Importance of Reputation Management
As the business mogul Warren Buffet famously said, "It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it." And that was before the Internet!
In today’s world, online reputation management is essential. In the online world, everything from social media comments to customer feedback, review sites, and even false information can shape public perception. A brand’s reputation can be severely damaged by negative comments from an influencer, sometimes leading to a public relations crisis that directly impacts the bottom line
If you’re a business owner, thought leader, colleague, employee or major public figure - reputation is everything.
Speak with Simon our online reputation management expert, in complete confidence.
Reputation Management is a 21st-century Necessity
Before the Internet, companies and brands could more easily control their reputations through traditional public relations. With fewer communication channels, managing public perception was simpler, and brands could thrive without the risk of customers knowing much about their CEO’s character, for example. Potential customers simply didn't have access to that level of information.
Today, online brand reputation management is crucial for establishing clear policy guidelines, prioritising tasks, and improving communication among team members responsible for a brand’s online presence.
While online media can greatly enhance brand visibility, highlight positive reviews and attract new customers, it can also quickly amplify negative content, leading to potential damage if not managed properly.
The Impact of Online Perception
At any given moment, someone might search for your business or name, and the first results they see are crucial. If the first few links are positive—such as your website, social media profiles, or positive press—it encourages potential customers to engage with you.
On the other hand, if the first few links are negative press or poor reviews, they may question your suitability and look elsewhere. Even a lack of online presence can harm your brand reputation, as it may signal unreliability.
Negative online content can escalate to defamatory issues, requiring legal intervention. This is why it’s essential to have a reputation management strategy that actively puts your best self forward.
Create and Curate Your Reputation Through Effective Management
Online reputation management works to counter, weaken or eliminate negative material online and generate and promote the positive.
An effective online reputation management service offers comprehensive support, including monitoring, reporting, and strategies to address negative reviews, all while highlighting your expertise to drive growth through reputation control. The goal is simple: when people search for you online, they see you or your brand in the best possible light.
Are you ready to take control of your reputation?
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Why Reputation Management Matters for Businesses and Brands
The more search engine results you ‘own' on the first two pages of an online search, the better. Why? Because it enables you to control what people see and influence their decision-making process. As well as your website, you want them to see positive reviews (which are very important for trust and credibility), social media profiles, and PR.
Credibility, trust, profit, and attracting talent are all linked to your search results.
Reputation Management for Individuals
People search for others online, whether they're looking for a potential new hire or want to know more about you before choosing to do business with you. They'll check out your social media and professional profiles and notice if you've been in the news. What people see in the first two pages of an online search is what shapes their opinion of you.
For a quick insight into your own online reputation, all you need to do is Google yourself. Do you like what you see in the first few hits? These are the links that people will use to form their view of your online reputation, whether you're aware or not.
By putting in place a professional-level reputation management strategy, you get to curate these results and always put your best self forward.
Speak with Simon our online reputation management expert, in complete confidence.
The Cost of Negative Online Content
Negative online content can severely damage your business.
It’s reported that 75% of businesses say online reviews, comments, press, and forum posts are crucial to their financial and reputation. Additionally, negative content has cost 1 in 20 UK companies more than£500,000,with 51% of businesses stating that they have been negatively affected by unsubstantiated online reviews or targeted by trolls.
But highly visible positive search results on page 1, really influence perception, reputation, consumer behaviour and business and individual success. And that is why it’s so important to implement a workable, meaningful reputation management strategy.
A reputation management agency offers comprehensive services designed to enhance and safeguard a business's online reputation.
Take Control of Your Reputation
Taking control of your online presence enables you to present the best possible image of your business, brand or senior figures to the online community.
This is where a reputation management company comes into its own. At Igniyte, we can have a macro of your online reputation in a way that would be extremely time-consuming for you to have. There is, of course, reputation management software out there, but taking a DIY approach when it comes to building business reputation, could end up costing more in the long term.
Because our approach to online reputation management is organic and bespoke, rather than automated, our clients' reputation strategies last as Google's algorithms change over time.
Online Reputation FAQs
Why does online reputation management matter for businesses and brands?
Maintaining a positive online reputation is crucial for businesses to establish trust and enhance their brand image.
The more search engine results you ‘own' on the first two pages of an online search the better. Why? Because it enables you to control what people see and influence their decision-making process. As well as your website, you want them to see positive reviews (which are very important for trust and credibility), social media, profiles, and PR.
