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Trust is the foundation of every business transaction. Every time a customer swipes their card at your store or clicks “buy now” on your website, they trust your business to deliver what you’ve promised. That trust doesn’t just appear at the moment of purchase. It’s built over time and is shaped by your business reputation.
Your reputation is how the public perceives your business, and this perception may not always match reality. Factors like product quality, customer satisfaction, employee morale, and media coverage all play a role. Most importantly, your reputation has real consequences. A poor reputation can hurt sales, no matter how great your marketing or product is, while a strong reputation can keep your business thriving, even if your product is only average.
But a less-than-stellar reputation doesn’t have to be a setback. There are plenty of ways to understand how people view your business, take steps to improve that perception, and optimize your strategies for all the challenges and opportunities ahead. Here’s how to measure where you stand, plus actionable ways to enhance your reputation.
6 Ways to Measure and Improve Your Business Reputation
So, how do you know what people really think about your business? It comes down to gathering feedback from the people who interact with it the most — customers, employees, partners, and suppliers. Their combined opinions give you a clear picture of your business’s reputation. Below, we cover six ways to gather this feedback, along with pointers to improve your reputation based on what you’ve found.
1. Track online review ratings
Ratings and reviews are the staple of digital commerce. According to BrightLocal’s Local Consumer Review Survey 2024, 75% of customers always or regularly read reviews before making a purchase — only 3% say they “never” read reviews, while the rest read reviews occasionally. In fact, reviews are so important that 59% of consumers expect a business to have a minimum of 20 –99+ reviews before they will consider buying from it. Half of respondents say they trust these reviews as much as they do recommendations from their friends and family.
If you haven’t already, start by creating or claiming your business profiles on top review sites like Google Business, Yelp, and other sites specific to your industry. Sites like OpenTable can help restaurants receive real-time feedback but also integrate with Square, giving you data on allergies, table preference, and more.
Fill out each profile completely — add services, products, photos, and other content the platform allows. Ensure that your business hours and locations are up to date. Once your profile looks good, consider the steps below to boost your reputation on your active review sites.
How to improve brand reputation through reviews and ratings
Respond to reviews, both positive and negative. This shows that your business is responsive and cares about customers’ opinions. The same BrightLocal survey found that 88% of consumers would patronize a business that replies to both positive and negative reviews. Stack that against a mere 47% who would consider using a business that doesn’t respond to reviews.
Request reviews. Actively encourage customers to leave reviews, especially after a purchase. Of course, doing this manually for every customer would be difficult, so it’s best to automate the process. Square integrates with Google Business so you can automatically collect Google reviews by sending automated marketing campaigns.
When making review requests, be sure to follow the recent Federal Trade Commission rule that bans fake reviews and testimonials. For example, you may offer gifts or coupons in exchange for reviews, but you may not use language that implies the gift can only be redeemed if the review is positive.
Show off your ratings. Once you’ve gathered positive reviews and high ratings, highlight them on your website, social media, and marketing materials to build credibility and trust with potential customers.
2. Measure customer satisfaction
If customers are dissatisfied with your products and services, it would be difficult — if not impossible — to build a favorable reputation. Some studies suggest that an unhappy customer typically tells between nine and 15 other people about their experience. The real bummer is that 86% of customers say a bad review can change their minds about doing business with a brand.
Understanding how customers feel about your products or services can help you refine and adjust your offerings to better meet their needs and expectations. When customers are satisfied, you get positive reviews, testimonials, and word-of-mouth recommendations, all of which enhance your business reputation.
But how do you measure customer satisfaction? Here are two ways:
Send post-sale surveys
Third-party review sites are great for customers, but private post-sale surveys give you more control and allow you to ask more specific questions. For example, you can use Square Feedback to collect feedback directly through digital receipts. Because each response is tied to a transaction, you have better context.
