Your online reputation is one of your most valuable assets. As more and more customers turn to the web to research products and services before making purchases, both companies and individuals need to control their online reputations. That’s why a damaged or ignored online reputation can mean lost business, mistrust or even financial pain for years to come.
This exhaustive guide will explain how online reputation management operates, why it’s a big deal and practical steps that you can take to create and maintain a favorable online presence. If you’re wondering how to improve online reputation management, this guide is your starting point.
What is Online Reputation Management for Business?
Online reputation management (ORM) is a process that not only manages but also influences and repairs the way your brand, personal identity, and business is seen online. By actively curating your online reputation, and you control what search engine results, social media posts and customer reviews reveal about your values, your ambition and your credibility.
The purpose of ORM is not to manage the conversation about you on the web, but do so in a way that’s positive for you. When it’s done well, it creates credibility, trust and customer loyalty. One major benefit is understanding how to improve online reputation management using proactive techniques.
The Need for Online Reputation Management
First Impressions Are Digital
Between 89% to 92% of people will research online reviews before making a purchase, studies show. One adverse result on page one of Google can send a potential customer click the opposite way. This is why you need to understand how to improve online reputation management before damage happens.
Customer Influence
Customers really like online opinions. Positive feedback can help to drive your sales up, but a chain of bad feedback can bring the opposite result.
Impact on SEO
SEO is closely associated with ORM. Good reviews and reliable content are search engine optimization tools that can place your website at the top of search engine rankings.
Crisis Management
Mistakes happen. CCH Handling your reputation is essential in dealing with crises as soon as they arise and mitigating any long term damage such events can have.
Competitive Advantage
An improved image online can be the difference between a new customer choosing you over the competition, particularly from heavily contested business sectors. That’s one reason many companies explore how to improve online reputation management strategies as a competitive advantage.
Ways to Maintain a Better Online Reputation Management
You can have a better online reputation if you have a dedicated effort and a plan. Focused on execution, we’ve broken down next steps to help you get from here to there. These steps will also teach you how to improve online reputation management at every stage of your journey.
Take Inventory of Your Current Online Presence
You can’t make something better until you know what shape it’s in now. Start with these steps:
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Google Yourself or Your Brand
Google your name or your business. What does feedback on the first page reveal? Pay close attention to reviews, news articles or social media posts. -
Check Social Media Activity
Review how you appear on Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. Are the discussions regarding your business good? Do they, you know, represent your brand values? -
Read Customer Reviews
Check review websites like Yelp, Trustpilot, and Google Reviews for any complaints, and highlight trends in both praise and criticism.
Own and Optimize Your Digital Property
Proactively manage your online visibility by claiming the digital assets of your brand:
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Establish a Website
A business website serves as your key identity on the internet. Generate and share content (blog posts, video, etc.) on a regular basis to enhance your SEO. -
Claim Social Media Profiles
Lock down usernames on all big social platforms — even ones you’re not going to use, just yet. Your brand handles help to maintain your identity. -
Verify Your Listings
Make sure your business details are consistent and current across websites like Google My Business, Apple Maps and Bing Places.
These elements are foundational if you want to learn how to improve online reputation management effectively and sustainably.
Follow up Online Mentions As Much As Possible
Keep up with the latest online mentions about you or your brand, with monitoring tools:
- Google Alerts
Create alerts for your name, products or business to get notified immediately about mentions, plus get real-time updates. - Reputation Monitoring Tools
Tools such as Brandwatch, Mention or Hootsuite let you monitor the sentiment of your brand across the web and social media. - Respond Promptly
Once you find a review, comment, or post (positive or negative), addressing it as fast as possible demonstrates to your audience that you are invested in their experience.
Knowing how to improve online reputation management also involves active participation, not just observation.
Encourage Positive Reviews
Asking for reviews doesn’t need to be awkward. A good strategy can help happy customers tell their stories:
- Follow Up After Purchases
Email or post a polite request for feedback along with a click-this-link-to-leave-a-review link. - Use Incentives
Providing a little discount or freebie in exchange for a review can be a good way to encourage customers (just make sure this doesn’t violate the rules of the platform). - Display Reviews Publicly
Post your top testimonials on your website or social media and boost your credibility.
The more reviews you generate, the easier it is to implement methods for how to improve online reputation management consistently.
Deal With Negative Feedback With Elegance
If you ever feel that there is some sound advice where our expectations is inappropriate, do not hesitate to tell us.
Negative reviews simply happen — even to some of the top brands. All that matters is how you react:
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Acknowledge the Issue
Respond to negative comments sympathetically. Just a “We’re sorry you feel that way. Can we make it right?” goes a long way. -
Offer Solutions
If you need to apologize, do so, and then simply outline what you’re doing to get it solved. Avoid being confrontational. -
Encourage the Follow-up Discussion
Move the conversation offline (to email or the phone). This allows you to assist the customer without hashing things out in public.
One principle of how to improve online reputation management is to treat every customer interaction as an opportunity for service recovery.
Invest in Quality Content
If you produce positive content, it can help to push negative links down and build your credibility. Create a library of content that’s both engaging and SEO-geared:
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Publish Blogs Regularly
Add value with useful and engaging blog posts. Discuss typical customer questions or new company milestones, for instance. -
Leverage Visual Content
Videos drive 1200% more shares than text and images combined. Spend money on short clips about your products, services or mission. -
Engage on Social Media
Engage with your followers with interactive content such as polls, Q&A sessions or live streams.
Learning how to improve online reputation management means understanding how content drives perception and SEO performance.
Build a Strong Community
Loyalty frequently correlates with a deep sense of community. Cultivate trust and a level of involvement in your audience by:
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Hosting Events
Whether in the real or virtual world, events let you engage directly with your audience. -
Supporting Local Causes
Align with community or global efforts to demonstrate that you care about something more than just profits. -
UGC (User-Generated Content)
Sharing content created by your audience.
Customers who post about your brand and products should get a shout-out. UGC can help to determine credibility.
A strong community is an organic and authentic way of mastering how to improve online reputation management long-term.
Be Prepared for Online Crises
Prevention is the best policy, but you should also have a crisis plan:
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Develop a Crisis Playbook
Map out potential crises (such as a data breach) and develop play-by-play steps for how teams should respond. -
Designate Spokespersons
Designate a team or person to manage external communication in a crisis. -
Stay Transparent
Being open and honest during stressful times can work well to quickly restore trust.
If you’re planning for resilience, you’re on the right path toward mastering how to improve online reputation management.
Own Your Online Reputation
Controlling your online reputation might look overwhelming, but it’s well worth it. Remaining proactive, listening to your audience, and making a good impression digitally can go a long way in building trust, loyalty, and even industry notoriety.
Services like Google Alerts make it easy for you to audit your presence today. No matter if you belong to a business or are just an individual, the prospect of modeling your online identity the way you want with dofollow backlinks for SEO is not so far out. Want more strategies to help make your reputation sparkle? Consider using clean-writing outlets like Outwrite in all of your responses and messages.
And remember: How to Improve Online Reputation Management is not a one-time fix — it’s a long-term digital discipline.
