Like it or not, people are moving online at an alarming rate. Did you know that, according to a Pew study, 87% of Americans between the ages of 12 and 17 are online? And you can bet the majority of those kids have some type of social media account.

Family and friends are following those kids online just to see what they’re doing and who they’re hanging out with. The world is going electronic and things are changing faster than Carrie Underwood at the CMAs.

In a recent study, Harris Online, the famous pollster, discovered that 78% of those surveyed believed it was important to look up businesses or people online before contacting them for services or products.

69% of those surveyed said they would be more apt to do business with someone who had positive reviews written about them.

And a panic-inducing 74% claimed they would most likely REFUSE to do business with someone who had bad reviews written about them or their business.

So what does that information tell us?

You better have some type of online presence if you want to remain relevant and solvent.

You best make sure that there’s lots of positive information available about you and your business

3. You better not get any negative reviews.

Harris claims that 2011 will be The Year of the Online Reputation.

My question to you is…what are you doing to protect your reputation?

If you’re like most folks, you’re not doing a darned thing. If you own a business or practice, whether it has an online presence or not, have you ever considered what effect it would have on your income if a disgruntled client started posting negative comments about you online? If that happens, you could wind up with a DISASTROUS INTERNET IDENTITY.

And, if Harris is right and folks don’t want to do business with someone with a bad rep, that DISASTROUS INTERNET IDENTITY could translate into loss of sales, loss of clients, loss of income, loss of home, loss of…well, you get the picture.

There are a lot of reasons a person can get a DISASTROUS INTERNET IDENTITY.

Maybe your ex is angry at you and decides to air your dirty laundry on the internet. Maybe you ticked off a contractor and he’s badmouthing you to anyone who will listen. Maybe a customer was dissatisfied with the cleanliness of your restroom. Maybe a store clerk didn’t like your attitude and tracked you down via your credit card. Maybe it’s just a "joke" your grandson is playing on his favorite grandma.

What’s to stop any of these people from badmouthing you all over the internet? The bad news is there’s nothing to stop them. There is absolutely no protection against any of those scenarios.

Seems hopeless, right?

But it isn’t. What you have to do is build a series of defenses that will protect yourself and your business no matter what type of reputation-destroying weapons are brought to bear against you.