How Online Reputation Management Can Help You Dominate The Business World
Since the genesis of the online web, companies have had to amp up their online reputation management (ORM). Most companies these days are run entirely online and so a good online reputation is becoming increasingly important.
Online reputation management is the practice of tracking and influencing your stakeholder perceptions through your online presence. It is essentially a marketing tactic that is used to drive leads, monitor user interactions and establish a strong brand foundation. It is vital to protect the future of your business.
Importance of Online Reviews
Several reasons are at hand for why businesses opt into ORM, but a top ranker is to attract more clients and grow the business. Online reviews are a common way to do that.
Positive reviews can boost business in numerous ways. The most obvious being that it uplifts the brand’s reputation. Another is that a satisfied customer feels valued when they receive sincere company responses to their positive review and, in turn, may convert to loyal customers. Review ratings are also a deciding factor as to how your business ranks in search engines. Good ratings will increase the likelihood of a higher rank, and vice versa.
Along with managing positive reviews, you need to know how to manage negative reviews too. A one-off bad review won’t dent the brand reputation but a flurry of them can discard your company very quickly. Unhappy customers are statistically more likely to share a bad experience, so businesses should act fast to protect the future of their company. It’s also important not to be discouraged and see negative reviews as opportunities for improvement.
The problem arises when companies either don’t respond to customer reviews and/or they respond tactlessly. The quality of the company’s response is a major element of Google’s ranking decision. If your company doesn’t fare well in responding to reviews, then you run the risk of dampening your rank.
Let’s talk numbers. 3 out of 4 consumers trust a company more if it has positive reviews and 85% of people trust online reputation as much as recommendations from friends. This clearly shows the impact online reviews have on customer acquisition.
Customer Relationship Strategy (CRM)
CRM is an important part of online reputation management as it helps maintain and develop a relationship with existing and future customers.
A good CRM strategy involves someone promptly responding to all good and bad reviews. If other users can see that the company has a mountain of unanswered complaints, it could put them off doing business with you.
By tracking the negative reviews and resolving them quickly, you can restore any lost confidence in your business and build good rapport. Poor online reputation is costly to your brand and a few naysayers can tear your company down quickly.
When responding to reviews, originality is key. The response shouldn’t seem like a copied and pasted reply that undervalues your customers. It is best to repeat something that the customer mentioned in their review to prove that you read the review. Make sure to use the customer’s first name is included, along with the rating and your brand name – this is to make the review more searchable.
In a response to a negative review, you should apologise and leave a hotlink for the user to email you. However, some negative reviews can be challenged under certain circumstances. For example, if the comment is racist or there is profanity, it can be challenged and taken away. Reviews can also be removed or altered by the customer themselves if you offer them something.
Tips for Online Reputation Management
Publish Valuable Content
It’s up to you to test different style of content and let the data guide you to make changes accordingly. What you have to say as a business is just as eye-opening as what others say about your company, so make sure the content is relevant and thoughtful. A strong content strategy can reap sales opportunities and build buyer awareness.
Make Use of Your Online Reviews
Employee-based review platforms, e.g. Glassdoor, can affect your recruitment efforts while customer-based platforms, e.g. Yelp, can impact sales. Taking charge of your online listings is a good strategy for online reputation management. It shows authority and proper representation of your business.
Utilise Social Media Channels
A well-organised stream of social media channels can help establish your brand culture and personality, as well as announce industry news and company updates.
Deep Audit Your Online Presence
Conducting deep audits of your digital footprint can minimise inconsistencies and discrepancies that may cause consumers to prejudge you. Is there up-to-date content on all of your platforms? Do you have tweets or jokes that now seem misinformed and inappropriate? Updating and refreshing your brand image can save you from the adverse effects of uncovering a bad reputation.
CEO Representation
CEO reputation is a large contributor to the company’s market value. Having the correct representation is vital to the success of your business.