Using post-sale feedback to improve your business reputation
- Categorize feedback by product, service, or customer segment to identify specific areas where you can make improvements. You can get this kind of deep dive with a tool like Square Analytics.
- Share anonymous, positive feedback in your marketing materials to highlight customer satisfaction. Testimonials, ratings, and success stories derived from post-sale feedback can be powerful tools to enhance your brand image.
Measure your Net Promoter Score
The Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a widely used metric that measures customer loyalty and satisfaction by asking customers a single question: “How likely are you to recommend our product/service to a friend or colleague?” Customers answer on a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 means “not at all likely” and 10 means “extremely likely.” You can also include open-ended follow-up questions to better understand customer scores.
You can use a tool like Jotform to design a simple NPS survey form, then set up automated survey emails via Square Marketing.
Ways to improve your Net Promoter Score
Measuring your NPS is a great start. Once you’ve gotten some data, explore ways to bump up your score.
- Follow up. Reach out to customers (with permission) to understand their concerns and show you’re committed to improvement. Use their feedback to make specific, targeted improvements in areas that matter most to your customers.
- Reward loyalty. Offer incentives or rewards to promoters who refer others or give positive feedback. Consider starting a loyalty program. According to Square Loyalty data, customers enrolled in a loyalty program spend 53% more and visit 43% more often than those who are not.
If you get a sense a customer had a bad experience, do what you can to turn that around before they walk out the door. Whether that’s a future discount or simply a kind word and a promise to improve, the acknowledgement can go a long way.
3. Monitor your social media presence
Social media plays a huge role in shaping public perceptions of your business. It offers opportunities for direct interaction, real-time feedback, crisis management, and most importantly, building trust with your audience. To manage your online reputation effectively, you’ll want to use social media monitoring and listening tools. Here’s how:
Track brand mentions and conversations. Stay on top of what’s being said about your brand — whether it’s good or bad. Tools like Hootsuite let you monitor mentions and hashtags across multiple social networks in real time. This way, you can quickly get a sense of how your business is being discussed and respond promptly. Don’t just focus on direct tags, though. Look out for indirect mentions where people talk about your brand without tagging you.
Analyze reactions and engagement. It’s not just about what people are saying — it’s also about the tone of those conversations. Are mentions generally positive, neutral, or negative? Tools like Hootsuite, Brandwatch, or Mention can help you dive into sentiment analysis, so you get a clearer picture of how the public feels about your business overall.
Using social media to boost your business reputation
- Acknowledge brand mentions, whether positive or negative. When you receive negative comments, address them publicly but politely, and offer to take the conversation offline if needed.
- Have a plan in place for managing negative social media incidents. Quick and thoughtful responses can sway public opinion in your favor.
4. Manage your email sending reputation
If you send marketing emails to customers, it’s important to know that internet service providers assign a score to your domain. This “email sending reputation” directly impacts whether your emails reach your customers’ inboxes, how engaged they are with your content, and even your overall email marketing costs.
Here’s how to measure your email reputation:
- Check your open rates. High open rates mean your emails are connecting with customers. If your open rates are low, it could signal a problem with your messaging or delivery. If you use Square Email Marketing, you get real-time insight into how your email campaigns perform, so you can make changes to protect your reputation.
- Watch out for domain blacklisting. Use tools like ZeroBounce or Spamhaus to make sure your domain isn’t on any blacklists. If it is, you may need to work with email professionals to fix the issue and get your emails back on track.
How to improve your email sending reputation
Be careful with your wording and formatting. Certain phrases or styles can trigger spam filters, which means your emails won’t even make it to the inbox. Authenticity is the name of the game. As always, put yourself in the receiver’s shoes — what would you want to read?
Implement email authentication protocols such as SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. These protocols help verify that your emails are legitimate and reduce the chances of them being marked as spam.
Don’t overwhelm subscribers with too many emails. Find a balance that keeps them engaged without flooding their inboxes.
