Online reputation management is the process of actively monitoring and influencing the way your business is perceived by your customers and the general public. It involves collecting and analyzing feedback from multiple sources, such as reviews, social media, and customer surveys, and using that feedback to improve the customer experience and build a positive reputation.
Sounds like a lot, right? No need to be overwhelmed. We’ve compiled a step-by-step checklist to get you started. Let’s dive in and get started!
Online Reputation Management Step #1: Build A Strong Foundation
In order to build a successful online reputation management program, it’s important that you are collecting data from different outlets, setting up a review monitoring plan that involves tracking and analyzing online reviews across various review sites, and creating a review solicitation strategy that involves actively encouraging customers to leave reviews of your business on various review sites. Take these steps to get started:
- Claim Local Listings – This involves creating profiles on various review sites and local directories, such as Yelp, Google My Business, and TripAdvisor. By claiming your local listings, you’ll be able to monitor and respond to reviews left by customers,
- Set Up Review Management – Review management tools allow businesses to monitor and analyze their online reputation by tracking reviews, ratings, and customer feedback across multiple review sites.
- Engage in Social Search – By monitoring social media conversations, you can quickly identify customer concerns, respond to customer inquiries, and engage with customers to build positive relationships.
- Build a Team of Dedicated Team Members – Reputation management requires a dedicated team of professionals who can monitor customer reviews and respond to feedback in a timely and effective manner. This team should ideally consist of individuals with expertise in social media management, customer service, and public relations. It’s important to define clear roles for who responds to reviews
- Set Up Alerts on All Review Sites – One of the essential elements of a review monitoring plan is setting up alerts for all review sites where your business is listed. This allows you to receive notifications when new reviews are posted, enabling you to respond quickly and address any issues raised by customers.
- Build Approved Response Templates – Developing brand-approved review response templates ensures that all responses are consistent and align with your business’s overall messaging and tone.
- Build Presence – By encouraging customers to leave reviews on various review sites, you can increase your presence on these platforms.
Online Reputation Management Step #2: Boost Your Customer Acquisition and Retention Strategy
To retain and grow your customer base, engage with your current customers by enhancing social proof, Attract and influence new buyers by building credibility with social proof and using review widgets to display reviews on your website, and win local search by increasing visibility through listing accuracy and improving review velocity.
- Increase Search Velocity – Research has shown that a high star rating can significantly increase conversion rates. In fact, increasing your star rating from 3.7 to 4.4 can result in an 80% increase in conversions. Â
- Enhance Social Proof – One way to enhance social proof is by displaying positive reviews and testimonials prominently on your website and social media pages.
- Respond to Reviews – Responding to both positive and negative reviews shows your customers that you value their feedback and are committed to providing excellent customer service.
- Customize and Automate Responses – Automated responses should be used for quick responses to positive reviews, while negative reviews should be addressed with a personalized response.Â
Online Reputation Management Step #3: Combine Review Data with VoC Feedback
To gain a holistic view of what your customers think, combine review data with voice of customer (VOC) feedback. Combining review data with VoC feedback can provide a more complete view of what customers think about the business.
- Feedback from Every Source – Collecting feedback from multiple sources can provide businesses with a comprehensive understanding of their customers’ opinions and experiences
- Discover the “Why” – Understanding the “why” behind customer feedback can help businesses make more informed decisions about how to respond and take action.Â
- Get a Complete Market View – Gathering feedback from competitors and analyzing industry trends can help businesses gain a complete market view. This can provide valuable insights into areas where businesses can differentiate themselves and improve their reputation.
- Compare Competitive Feedback – Analyzing competitive feedback can help businesses benchmark themselves against the competition and identify areas where they can improve.
- Respond & React in Near Real-Time – Responding to customer feedback in a timely manner can help businesses improve their reputation and retain customers.
Your Online Reputation Management Program Going Forward
By following this checklist, you’ll set yourself up for success by creating an effective online reputation management program that is just as good as getting insights as you will be at acting on them. Ready to take the next step? Learn more about reputation management for your brand today!
