The ability for users to post anonymously on the Internet can make it difficult for you to control your company's reputation online. You can't control all misrepresentations of your business on the Internet, but you can take steps to combat them and protect your business and customers.
Impersonating a Representative
Since Internet forums often don't require users to prove their identities, anyone can post rude or untruthful messages online while pretending to be a representative from your business. Other users may believe the impostor because business representatives--and even business owners--do sometimes respond to comments about their business online. You can't prevent this from happening, but you can take action when it does happen. Conduct regular web searches for your company's name and if you find posts from an impostor, report them to the owner of the website where they appear. In cases where the website owner does not remove the misleading posts or where there is evidence that the post has harmed your business, save evidence of the post and consult an attorney about your options for legal action.
Fake Reviews
Just as business representatives sometimes pose as customers leaving positive reviews of their product or service, competitors and angry customers may post negative reviews to retaliate against your business. Such reviews may exaggerate a negative experience with your business or fabricate encounters altogether. If you find such posts, try to contact the reviewer to learn more about the experience. Replying openly--and courteously--to the post shows other website users that you're confident your business has nothing to hide, though it may open you up to even more negative reviews, depending on how the original poster responds. If you learn that a review of your business is fabricated, report it to the website owner.
Account Hacking
Your website is your company's online location, and you must protect it from thieves, just as you would protect your physical business locations. A malicious person with programming skills, also known as a hacker, can steal information from your databases and use it to harm your computer systems or impersonate you online. Internet hackers can be more difficult to catch than thieves in the offline world, particularly if you don't have extensive technical knowledge. If this is the case, hire an information technology expert to help you protect your Internet accounts from hackers.
Protecting Customers
In addition to stealing information about your business, hackers can steal information about your customers, such as their credit card and Social Security numbers. They can then use this information to steal your customers' identities. This is as bad for your business as it is for your customers. Hire an IT expert to prevent this from happening and inform customers of ways they can protect their identities online. For example, remind them that your business never requests their account information by email and to contact you if they ever receive such a request, as it's likely the work of an identity thief.
