It is becoming easier and more widely accessible. The outcome is either very good or it is very bad. What you do about it is up to you. However if you are not aware about it, then there is nothing that you are doing about it, and your potential for failure has increased substantially. 

As Search Engine Optimization looks to increase the number of sites linking to you through social media sites such as facebook and the like, so too should you be looking through these sites to see what people are saying about your business. How you respond is critical to your success either as an online business or a bricks and mortar store.

Mobile search and accessibility has made this even more of a factor. As the web becomes more accessible, so too do social media sites. This means that you need to be out there scanning the web, responding to good reviews, responding to bad reviews and generally making yourself well connected with your customers as any successful business should do.

Ed O’Keefe, Vice President, Product Strategy and Management at Marchex, has given some valuable tips in his article on “Online Reputation Management: Who’s Talkin’ About Your Local Business?“. Check it out to make sure that you are in the know.