Online Reputation Management Important For Small Businesses Too

MyFrontSteps has just released a new service called StepRep, located at http://steprep.myfrontsteps.com, to help small businesses and independent contractors manage their online reputation.

People are rating your services on sites like ServiceMagic and Yelp

Saskatoon, Canada (PRWEB) January 8 2009 -- With the explosive growth of new social media like Facebook and Twitter, it's never been more vital for businesses to keep track of what people are saying about them on the Internet.

"People are rating your services on sites like ServiceMagic and Yelp," said Brendan King, CEO of the Canadian Internet startup MyFrontSteps. "They're blogging, and commenting on each other's blogs. One comment can be seen by tens of thousands of people. It's really upped the stakes."

MyFrontSteps has just released a new service called StepRep, located at http://steprep.myfrontsteps.com, to help small businesses and independent contractors manage their online reputation. What makes this service different from others that have come before? The price, for one thing. StepRep is free. And it was designed with simplicity in mind, to encourage non-tech-savvy users to give it a try.

"Small business owners might think, hey, I've got a low profile, no-one's talking about me," said King. "But when you don't have a large online presence, the effect of each comment is magnified. It's even more important to keep on top of what people are seeing when they Google your name."

StepRep sends out an alert via email whenever a new result appears, allowing users to respond to blog posts or comments immediately.

Results can then be sorted and managed, and positive items promoted using a "widget" that can be added to the user's blog or website. These search-friendly widgets draw search engines toward positive results and away from negative ones.

For users without a blog or website, StepRep provides a simple profile page that displays positive stories.

StepRep is only the first part of a larger strategy to connect businesses and their customers through social networks. In March, MyFrontSteps will launch Homebook, a place for homeowners to share photos of their homes and get ideas for design and renovation. Homebook users will be invited to link to their trusted home service providers on StepRep.

StepRep and MyFrontSteps are products of VendAsta Technologies, a software development team based in Saskatoon, Canada. In August 2008 the startup received $3 million funding from Victoria Park Capital to develop a social networking initiative that would combine the founders' expertise in software and real estate services. Their website is at www.VendAsta.com.

For more information please contact MyFrontSteps CEO, Brendan King at bking (at) myfrontsteps (dot) com, or at 306-955-5512 ext 102.

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