Have you Mastered Reputation Management for Your Organization?

Today’s consumers research products, services and organizations thoroughly before purchasing or working with them. Among the first things a savvy consumer is sure to check are the online reviews and reputation of the product, service or organization in question.

At Anania Bailey, we offer reputation management as a service for our small business clients. We have our own in-house technology to manage and elicit reviews, and we also partner with third party providers to integrate with client software.  

Read on to learn more about the importance of online reviews on your organization’s reputation and success.

Why Online Reviews Matter

The connection between online reviews and SEO is close, with an estimated 10 percent of the search results on Google being directly influenced by online reviews. Learning how to leverage these rankings can be a confusing task, as Google is notoriously tight-lipped regarding its algorithms.

Online Reviews Move the Needle on Local SEO

Reviews greatly impact the general SEO of a product, service or small business, and their effect on local SEO rankings is even more significant. The reason? The layout of local reviews.

Local business reviews contain less information and focus more on the quality of the product or service and how it differs from competitors. Nearly half of all consumers visit a company’s website as a result of reading positive reviews. Thus, online reviews boost website traffic and, in turn, Google rankings.

Beyond Improving SEO, Online Reviews Demonstrate Trust

As a brand, you can claim a lot about your product or service, but reviews left by real consumers are key when you want indisputable feedback. The more trust consumers have in your brand, the higher your CTR (click-through rate) will be compared to your competitors.

One of Google’s top-ranking factors is CTR, so the more people visit your website, the more popular you will appear to the search engine. This will increase your site’s visibility and future traffic.

Tips to Get More Reviews, and How to Manage Them

Once you appreciate the value of online reviews, your next priority becomes how to get more. Asking for a review may not be your first instinct, but 70 percent of customers will leave a review if asked.

One of the best ways to follow up with customers is through a mailing list or newsletter signup. Monthly emails add value to the customer’s experience and give them the incentive to follow that call to action and leave a review. 

It is essential to respond to the reviews you get. The customer has taken the time to leave their feedback about your business and appreciates the value you give them by replying. Responding kindly and positively to customers, even in the case of a negative review, will improve your overall ranking on Google. It may even persuade some customers to leave more positive reviews.

It can be challenging to keep track of all the comments on review sites. Use a calendar and set reminders for each review platform. Make it a habit to leave feedback for every review during the week it was posted. Always be gracious in your feedback, even with negative comments.

Our In-House Process, Technology and Team

We developed our own platform to reach out to your clients to elicit reviews.. This same platform allows us to monitor those reviews, Google alerts and social media posts for you. Whether positive or negative, we respond to them, keeping your sites active and rising in the rankings.

Anania Bailey also partners with many leading reputation management software companies, enabling us to integrate reputation management into our client’s software systems, thus easily automating the process. We understand that proactive customer service is the key to dealing with our clients and their customers. We can see the positive effects that even negative reviews and feedback can have. Our online reputation management experts are skilled at utilizing those reviews, whether positive and negative, to increase your visibility and cultivate a good reputation in the industry.

To learn more about online reputation management (ORM) and how Anania Bailey can help you manage your online reputation, or to schedule a consultation, call us at (207) 406-9662. You can also reach out to us via email at info@ananiabailey.com with any questions.