In today’s digital age, online reputation management has become more important than ever before. With the increasing influence of the internet and online platforms like Google and social media, people can easily share their opinions and experiences online.
This can have a significant impact on a company’s reputation. Whether you’re a small business or a large corporation, having a positive online image is crucial. Over the last few years the importance of online reputation management has only grown, making it an indispensable strategy for any business looking to succeed in the current marketplace.
What Is Online Reputation Management?
Online reputation management (ORM) refers to the practice of actively monitoring and influencing the way that a company is perceived online. It involves a variety of strategies aimed at building, maintaining, and improving a business’s online reputation. ORM encompasses many aspects of a company’s online presence including their website, social media profiles, and other review sites such as a Google Business Profile.
Why Reputation Management Is Important
One of the primary reasons that reputation management is so important is because a large portion of consumers trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation. Consumers have access to a vast amount of information and can easily research businesses before making a purchase decision. Approximately 87% of consumers will look for reviews first, before choosing a business. This means that a business’s online reputation can make or break their success, and negative reviews or feedback can lead to lost business and revenue.
Reputation management also allows businesses to proactively address any negative feedback or reviews that may be harming their reputation.
Online Reputation Management Benefits
ORM offers numerous benefits for businesses of all sizes, including:
Builds Trust
Online reputation management goes a long way in helping to build trust with potential customers. A business with a positive online reputation is seen as more trustworthy and reliable than one with negative reviews or feedback. By proactively managing their online reputation, businesses can establish themselves as trustworthy and attract more customers who are confident in the quality of their products or services.
Builds Authority
A positive online reputation can help establish a business as an authority in its industry. When a business consistently receives positive feedback and reviews from customers, it positions the business as a reliable source of information and products or services.
Attracts Customers / Clients
A positive online reputation can attract new customers to a business. When potential customers research a business online, they are much more likely to choose the business with positive reviews over one with negative feedback.
Maintains Credibility
A strong online reputation can help maintain a business’s credibility. By actively monitoring and responding to feedback and reviews, businesses can demonstrate their commitment to customer satisfaction and show that they value feedback and take it seriously.
Improves Customer Retention
By addressing negative feedback or reviews promptly and effectively, businesses can improve customer retention. When a business makes a situation “right” with a customer, they’ll be more likely to do business with them again.
Boosts Search Engine Rankings
A positive online reputation can also help boost a business in the search engine rankings. Search engines, like Google, look for signals of trust and credibility when ranking websites. This is why positive reviews can help a business rank higher in the SERPs (search engine results pages), making it easier for potential customers to find them.
Reputation Management Techniques
Here are four of the top reputation management techniques for helping a businesses improve their online presence:
1. Monitor All Online Platforms
One of the key elements of online reputation management is monitoring all of a business’ online channels. This involves tracking mentions of the company across social media platforms, websites, and other review sites such as a Google Business Profile.
By actively monitoring these online platforms, businesses can stay aware of what is being said about their brand, products, and services— and respond quickly to any negative comments or reviews.
2. Respond To All Negative Reviews
Responding to negative reviews provides businesses an opportunity to address any issues or concerns that customers may have. By acknowledging the problem and offering a solution, businesses can potentially turn a negative experience into a positive one.
Responding to negative reviews can also help to mitigate the impact of the review on the business’s reputation. When a business responds to a negative review, it shows that they are listening and taking action to address the issue. This can help to reassure other customers that the business is committed to providing high-quality products or services and that they care about their customer’s experience.
3. Engage With Positive Reviews
Businesses should also engage with their positive reviews because doing so can help to reinforce positive perceptions of the brand, build customer loyalty, and improve the overall reputation of the business.
When a business responds to a positive review, it shows that they value and appreciate their customers. This can help to encourage customers to continue using the brand’s products or services. And when potential customers see that a business is actively engaging with their customers, they are more likely to perceive the business as trustworthy, responsive, and customer-focused. This can help to attract new customers and build a strong reputation online.
4. Get More Positive Reviews
Continually collecting more positive reviews is the best way for a business to build and improve their online reputation. When potential customers see numerous positive reviews, it builds trust in the business and encourages them to make a purchase.
Getting more positive reviews is also the best way to combat negative reviews. Negative reviews can damage the reputation of a business, but if there are more positive reviews than negative ones, the negative reviews will have less impact. This is because potential customers are more likely to trust the opinions of the majority. Acquiring more positive reviews can also help to push negative reviews further down, so that they are less likely to be seen.
Be Proactive With Reputation Marketing
While reputation management is a great way to mitigate negative reviews, it’s still a reactive approach. At The Alchemy Consulting Group, we don’t just play defense when it comes to our clients’ online presence— we take a proactive approach by utilizing a strategy called reputation marketing.
Rather than waiting for negative feedback to roll in, reputation marketing involves actively seeking out positive reviews and feedback from customers and clients, and leveraging that feedback to market your business. Because reputation marketing is proactive, it allows you to control the narrative around your business.
How Our Reputation Marketing Program Works
With our Reputation Marketing Program, we will do the following:
- Monitor the top 19 online review directories and notify you immediately when a review is left so that you can respond to it in a timely manner.
- Create a branded feedback page for your business.
- Utilize an autoresponder to request reviews from past customers and clients.
- Distribute 5-star reviews across your social media channels.
- Add a widget to your website that will display your 5-star reviews.
- If someone leaves less than a 4 star review, we’ll send them to a different page where a video invites them to share their experience in order to help you improve your service. This step intercepts the bad review and allows you the opportunity to make things right with the customer.
By leveraging the power of customer feedback, we help businesses not only improve their online reputation, but also drive new business and increase customer loyalty. To learn more about this program and find out if it’s a fit for you, call us at 877-978-2110 or schedule a call at https://calendly.com/gordonvanwechel/15min.