Credibility, trust, profit and attracting talent are all linked to your search results.
What are some key statistics on online reputation?
We’ve gathered statistics showing how much negative online content can impact your brand or company. It's essential to consider these insights and apply them to your manage online reputation strategy.
One effective approach is online reputation marketing, which involves tailored strategies to manage brand reputation through specialised services.
- 93% of people say online reviews impact their buying decisions.
- 95% admit to reading reviews before visiting a business.
- 89% of consumers are 'highly' or 'fairly' likely to use a business that responds to all its reviews.
- 67% would consider leaving a review for a positive experience.
- 68% of consumers are willing to pay up to 15% more for a product or service if they expect a better experience.
How long does reputation management take?
As a leading reputation management company, we work with all kinds of clients. And one of the first questions we tend to get is a form of: “How long does online reputation management take?”
This is entirely understandable, and as a reputation manager for our customers and clients, we know that the answer is not the same for everyone.
The length of time it will take to fully manage and curate your online reputation depends on your specific goals. Our services include link removal strategies that take, for example, between one and four weeks.
However, to get to grips and manage online reviews or to create bespoke content that will improve online rankings can take longer. Online reputation management activity to suppress/push down negative search results take on average six to 12 months.
How does online reputation management work?
Every project is different and with lots of factors to consider, some projects are ongoing and never ‘finished' but will be improved over time.
We use our expertise and experience as well as appropriate reputation management software to help guide clients through the process and understanding the amount of work that goes into improving online search results.
Reputation management cannot be a passive endeavour. Just as with any effective marketing or PR plan, it needs to be strategised and actively implemented.
Search engines, such as Google, Bing, and others, don't care about your reputation. Results are not presented based on what's negative and positive, but rather on relevance and popularity.
So, while negative reviews or other content that could negatively impact your reputation may not be fair, if it's clickable then it will be visible in search results to potential customers or recruits.
This is why taking steps to ensure reputation management is covered is in your best interests, both at a corporate and individual level.
What kind of reputation management software works best?
There is reputation management software out there that could, in theory, be used by individuals to try to conduct their own reputation management strategies,
However, review management software can be expensive in and of itself. Add on to this the understanding and experience you get from a reputation management company, and the time it takes to effectively strategise and it's not generally the best way to tackle reputation management.
Here are recommendations on 13 best free and paid for online reputation tools.
Does everyone need a reputation management company?
While it's obviously possible to take a DIY approach to your online reputation, this tends not to work for anyone who has a large presence online. We do work with people to create and curate their reputation from scratch in some cases too.
As you can see, the world of reputation management is both complex and wide-ranging.
You can find out more about personal reputation management and professional reputation management by clicking these links.
We would always recommend working with a professional reputation management company as the most cost-effective and useful way to improve and manage your reputation.
Learn more about Igniyte here and how we work.
How important is getting on the first page of Google?
Google controls around 92% of search engine traffic.
The majority of that traffic goes to the first page of results. In fact, 75% of people only look at the first page of search engine results to form their impression. Getting on the first page of Google is crucial since 75% of users never scroll past the first page of search results.
Getting the number one page of Google with SEO is so important, as 41% of consumers trust organic results over paid ads as their reliable source of information.
By introducing online reputation management services, businesses can generate reviews, analyse online reputations, and implement strategies to enhance brand perception across various platforms.
How does customer behaviour affect online reputation?
Consumer behaviour is heavily influenced by online reputation. For example, 67% of consumers consider leaving a review for a positive experience, and nearly 3 out of 4 trust companies more if reviews are positive. Here’s a bit more insight into customer behaviour as a direct result of their view of a company or brand’s online reputation.
98% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses.
93% of customers comparison shop for every purchase.
What are the risks of negative online content?
Negative online content can seriously harm your reputation and business. Statistics show that 75% of businesses say that online reviews, comments, press and forum posts are important to the financial and reputational status of their business. Additionally, 70% of consumers will avoid buying from a company they don't like based on online perceptions and 50% of job seekers are likely to reject a job offer from a company with a bad reputation.
How significant are online reviews for my reputation?
Online reviews are critical, with 93% of people saying they impact buying decisions, and 95% of consumers reading reviews before visiting a business.
Positive reviews and testimonials are among the most powerful tools in online reputation management. Encouraging satisfied customers to leave reviews and addressing any negative feedback promptly can help maintain a positive online image. Statistics show that nearly 3 out of 4 consumers trust a company more if reviews are positive.