers won’t purchase from you again. Studies show that more than 35% of US customers will consider switching brands if a brand offers poor service. Fortunately, you can avoid such occurrences by consistently offering quality products and services to your customers.
