Is Your Online Reputation Management Company Any Good?

Nowadays, customers decide whether to trust a business or not depending mostly on the information available online. Just one negative comment about a company is enough to drive potential buyers away. Negative feedback remains on the internet for everybody to see, and its effect on a company’s reputation may last for a long period of time and cost tens of thousands of dollars. Therefore, without a professional and effective online reputation management strategy, businesses risk losing their clients and money to their competition.

As online reputation management requires considerable effort for monitoring comments and reviews online in order to reduce the impact of negative ones and make the most out of positive ones, it is incredibly difficult, if not impossible, to run a business and handle the ORM by yourself. Thus, business owners have started to turn to online reputation management companies for help.

However, hiring an ORM company does not necessarily guarantee a positive online image. Online reputation management services are different and so is their efficiency. Considering the impact a single negative comment could have on the reputation of a company, it is essential to make sure you are working with the right online reputation management experts.

What does your online reputation management company do for you? A reliable online reputation management company should provide the following services:

  1. Constant Monitoring

    A good online reputation management company should constantly monitor review websites and forums in order to identify possibly damaging feedback and take action to reduce its impact. The professionals handling your online reputation must be aware of everything that is being published about your company and alert you as soon as negative information appears.

  2. Search engine management

    It is well known that people only browse through the first one or two search engine results pages when looking for specific information. Your online reputation management company should use effective SEO strategies so that your official website and positive reviews appear among the first results in search engine listings. Conversely, they should push negative comments as farther away from the first search engine pages as possible, in order to minimize their effect.

  3. Social media reputation management

    Social media can make or break a company’s online reputation. A good online reputation management company should use the potential of social media in your favor, by maintaining an active social presence and a close relationship with possible customers. At the same time, the company should keep a close eye on the comments posted by customers on these platforms and take efficient measures if negative feedback appears.

  4. Content management

    Fresh, updated content is crucial for maintaining a visible online presence, attracting new customers and improving your reputation. The professionals in charge with your online reputation should manage content efficiently, publishing interesting and useful information frequently, from blog posts, videos, press releases to social media posts. Frequent publishing contributes to building a reliable and trustworthy online presence, while also improving search engine rankings.

These are just some of the things a good online reputation management company should do for you. If you realize you cannot find your official website among the first ten results when searching for your company, if negative reviews are among the first to show up in search engine listings and your social media profile has not been updated for a long time, you have a serious online reputation management problem. However, the situation must not be this dramatic to realize that your online reputation management company is no good. If you are not completely satisfied by the results you get with a certain team, look for someone better before it is too late.

Make sure you hire an efficient online reputation management company, because leaving your online image in the wrong hands could significantly affect the success of your business.