Statistics show that approximately 92 percent of online shoppers would read online reviews before they visit a particular business. Another 72 percent allows their decision to transact with a business to be determined by the number of positive reviews.
In short, online reputation management matters! That’s why adopting effective reputation management strategies to keep your reputation intact is so critical.
Here’s a closer look at online reputation management, including what it is, why it’s important, some useful tools and how to manage your online reputation effectively!
What is Online Reputation Management?
Online reputation management (ORM) is defined as the action of crafting strategies that are geared towards influencing or shaping the public perception of a given business or organization. To a large extent, it impacts on how the general public or target audience views a business or company and its products and services.
With ORM, businesses are able to balance, counteract or even push negative materials or opinions away from the minds of their existing and potential customers. Using various online reputation management strategies, businesses can effectively mitigate the harmful effects of negative viral comments or videos and, at the same time, broaden their customer base as they increase their online visibility.
Why is Online Reputation Management Important?
The importance of online reputation management is something that can never be overemphasized. Here are some of the reasons why every business should go the extra mile to protect their reputation, both online and offline!
1. Improved Ranking On Search Engines:
Although most business owners are not aware of this, having positive online reviews can have a significant impact on the search engine ranking of a business. Great reviews equal increased SEO visibility!
2. Increased Revenue
With a good reputation, a business draws more attention, and in turn, records more sales and revenue. This is especially because those who find the business reliable will spread the word to others, which ultimately can translate into increased sales.
3. Improved Credibility
Apart from the fact that the search engines reward your business for maintaining a great reputation, online review management helps you to build credibility for your business. This, in turn, helps you to gain the trust of customers, which is crucial to the survival of your business.
4. Sustainable Professional Image
A positive brand image has never been more important to success. Many of your potential customers are influenced by the information they find online. With positive reviews, these potential customers have a better chance to convert into buyers!
What are Some Reputation Management Software Options?
Using the right reputation management software can be very useful in crafting your online reputation management strategy. Here are just a few to consider to help protect your brand’s image online!
This software is designed to help online retailers and sellers to effectively manage their reputation. It comes with a wide range of features that significantly maximizes the potentials of a given business’ marketing strategies.
This ORM software gives you the leverage over social media as you expertly monitor and locate any mentions made about your business in online conversations. It gives you access to over a billion sources on a daily basis, from social media to blogs, forums and more.
Rize is a great tool that helps businesses collect customer testimonials and feedback. It also helps the user to monitor the level of customer satisfaction by exhibiting the positive reviews emanating from various digital channels.
This is an online reputation management software that’s designed to help business owners get rid of those Google results that would not do their business any good, helping in improving their business and individual profiles while they rank higher on the Google search engine results.
A very popular software, Hootsuite has over 10 million users spread in over 175 countries and is perfect in helping businesses craft effective social media strategies. With this online brand reputation management software, businesses can manage multiple social media accounts from a single hub, using a single password too!
How Do You Maintain a Brand Reputation?
Creating and maintaining a good reputation is not something that is done in a day or two - it’s something that takes time, money and energy. The slightest mistake can cost you the reputation of your business or brand and as such, you should always be on the lookout for ways to build and maintain a good brand reputation. Here are tips to do just that!
- Offer quick apologies when crises or mistakes arise
- Build your business on ethical principles
- Consistently adhere to moral and legal obligations
- Only make promises you’re sure to keep
- Constantly reach out and support your community
- Hire the best employees for an improved customer experience
- Always treat your customers right
- Stand up for your business and brand whenever the need arises
- Don’t take reviews personally but instead, use them to improve your offerings
How Can I Improve My Positive Online Reviews?
Often, business owners fail to get reviews from their customers because they assume it’s a difficult task to accomplish. However, implementing the right reputation management strategies can go a long way in improving your brand’s online reputation quickly and cost-effectively. Here are just a few ideas to keep in mind!
- Ask for reviews from your customers
- Reward your employees for consistently getting reviews from your customers
- Be active on social media
- Highlight positive reviews
- Don’t ignore negative reviews, reply to them courteously and quickly
- Create incentives for customers who consistently leave reviews
- Know when to ask for reviews
- Give your customers positive reviews
- Understand your audience
Online Reputation Management: Protect Your Business Today
Managing your brand’s image online has never been more important than right now. With the right reputation management strategies, including apologizing to your customers when the need arises, treating your customers right, being active on social media, responding to every review, and others, you’ll be able to better manage your online reputation and boost business!