According to recent research by Bazaarvoice, around 84% of modern consumers consult online before they make a purchase in store. The same report found that 45% of consumers read a few online reviews before buying. (https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnellett/2018/02/08/new-research-shows-growing-impact-of-online-research-on-in-store-purchases/#28f7304d16a0)

This means that a business’ online reputation is very important and can have a big impact on its revenue. Access to information is a double-edged sword and it is easy for people to turn against businesses based on a few negative reviews. That’s why you need to have a good online reputation management system in place. Many business owners feel helpless against this tide and don’t know if they can maintain a decent reputation online. Fortunately, it is possible with a carefully thought out plan. In this article, we discuss online reputation management in detail.

What is Online Reputation Management?

Online reputation management is a comprehensive strategy designed to ensure your online reputation is stellar. It handles things like ratings, reviews, customer complaints, brand mentions, social media mentions, product or service mentions, and other such factors.

The aim of this strategy is to make sure prospective customers only see mostly good things when they search your brand name, product, or service online. It isn’t possible for companies to have a completely unblemished reputation, but it possible to push the most negative feedback down until it becomes less visible. Online reputation management is a combination of techniques designed to improve your brand image or product image in front of your target audience.

Why Is Reputation Management Necessary?

Most business owners are wary of spending more money than they need to and with good reason. It is easy to overspend on marketing campaigns and strategies without getting the best ROI. However, reputation management goes beyond just marketing and here are some reasons why:

#1. Customers Always Double Check

Modern consumers are savvy and conservative with their spending. They have all the information they need at their fingertips and aren’t afraid to take advantage of it. That’s one of the reasons why it is important to maintain a good reputation online. Without a good reputation, you don’t have any chance of convincing people your products or services are worth the money.

#2. Reputation Impacts Marketing Campaigns

Your marketing campaigns will only be successful and provide the ROI you need if your company has a great reputation. Even the most intricate and well-planned campaigns can be brought down by bad reviews and feedback because people just don’t trust the brand.

#3. Building a Solid Customer Base

Consumers are attracted to companies with a good reputation and standing. They associate with such brand and trust them to deliver consistent service. Most consumers are aware just how difficult it can be for companies to maintain a good reputation over time so they’re loyal to brands that are well-established and haven’t given them cause to worry.

These are just some of the reasons why people need to invest in reputation management. The last thing you want is for your brand to fail because of poor feedback.

Different Approaches to Reputation Management

There are several different ways to approach reputation management. An experienced professional will create a strategy that handles the matter from different directions. Here’s a look at the strategies they need to use:

#1. Establishing Foundation

This includes creating great content, encouraging customers to provide positive feedback, and establishing authority in your industry.

#2. Aggressive SEO

This strategy aims to push all negative feedback and content related to your brand down the search engine results. Most consumers don’t look beyond the first few links on the first page. If you successfully push the negative content down to the second or third page, people will miss it.

#3. Watching Brand Mentions

You can easily watch brand mentions with the help of tools like Google Alerts. (https://www.google.com/alerts) All you need to do is set up alerts for your brand name, products, or even key influential employees.

#4. Reaction

How you handle negative reviews can influence your reputation. If you handle the situation quickly and ensure the customer is satisfied, your company will actually experience a boost in reputation.

#5. Conduct Investigations

While it is bad business practice and can cause serious legal harm, many businesses attempt to take out their competitors with deceptive online smear campaigns. It is important to counteract these campaigns swiftly and decisively. You will need to hire professional analytics to determine the source and act accordingly.

Great reputation management campaigns can help you establish a strong foothold in your industry and get great success.

Why Hiring a Professional is a Great Investment?

It is tedious for a business owner to constantly manage their online reputation and keep an eye out for issues like bad reviews and complaints on social media. That is a very time-consuming job which is best left to professionals. Here’s a look at why you should hire an expert reputation management company or team:

• Experts understand how to respond to complaints or poor feedback. They will make sure the response is satisfactory and shows the customers you’re willing to address their concerns quickly.
• They know how to populate the search engine pages with positive content. They will make sure your links dominate the first page of the search engines.
• Professional reputation management companies also know how to use the different tools and programs to keep an eye on the company’s reputation.
• They are familiar with the different solutions available to address things like fake bad reviews or negative feedback. For example, if a competing business or a disgruntled employee places a bad review on your listing, an expert can appeal to Google or listing platforms to remove the feedback.

Professionals understand how industries work and how the Internet can influence companies. They’re capable of spotting warning signs and can help prevent problems that might critically damage your reputation.

Online reputation management experts can come up with a detailed plan based on your requirements. They will assess the state of your current reputation and make changes accordingly.

This article is contributed by Brij Bhushan Singh, Professional Blogger and Content writer at Hridik IT Consulting.

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