Online reputation management refers to your efforts to control the public perception of your company online. The process involves monitoring customer feedback, including reviews, testimonials, and complaints. Your reputation is crucial, as it directly affects your ability to attract new customers and retain existing ones.
The simplest and most effective way of managing your reputation is to hire one of the best online reputation management services. Podium is one of several reputation management companies available, but it stands out with its all-in-one offerings. The Reviews tool is perhaps the most important for reputation management, helping you get more 5-star reviews and rank higher on search engines like Google for local business searches (for example, “HVAC near me”). With Podium, Reviews seamlessly integrates with other features to ensure your customers have a positive experience, leading to a more positive reputation online.
In this article, we discuss how you can benefit from finding the right online reputation management company for your needs. To make the decision a little easier for you, we’ve also listed down some of the most reliable reputation management companies on the market as well.
Why You Need an Online Reputation Management Company
You may be wondering why you need to hire a company dedicated to cleaning up your business’s online reputation. In doing so, you’ll be able to better manage your business’s brand image. While you could attempt to manage your reputation yourself, you’ll notice the following benefits when you leverage online reputation management services through a tool like Podium.
1. Protecting and Enhancing Brand Reputation
Reputation management companies offer the major advantage of protecting and enhancing your brand reputation. They are already familiar with the best strategies to improve and maintain your reputation, as they know what effective reputation management techniques work well for your business.
For example, these companies will know to focus on review management, helping you respond to negative reviews and encourage positive ones to maintain a high rating.
2. Expertise in Handling Online Presence
The biggest advantage of online reputation management companies is their expertise and experience in handling online presences. With these companies’ expertise, you can determine what type of online presence your business needs to succeed. This is crucial at a time when businesses of all sizes are fighting for online consumers’ fleeting attention.
3. Crisis Management and Damage Control
The best online reputation management companies will also be there to help with damage control if necessary. While you hope that a crisis never occurs, you can’t guarantee anything. Crisis management and damage control can easily overwhelm you and drain your resources.
However online reputation management companies have the ability to help you handle all types of crises, minimizing the impact of crises on your business.
4. Time and Resource Efficiency
Even when there is no crisis to handle, hiring a company to help you manage your reputation lets you focus on more important tasks. This enables you to use your time and resources efficiently, as you can handle your primary responsibilities and run your business. You won’t even have to waste time trying to figure out how to handle a crisis or manage your online reputation when everything is going smoothly; the service will handle everything for you.
The 8 Best Reputation Management Services to Boost Brand Awareness
Podium is among the best reputation management services for small businesses across several industries—including med spas, HVAC, jewelry, mattresses, appliances, furniture, and auto—largely due to its Reviews feature.
But Podium becomes an even more powerful platform when you consider its other features. Podium’s proven methods get more reviews and more business for you. Best of all, you set the system up to automatically gather reviews, giving you time to focus on other tasks.
You can get a preview of the types of services Podium offers with the Free Google Review Link Generator. It makes it incredibly easy to send review requests that your customers will respond to.
One thing that sets Podium apart from many services is that it is proactive instead of just reactive. By gathering more 5-star reviews, you set yourself up for success as there are more positive reviews to balance out any negative ones that appear.
On top of that, Podium is also highly effective, with Pura Vida Body & Mind Spa seeing a 20-times increase in their Google reviews or Bedzzz Express seeing a 62% increase. Importantly, Podium focuses on increasing your Google Reviews but also improves your reviews for Facebook, Yelp, and other platforms.
As a bonus, the same affordable price that gets you Podium’s review and online reputation management services also improves your company’s efficiency and customer experience. Inbox, phones, and text messaging, for example, streamline communications so you can respond promptly to customers. The built-in CRM features ensure that you always have consolidated and up-to-date customer information on hand so you can have context for all of your conversations.
Podium even includes AI tools. This allows for faster automation when it comes to Review invites and responses. In fact, it even automates the process of sending personalized Google Review Invites and Responses. Your communications with customers including Google Review invites and responses are sent via text to increase conversions and engagement.
Pro tip: Try quickly sending personalized replies to online reviews without compromising quality with Podium’s free AI Review Generator tool.
2. WebiMax
While most of the best online reputation management companies focus on preventing issues, WebiMax appeals to companies that already have a negative reputation and want to turn it around. The company works by promoting positive content in addition to removing negative feedback.
