5 Ways to Improve Online Reputation Management

Nurturing how your business is represented online is an essential aspect of the brand playbook. According to recent data, 76% of consumers read online reviews while researching brands, and 90% of consumers report they will not purchase from a company with a poor reputation.

Brands that oversee online reviews are informed about customer conversations and can handle these with intuitive strategies to improve online reputation management and support digital reputation analytics.

What Is Online Reputation Management?

Put simply, online reputation management (ORM) involves the projection and protection of online presence and how consumers view brands.

Company reputation management includes responding to reviews, creating and replying to social media posts, and generating online campaigns. Tracking brand mentions helps develop a proactive online reputation management strategy.

Why Is It Important to Manage Online Reputation?

For any scaling business, customer perception awareness is key, feeding into a brand image and the dynamics of online brand reputation management.

Even a company with great customer service has to deal with negative reviews that may be costly. A few years ago, Wells Fargo employees set up fake accounts in a bid to meet quotas set by management.

Additionally, the bank was charging insurance fees that customers didn’t request. Their illegal actions affected more than 16 million consumer accounts, costing the company billions of dollars in fines and reputational damage

Many other companies have negative feedback. For example, consumers are now cautious of companies operating in Russia. They often express concerns in online reviews. If brands that persist in the Russian market ignore their customers, it could result in long-lasting damage to their reputation.

US consumers named Trader Joe’s as their 2022 most reputable US corporation, with an index score of 82.4. The company’s dedication to efficient communication strategies, positive customer-employee interaction, healthy work environment, and innovation have contributed to their success. In 2023, Patagonia was voted the US No. 1 brand due to its quality products and ethical policies.

How to Finetune Your Online Reputation

Online brand reputation management involves tracking and assessing brand mentions, brand conversations, and online reviews.

It’s a challenge to maintain reputation analysis, but it can boost growth with in-depth customer satisfaction analytics.

1. Track search engine results

Analyze your search engine ranking. Using keywords that include your brand name plus ‘online reviews’ or ‘negative reviews’ delivers trackable reputation insights.

Brands should conduct a search engine audit every 3-6 months with a clear SEO checklist and keyword strategy to clarify online brand reputation performance.

2. Monitor online reviews

Customer conversations provide diamond-grade information about the company’s reputation. Visit online review websites, such as PissedConsumer.com, and examine ratings on specialized platforms to discover what your customers are saying. Setting up alerts for mentions of your brand name or services helps to monitor your online reviews and reputation in a timely manner.

Feed this data into your online brand reputation management strategy to create tactics that improve brand reputation. These might include:

• Customer incentives. Offering rewards, discounts, and special offers to loyal clients not only encourages customer loyalty but also generates positive recommendations and online reviews.
• Community projects. Discover community needs or concerns that fit with your business values. Engage in or support neighborhood activities, support charities, or start your own area-focused initiatives. It shows how your company is dedicated to promoting social responsibility and community welfare.
• Awareness campaigns. Such initiatives establish your business as an influencer while bringing significant issues to public attention. Start creating educational products, social media campaigns, or activities to raise awareness of the problem that aligns with your brand values.

3. Supercharge social media

Create engaging content on your social media pages that will encourage your customers to add comments on your social media feeds. Some of them will try to communicate with you through the messaging feature if they have issues. You should also be highly responsive to meet their needs and achieve satisfaction with your brand. For the same benefit, engage with your followers and those leaving questions or comments.

To gain maximum benefit, if your customer is happy with your service, showcase this across social media.

4. Engage with negative reviews

Dealing with negative reviews is a must. Consumers want to interact with you. When they leave critical feedback, they aren’t trying to damage your reputation in the first place. Instead, they are hoping to get your attention and find a resolution to the issue.

Customers expect businesses to react to positive and negative reviews during the week. However, to achieve the best reputation management and customer satisfaction, negative reviews should be addressed within one to three days.

When responding, maintain a calm and controlled attitude, even if someone is rude and annoyed. Personalize your replies by using the customer’s name and avoid duplicating responses across several reviews. Don’t make them too long - 3 to 5 sentences will be enough to apologize, acknowledge the issue, and provide further steps.

Other customers are likely to swerve your brand if you don’t appear helpful.

5. Tap into software suites

Brand management software solutions and websites help companies listen to customer chatter and support strategies for customer engagement. Finding a comprehensive system is a good starting point for branding and reputation management.

Offering real-time insights into brand performance and customer satisfaction, you can leverage products from Brandwatch to Keyhole. Optimize these solutions by combining them with online reputation tracking and customer feedback scrutiny.

Is Online Reputation Management Worth It?

Customers aren’t always aware of your brand’s positive aspects, so letting them know can help them make purchasing decisions in your favor. Additionally, promptly dealing with negative reviews shows a dedication to customer satisfaction and may turn a potentially negative experience into a positive one.

Great online reputation management requires thought leadership and careful planning, but with these in place your brand can generate solid growth alongside a trusted digital presence.