Online reputation management has been a popular topic for business for quite some time now. It has also been a topic of concern for many business owners but as per TripAdvisor’s latest study, it is very clear that how quickly we have come to the tipping point.

It has been made clear by the respondents that what is the outsized significance of retaining a positive online footprint and digitally engaging with the customers –

Around 97 % said ORM is important for their business to grow. The same was correct for online reviews which were 98 %, and for social presence, it was 92 %.

How online reputation management Works?

Online reputation management primarily works to deal and respond mainly to negative customer behaviour like negative comments online and reacting to stories in the media (both social and traditional) etc. To prevent any business or company from having a bad image, Online reputation management is a must.

ORM’s main focus is to monitor and manage your brand’s or business’s reputation over the web. This also helps in ensuring that your business is represented properly, and your potential customers are leaving the website/webpage with a great impression of what kind of company you are and how you deal with your customers.

Do’s & Dont’s of online reputation management

Here are some Do’s and Don’t’s of online reputation management that every business should be following for maintaining a positive brand reputation –

Do A Deep Audit of Your Online Reputation

Be very clear about what you want to show to your visitors when you search for your company on search engines like Google. Ideally, when a customer looks for anything over the web, they get a clean, inspiring, and up-to-date list of positive websites, fresh blog posts and social profiles. If your first impression is not good this might be the reason you miss your next customer.

Studies show that businesses risk losing 22% of business if any of their potential customers find even one negative article or negative comments on review sites and Google reviews, on the first page of their search results.

Make Better Use of Online Reviews

There are a lot of review platforms available. These platforms are of all shapes and sizes and are very important for some obvious reasons. There are a lot of advantages of an active and positive review profile because of the simple reason – 84 % of people have trust in online reviews as compared to personal recommendations.

Publish Content That Customers Find Valuable

Companies without a strong digital content strategy are of no use and have the risk of losing buyer awareness, and eventually, important sales opportunities! If what you are writing and submitting is not making sense for your customers, they will simply find answers to their questions somewhere else. There is no right or wrong way to create great digital content; all that is important is to create as per your user requirement and constantly monitor the performance of your content. Interactions will all shape your digital presence, yes start interacting with your consumers with social media.

Don’t Forget Your Executives

What is that one thing which is common in potential customers, investors, and employees? The answer is – they are all people! And people are inclined towards caring more about the people that are behind the brand — not just the brand itself. It is very true that depending on the brand, important people like CEO and other key executives might get more searched just like the brand.

It is a global executive estimate that has shown 44 % of a company’s market value is attributable to the reputation of its CEO. Thus, a business should never forget its executive.

Accepting and Working Through Discomfort

Having a feeling of discomfort is quite common when it comes to managing your online reputation. This is because there are always certain elements that are just beyond anyone’s control. Negative reviews, negative search results, and sudden unmanageable crises or any negative content, all could be part of your journey. But you have to accept it, deal with all this smartly, and work through the discomfort. Try to improve your products and services.

How to Choose the Best online reputation management in Australia?

While looking for online reputation management In Australia, you should consider the following points –

• It should be able to effectively manage your company’s digital reputation. It should also be able to build and manage customer’s trust, improve profit margins, and attract better talent.

• It should use white-hat SEO or ORM strategies. Create a Positive digital footprint for you.

• The price offered should be as per the market prices. The cost of reputation management services might vary from a few hundred to several thousand dollars per month, depending on the strategies employed. But you need to choose it wisely.

• It should be trustworthy and offer genuine services as per the requirement of its customers.