WebiMax typically takes a long-term approach and works on a customized with its clients. However, reviews of the company have noted that WebiMax charges much higher fees compared to other reputation management companies. The long-term strategies implemented by WebiMax may also result in longer turnaround times than expected.
3. SEO Image
As the name implies, SEO Image focuses primarily on SEO marketing and the role it plays in your online reputation. It relies on ethical “white hat” strategies to boost your presence online,
The company also offers some digital marketing services, which will help you counter future crises. SEO Image is a bit limited compared to other reputation management companies, though, it focuses on working with businesses in the medical practice and legal industries.
4. Gadook
Gadook is one of the reputation management companies that offers marketing services in addition to reputation management. It helps you build your brand with custom branding strategies and social media optimization. You can also enjoy web design services, along with content creation and refurbishment.
Gadook is an ideal choice for businesses that have already experienced a brand attack since the company specializes in rebuilding reputations. However, there have been complaints about the business having limited social media coverage and few features for sentiment analysis.
5. Go Fish
Like Podium, Go Fish focuses on online reviews to optimize your net reputation and brand image. Their services function as review management, which as mentioned, is one of the most important parts of reputation management. Go Fish is one of the few companies that specializes in Yelp reviews in addition to Google Reviews. Specifically, the company specializes in arguing your case to have Yelp remove negative reviews, something that can be challenging to do.
Some of the other services this company offers include search suppression, social media monitoring, and autocomplete strategies. One convenient thing about Go Fish is that they work with clients of all sizes, from small businesses to large companies.
6. BrandYourself
BrandYourself focuses primarily on privacy when it comes to online reputation management. While it is primarily for individuals, it is also a popular option for smaller businesses. The company looks for reputational risks online and then cleans up negative elements. It also creates a customized action plan, so results may take longer than customers expect.
7. Netmark
Like most reputation management platforms, Netmark takes a proactive approach. It encourages your customers to write reviews and overall promotes positive reviews to bury negative reviews. It also helps you quickly respond to any review and includes alerts, so you immediately know about reviews or other brand mentions. It might be worth noting, though, that some online reviews have commented on the company’s unresponsiveness to customer feedback and questions.
8. Rhino Reviews
Rhino Reviews is appealing to companies that want a higher level of support, thanks to its expert team that can work directly with you via a fully managed service. This full-service offering makes it more expensive than other reputation management companies. It is especially appealing to companies facing a reputation crisis, as Rhino Reviews offers emergency support.
With Rhino Reviews, you get monthly reporting and a live dashboard with analytics. You also receive instant notifications when you get a review. Other services include automated social posting and unlimited SMS and email campaigns.
How to Choose a Reputation Management Company?
Given the variety of reputation management companies offering their services, it may seem overwhelming to choose the right one for your needs. Follow these steps to select a reputation management company that best aligns with your goals.
1. Define Your Needs and Goals
Before you can choose a company to meet your business’s unique needs, you need to know exactly what your situation is. Do you need to respond to a particular crisis or already have a negative reputation? Do you just want to build a positive reputation to attract customers? Do you want a positive reputation as a way to cushion your brand against future negativity? Do you want to work on search engine optimization and rankings in addition to general public relations? Do you want content marketing and social media marketing as well?
From there, think about how you want to achieve those general goals. One common goal is to manage reviews or gain more positive reviews. Or maybe you want to improve your social media presence, expand your text or email marketing, or work on your digital marketing. Knowing what you want to achieve will help you choose a company that has the services to match your needs.
2. Research and Compare Options
Once you have a firm idea of what you want from a reputation management company, it is time to start comparing them. Research the companies listed above to see which ones fit your needs, including offering services for the review sites that are most important to your customers.
After confirming that your short list of companies offers the services you need, compare their prices and any extra services they include. Also, compare their experience delivering your chosen services and whether they deliver proven results. Industry experience and a high number of positive customer reviews tend to indicate high-quality services that will help you achieve your goals.
3. Look for References and Case Studies
When comparing companies, remember that any brand can just make up figures or claim their customers are satisfied. You want to look for references, testimonials, or reviews of the company from other business owners, especially those in your industry. This not only shows that they have satisfied customers, but it also indicates that they follow their advice. After all, you can’t trust a company to help you get more 5-star reviews if they only have a handful of them.
