Half of British businesses fail to monitor their online reputation
Online retailers fail to publish positive customer material on the Internet
An alarming 50 per cent of British businesses do not currently check the Internet for online material involving them, according to research released today by 1&1 Internet Ltd.
Furthermore, half of the 405 companies surveyed (48 per cent) admitted to having no facilities in place to help influence or control their online reputation. This is in stark contrast to a further survey of 1600 UK consumers that found that almost two thirds
(65 per cent) of online shoppers regularly check the Internet for material about an online retailer before committing to a purchase, and 1 in 3 (32 per
cent) are now able to publish their shopping experiences online. In 2008, it would appear that many UK businesses are complacent on the issue of online reputation.
1&1’s ‘Online Reputation Audit’ revealed that around half of the 405 UK businesses surveyed were currently neglecting or ignoring the issue of consumer-created online material. Whilst the companies invested in a having their own website, exactly half (50 per cent) admitted to having never monitored the Internet for comments or reviews posted online by customers. This proportion of firms accepted that they were unaware of what was being communicated by others on the Internet about their offerings.
Worryingly, less than 1 in 3 (30 per cent) of UK businesses actively and regularly search the Internet for customer comments and reviews published on consumer websites, social networks and blogs. It is thus unsurprising that
48 per cent reported no facilities in place to address inaccuracies and negative material that could negatively impact their online reputation.
The data would suggest that British firms are under-valuing the impact that online reputation can have on revenues. Less than 1 in 4 (21 per cent) of participants have responded at least once to negative material published online by a customer. The level of apathy on the issue is concerning in light of 1&1’s survey of 1,600 UK consumers that found the average Briton is now acutely sensitive to the online image of retailers. Some 65 per cent of online shoppers regularly search the Internet for material relating to an online retailer in order to judge their ‘online reputation’ or reputability before they click ‘Order’. Retailers may also be surprised to learn that the issue increases in importance with age, with 70 per cent of over 55 year olds regularly researching, as compared to only 53 per cent of 16-24 year olds.
Oliver Mauss, CEO 1&1 Internet Ltd, said “The average online shopper will now invest time in appraising a retailer’s online reputation as an integral part of their buying decision. Businesses must monitor for such material if they are to protect their revenues and build their brand online”.