5. Monitor search engine results for your brand name
Search engine results often serve as the first impression people have of your business. Data from Statista shows that 77% of consumers use Google to find information about local businesses. People tend to trust businesses that have a strong, positive presence in search results, especially if authoritative sources or positive reviews are displayed. But if your business ranks poorly or is associated with negative stories, it can create doubts in people’s minds.
The simplest way to get a pulse of your search reputation is to search for your business name and see what comes up. Are review platforms like Google Reviews, Yelp, or Trustpilot appearing at the top? What is the average rating, and what are customers saying about your business? Any mentions of your business in news outlets or blogs?
If your business has enough visibility, search engines like Google may display a knowledge panel with key information about your brand (logo, website, contact details, reviews). You can claim your knowledge panel or provide feedback to improve it. A well-maintained, complete knowledge panel boosts your business’s credibility and reputation.
Auto-complete suggestions or “related searches” can also give insights into search terms or words that are commonly associated with your brand. If negative words (like “scam” or “lawsuit”) appear, it could indicate a reputation issue you need to address. On the other hand, keywords (like “reviews” or “success stories”) could show favorable public perception.
Ideally, you’d want top search results for your brand to be neutral or positive. Set up Google Alerts for your brand and review notifications regularly.
Ways to improve reputation through search results
- Keep your website up to date and search-friendly. If you have a Square Online site, you can adjust your SEO settings to improve discovery.
- Claim and optimize business listings like Google Business profiles, Yelp, and other industry sites. These sites are often among the top results when people search for your brand name — that’s one more reason to claim these profiles and proactively manage reviews.
- Participate in newsworthy local events and programs that align with your business goals.
- Create and optimize videos about your brand, such as product demos, customer testimonials, and behind-the-scenes content. Videos are often prioritized in search results and can help convey a positive image of your brand.
6. Measure employee satisfaction
Your employees are often the public face of your company. Whether they interact directly with customers, share their experiences on social media, or talk about their work with friends and family, they shape the perception of your business. Satisfied employees are more likely to be engaged and motivated, and provide better customer service, which directly influences how customers perceive your business. On the other hand, dissatisfied employees may spread negative impressions, both online and offline.
Here’s how to understand what employees think of your business:
Anonymous surveys. Regularly send out anonymous surveys asking employees about their experience working for your company. Include questions about their job satisfaction, company culture, leadership, and whether they feel proud to represent the business. Tools like Jotform or Google Forms make it easy to collect this feedback without employees feeling pressured.
Exit interviews. When employees leave, conduct an exit interview to find out why. Departing employees are often more open about your business’ strengths and weaknesses. This can help you spot patterns or issues that might affect your reputation.
Employee review sites. Just like customer reviews, employees often leave reviews on platforms like Glassdoor. Monitor these sites to understand how your business is perceived from the inside out. Positive reviews from employees can significantly boost your reputation, while negative ones can warn you of issues needing attention.
How to improve reputation by managing employee feedback:
- Show your employees that their feedback matters by making meaningful changes. When employees see improvements based on their input, they’re more likely to feel valued and share positive experiences.
- Invest in technology and tools that help employees perform their jobs more efficiently. Square Staff tools, for example, include payroll, shift management, and team communication features that can empower your employees to do their jobs better, helping to reduce frustration and increase productivity.
- Acknowledge hard work and achievements regularly. Public recognition, even small gestures, can go a long way in boosting morale and encouraging employees to become advocates for your business.
Drive business growth with a stellar reputation
Your business reputation isn’t just built on what you say — it’s built on what others say about you. Whether it’s customers sharing their experiences, employees talking about what it’s like to work for you, or the results that pop up when someone Googles your brand, all these factors add up. By monitoring the right sources, you can fine-tune your approach and strengthen your brand’s standing. Remember, reputation is an ongoing process. The more you invest in measuring and improving your business reputation, the more it pays off in customer loyalty, employee satisfaction, and long-term success.
