Here comes a prediction you can pretty much count on to come true:

One day—soon—there will be a report, much like a credit report, that will rate you on your trustworthiness. It’s going to be available on the web to anyone who wants it. People are going to be able to judge you without meeting you or interacting with you.

We worry about our credit reports—as we should—but those reports are private and only affect our ability to obtain additional credit and good interest rates.

This new score (let’s call it the “Internet Trustworthiness Score,” or ITS) will be public and will have a huge impact on your success in business. Potential clients will check out your ITS before they look at your website. It’s going to be a make or break number. Get ready for it, because it’s coming.

You can see the ITS coming already in other forms. There are the seller feedback ratings on Amazon and eBay. There are the attorney scores provided on Avvo. Everything gets rated on Yelp, from restaurants to plumbers to orthodontists. Scores are everywhere we turn.

The reason scores are proliferating is because users like quick and easy ways to make judgments about others. The ITS will make it easy to decide whether to do business with someone. It will make it easy to determine whether to rely on someone’s opinion posted online. It will make it easy to decide whether to trust an answer or comment posted by a professional participating in an online discussion. It will make it easy to decide how much weight to place on a blog post.

If you worry about your credit report, you will really worry about your new ITS score: it’s going to have a much bigger impact on your life. Everyone will have one-click access to the number. Your neighbors, your clients, other professionals, and even your mother will know your online reputation in the blink of an eye.

I suggest you stop worrying about the report and start doing something about improving your online reputation. Now is the time to act.

How? What can you do to protect your reputation?

Of course, I’m speculating here, but I’ve got some ideas that I think might help. Here are my 10 tips:

1. Don’t spam websites with comments. Don’t let your marketing people do it on your behalf.

2. Do blog. Write intelligent posts demonstrating your intellect and insight.

3. Do comment on blogs. Join the conversation.

4. Do answer questions on Q&A sites.

5. Do reach out to others via Twitter and Facebook and build connections and relationships.

6. Do look for opportunities to assist those in need. Jump in when you have something helpful to offer.

7. Do provide feedback for others when you make online purchases.

8. Do provide product reviews. Also, comment on and review other professionals. Be helpful.

9. Don’t ignore online criticism of your business. Jump in and try to fix the problem.

10. Don’t ignore the online world. Don’t be anonymous. Be a part of the new world. If we don’t know you, we can’t trust you. The new town square is online. Show up and get to know others.

My prediction is that the ITS will be here soon. This is your chance to start strong and score well when it arrives.