Online Reputation Management: What It Is, Why It Is Important and Best Practices to Follow

Whether you’re a small business or a Fortune 500 company, it’s important to have a good online reputation. Your customers are going to Google your business, and they’re going to find your website. They’ll check out what people are saying about you on platforms like Facebook and Twitter, among many others.

If you want to gather website traffic and also keep previous store visitors coming back for more, it’s important that you manage your brand’s online reputation.

Today, reputation management has become an essential part of every business. A good online reputation can help you in attracting more customers, while a bad one can have the opposite effect.

What is online reputation management?

Online Reputation Management, or ORM, is a multidimensional concept that focuses on building better public awareness and perception of a brand, company, and/or person.

ORM encompasses building and regularly monitoring reputation, tackling any and all content that could possibly tarnish the brand image. It deals with strategizing and execution to achieve the desired results.

Why is online reputation management important?

1. It impacts buying decisions

Customers are more easily influenced than we realize. And your online reputation is going to play a major role in buying decisions.

53% of shoppers claim they do research before purchasing anything. And over 81% of consumers do online research before making big purchases.

Only and only if shoppers find your brand reliable enough will they consider making a purchase from your store. And hence, your online reputation plays a major role in determining your conversions.

2. It is the online version of word-of-mouth

88% of consumers trust user reviews as much as personal recommendations.

Now, while your potential customers are out there reading reviews, testimonials, and other social media posts about your company, you should be able to make a good impression. This will help you improve your chances of persuading them to buy from you.

Here is the complete guide for online reputation management.

Here is the complete guide on the social listening platforms and their importance, Social listening on Facebook and social listening on LinkedIn.