The best companies will have case studies and other figures showing the results they have achieved. They will have client testimonials that can show positive changes in relevant metrics. This will give you a more accurate idea of what to expect from their business reputation services.
4. Evaluate Their Online Presence
In addition to reviews and testimonials, evaluate the rest of the company’s online presence. Check them out on social media and see the tone taken by articles mentioning them. As with checking their reviews, this serves two purposes. First, it confirms the company is reputable and well-respected. Secondly, it proves that its reputation management methods are effective.
5. Look for Something Proactive and Reactive
Some reputation management firms focus on just proactive or reactive strategies, but the best ones offer both. You want to build a strong, positive reputation that can handle a few negative incidents with minimal damage. But you also want a company and tools that can help you manage a tough situation, such as by offering clear communication and making it easy to respond to negative reviews.
6. Look for All-in-One Solutions
As you compare your options, it can be very tempting to just go with the cheapest reputation management company. However, you want to look for services that will provide the best value. You will get what you pay for, and companies that cost more tend to have more inclusive services and deliver better results.
The best reputation management companies will take it a step further and have all-in-one services. Podium sets a gold standard in this respect. While the Reviews feature is the most relevant to reputation management, it also serves as a CRM tool. It handles all communication channels, including digital ones, and even lets you accept payments.
Using an all-in-one solution will increase the value you get with your reputation management services. It will also let you control your reputation from every stage of the sales funnel, including during the customer experience.
Customers want it to be easy to communicate with you and to pay for their purchases. They want a personalized experience when talking to your team and not to have to repeat themselves every time they talk to you. These little things lead to a positive customer experience and increase the chances that you will get a positive review.
7. Trust Your Instincts
Finally, trust your instincts. If you think something seems off about a reputation management company, then consider another one instead. Or use that as a sign that you should do a bit more research before selecting the marketing agency in question.
This is important for any third-party service provider you want to work with, but it is especially true with internet reputation management. That is because some disreputable companies use unethical methods to improve your reputation – or simply don’t deliver results.
Improve Your Online Reputation Score with Podium
You may not realize it, but you can objectively measure your reputation by looking at your online reputation score. This score indicates your overall online reputation, including the levels of credibility and trust that people associate with your brand. Local businesses want to track this score as part of their marketing strategy.
Podium has helped companies improve their online reputation score via a heavy focus on reviews as well as the ability to improve the overall customer experience. Podium helps you along every step of the customer journey, from converting a website visitor into a lead via Webchat to making a sale and accepting Payment to gathering Reviews from satisfied customers.
The process of gathering reviews with Podium is automated, letting you easily scale up as your business grows while remaining focused on other important tasks. The platform’s AI-powered tools even let you manage your reputation and reviews on multiple sites on a single dashboard. It also includes response suggestions when customers reach out to you.
To further improve your review rate, Podium’s automated system is easy for your customers to use, as they receive a link directly to the appropriate page.
With its all-in-one approach and AI Assistant, Podium makes it easier than ever to generate and manage online reviews and grow your business. For example, the AI Assistant pulls email leads from a variety of websites and puts them into your CRM along with texts, calls, and direct messages.
From there, it automatically sends your pre-approved response within two minutes. The AI Assistant even summarizes calls for you, saving the need to take as many notes and eliminating the risk of missing something important.
You can also use the AI system to invite customers to leave a review in half the time. Try Podium and use the AI Assistant that drives business growth – faster.
Reputation Management Companies FAQs
Q: What are reputation management companies?
A: Reputation management companies protect your company’s online image. They boost positive content about your brand, including positive reviews. They also minimize negative content and try to overpower it with positive content.
Q: What do reputation management companies do?
A: Reputation management companies manage your online reviews as well as your online presence. This includes your presence on social media websites, news articles, and forums.
Q: What is an example of reputation management?
A: One example of reputation management is managing reviews. This can include encouraging positive reviews and responding to negative reviews.
Q: Why is online reputation management important?
A: Online reputation management is crucial as it ensures that you make a positive first impression on potential customers. Without reputation management, you won’t be prepared to handle crises or deal with negative reviews. With reputation management, it becomes much easier to handle those situations and you can attract new customers so you can grow your business.
Q: How much does it cost to hire an online reputation management company?
A: The cost of reputation management will depend on the size of your brand and the services you need, as well as the state of your current reputation. It can range from $500 to $4,000 every month.
