I was reading some business news from around the world the other day when I came across a story out of Australia that got me thinking. The story quoted some interesting statistics as to how Aussies use the web to learn more about companies they are doing business with as well as companies that they intend to do business with. Consumers stated emphatically that their most trusted source of information about a company came from personal opinions that they have read on the web. Posting some eye opening numbers, the author reported that forty percent of Australians using the internet have posted an opinion about a brand last year and over eighty percent of the internet using population has read such commentary. Fifty-seven percent of people questioned have reportedly watched an online video to help them decide about a product or service.

Why is this important? Because, if you do business in the U.S., these numbers are surely higher. A company that is ignoring the internet may have no idea why their business is dropping as consumers begin to react to a bad message or worse no message at all. In the age of corporate espionage is it a stretch to think an unscrupulous competitor might plant the seeds of discontent on the web to gain a competitive advantage? Should one disgruntled customer be the reference point on which a large portion of your prospects base their opinion of you? The answer here of course is a resounding NO!

On the other hand, shouldn’t reputable businesses do everything they can to not only project their company in the best light possible but also to protect their reputation from unfair or slanderous attack? Shouldn’t these companies work hard to get their message to the forefront as they seek out new potential customers? The answer of course is an emphatic YES! Obviously, knowing what to do, how to do it, and doing it are three completely different issues. At Byte Logic Solutions we have some ideas to put you on course and keep you there. Give us a call, in an age when technology is changing at an ever increasing pace; let us help keep your message focused and highly available to your clients and prospects while you concentrate on doing what you do best. The Aussie article is linked below.

http://www.news.com.au/business/story/0,27753,25191278-5012427,00.html